Do you lose sand when backwashing?

Asked by: Jonathan Mahoney

When you first install a sand filter or renew the sand, you may indeed get a small amount of sand coming out when backwashing, rinsing or filtering. Often, excess sand gets into the wrong places when refilling and will sand to come out into the pool or out of the backwash hose. But it should go away after a few runs.

Does backwashing remove sand from filter?

Well, as the name suggests, backwashing involves reversing the flow of water through your filter media, be it Zeoplus, sand, glass pearls or diatomaceous earth (DE). This dislodges dirt and debris that may have become trapped, and flushes it out through your multiport valve waste line.

Can you backwash a sand filter too much?

Can You Backwash Too Much? If you backwash your pool too much i.e. time duration and/or close frequency then yes you can cause a lot of problems. Some problems that can arise from backwashing your sand pool filter too much are: Loss of water – 500+ litres of water can be lost in each backwashing cycle.

Why is my pool filter losing sand?

The most common problem is a cracked lateral, which is one of the perforated pipes at the bottom of the filter that catches water that has circulated through the sand. Whether it’s a lateral, the standpipe, or a seal that is worn or broken, you can usually fix the filter yourself, but it may take a few hours.

How much water do you lose when you backwash a pool?

Backwashing can take only a few minutes to complete, but for a typical pool, it consumes approximately 200 to 300 gallons of pool water! So, while your filter is losing unwanted dirt and debris—your pool is losing a ton of water. And that’s for a single backwash.

Why is there sand in my pool after backwashing?

Your pump may be too large or the sand level too high in the filter. When the filter is backwashing the water flow can cause the sand to rise high enough and overflow into the standpipe, which will allow the sand back into the pool.

What happens if you don’t rinse after backwash?

Then you rinse to help settle the sand and flush the last bit of crud and dust down the drain not back into your pool. if you don’t rinse you will see cloudy water coming out of the jets for the first 30 seconds or so when u turn the filter back on.

How long do you rinse after backwashing a pool?

Rinse the filter for about 1 to 2 minutes or until the water in the sight glass is clear. NOTE: Any electric heater must be off.

At what PSI should I backwash?

8-10 PSI

Another industry standard is to backwash when your filter’s pressure gauge reads 8-10 PSI (pounds per square inch) over the starting level or “clean” pressure. For example, if your filter is running normally at 15 PSI but increases to 25 PST, you should perform a backwash.

How do I know if my sand filter needs more sand?

If you start losing. Pressure if your pressure gets weaker and weaker and weaker.

Does backwashing lower the water level?

For inground pools with a sand or DE filter, the easiest way to quickly lower the water level is to place the multiport valve into the waste position and roll out the backwash hose. If instead, you have a slide (push-valve), backwash the filter to lower the water level.

Do you need to add water after backwashing?

And consider that and obviously more frequent back washing and you're going to lose more water which means you're going to have to top it off with with fresh fill water.

Should I backwash after vacuuming pool?

Yes, we recommend backwashing after you vacuum your pool. This allows the filter to shoot out any dirt / debris you have vacuumed up. Don’t forget to set your filter to “rinse” for 30 seconds after backwashing!

Is waste the same as backwash?

Filter Settings



Drain/Waste: Opting the drain or waste setting will remove pool water without forcing it through the filter. Backwash: This clears out any debris, dirt and other contaminants that may have accumulated on the filter.

Does backwash drain the pool?

Before You Drain Your Pool



Either pool draining methods will require a backwash hose. It is very important to direct your backwash hose toward to an area that won’t flood from all of the water flow. For most homes, this means draining into the driveway so water can roll down and then into the drains in the street.