Sand Filter Troubles

by Billy-Janette
(Virginia)

Hello. When I purchased my home, the above ground dough boy pool came with it and the previous owners didn't take care of anything, that included. I never could get the pool right last year due to running out of time before winterizing and other issues.

I had gotten the pump working and chemicals in but was told by a local pool store that I need to vacuum (bottom is a mess!), but whenever I did, I was told to put it on the waste setting and would lose a LOT of water and FAST! This is a problem as I have an old water pump in my home and can't leave it running for more than 20 minutes tops and that's not enough time to refill what I lost in water from the pool. The water also typically looks pretty clean that comes out? Only the first time that I back-washed did it look really...like waste.

So this year, now that I took the cover off for the Spring, before winter, I winterized the pool and brought the water down below the skimmer. So now I'm trying to re-fill the pool, which with my water pump is taking a while (I need to run it 20 minutes on, 20 minutes off). I also bought a Barracuda that I hope to get in there with and clean where I had a hard time with.

My main issue:

1.) I have been told I should clean my sand filter and that it might only need a cartridge. If so, HOW do I do this?

2.) I had the idea to run the water from the backwash back into the pool so I don't lose the water when I put the baracuda in. Good idea? Bad?

Thanks

Hi

I'm not making sense out of your first question, a sand filter does not use a cartridge. Only a cartridge filter does. I would, however, change the sand in your filter. That could help a lot and should be done every few years.

Vacuuming to waist is just a little faster way of vacuuming and is usually limited to major cleanups or getting rid of algae. It is by no means mandatory and with your pump situation I would not do it.

It is important to backwash after you vacuum, but this does not have to be for very long, just as long as it takes for the water to come out clean, usually not long at all. Do not do this back into the pool, that's putting very yucky water right back into the pool, not a good idea.

You will find that once the pool is clean a weekly back flush of a minute or so will not tax your water system. You will probably loose more water from evaporation than from filter cleaning.