Using Two Pool Filters

by Aaron
(Michigan)

I have a 24 ft round pool and I have a few questions. First, I have two sand filters but only one skimmer box.

My theory was that I would use the one filter that's hooked to the skimmer box to just filter and the other one I would start a siphon with the vacuum hose and hook it to the pump and run another hose over the wall for the return. This second unit would be used mainly for vacuuming.

This way my good filter won't get clogged with stuff all of the time. Is this a good idea? How would it be easier? What's another way I could do this?

Thanks.

Hi Aaron.

One solution would be to use one really good filter. I once had a 24' pool with a 1 1/2 HP inground pump attached to a sand tank holding about four hundred pounds of sand. That pool was never dirty.

So one solution would be to trade in all your existing stuff and buy one killer system.

With either unit they will need to be backwashed after vacuuming. My method of cleaning a pool has always been to backwash the filter, vacuum the pool, and backwash again. The reason for this is simple. I want to vacuum the pool with the maximum suction allowed by the pump. To do this the filter needs to be clean. After vacuuming I want to get the dirt out of the filter as soon as possible. I also want to start the new week of filtering with a clean filter at maximum pressure. So once a week the system would get flushed twice. If was using a cartridge filter, same thing, clean filter, vacuum, clean again.

If the bottom of the pool is so dirty it is clogging the filter while you are vacuuming, and this does happen, you have two choices. You can stop, backwash, and continue vacuuming. Or you can vacuum in the waist position

and move all the dirt out into your yard quickly. You then refill the pool a bit and be done with it.

But back to your original question. In the olden days, before through the wall skimmers, all filters worked with hoses going over the wall and into the pool. There is nothing wrong with that. They used like really thick cloths hangers bent just right to hold the hoses in place. If they were not set just right a hose would fall out and you would have water all over the yard.

I was once filling a pool out of my well. I wanted to take it easy on the well so I only filled the pool for an hour or so a day. I rigged up some piping made out of 1 1/2" PVC flexible PVC pipe and a few elbows. This way I was able to filter the water as the pool was filling. My kids, they did not care. They had just as much fun when the pool had 6" of water, a foot of water and so on. They never once ask me to fill it faster.

If you do get things set up this way there are a couple of different ways to prime the pump. Some systems will retain enough water they will start up each time without priming. If the system is not completely air tight it may need a little help. The fastest way is to just turn the pump on and then stick a garden hose up the intake. If you create a small seal with your hand the pump will be running on its own in no time. Many systems will start simply by opening the hair and lint pot just a crack, enough to fill the basket with existing filter water. Turing the system on should start it right up. If there is no water in the system, filling the basket with water, putting the lid back on, should be enough water for the pump to prime.