It is recommended that the sand in your filter is changed every five years. It is possible to run a filter for longer, but its efficiency will decrease rapidly.
Filter sand has been ground to a size of 0.3 to 0.5mm and is very rough when new. It is the roughness that makes the sand efficient at filtering out the dirt particles in your water. Over a long period of time the roughness becomes smoothed out, and the efficiency of the filter consequently diminishes. The system then has to run more frequently to achieve the same task. Chemical costs may increase too, as the need for more sanitizer increases. After five years the sand becomes smooth and broken down, this traps the dirt deep down, making backwashing more and more difficult. The result is shorter filter cycles which requires more frequent backwashing. The consequence of this is shorter filter cycles and increased backwashing.
You need to start by removing the old sand. To remove the old sand you will need to open the filter. If your filter has top mounted multiport valve you will usually need to disconnect the plumbing running to the valve. If you do not have a union you will need to cut the pipes to remove the multipoint valve. This may therefore be a good time to install some, when re-connecting the pipe work. Filters that have a plug at the bottom are the easiest to remove sand from. Removing the plug will enable the sand to flow out and you can then use a hose to wash the remaining sand from the tank. If your filter does not have this drain plug, then you need to remove the sand by scooping it out from the top. Before you do this undo the drain plug to release any water. When scooping out the sand be careful not to damage the laterals, which are very delicate. Filters with side mounted multiport valve have a small top which can be removed or a tank in the middle that can be taken apart. The sand can then be removed in the same way as above. When the sand has been completely removed, the laterals should be carefully removed and thoroughly cleaned. Most laterals will unscrew allowing easy removal from the tank for cleaning and examining. Check the laterals for any signs of breakage, and replace them if necessary. The laterals should be checked for any damage, cracks or splits, and replaced if necessary.
Finally, rinse out the tank and re-install the clean laterals. Now replace the sand. Ensure that the sand bed is level after adding each bag of sand. Finally, reassemble the pipework.
Author Resource:-
Francis Lowe is a leading expert in swimming pool maintenance with a huge wealth of experience developed from 40 years in the industry.To see a full range of pool equipment, including swimming pool filters and pool filters see our website.
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