Silica Sand / Backyard Pool Filter

:help: Back beginning of May we changed out the Silica Sand in the Drum Filter for the backyard pool...The Pool Store advised refilling the drum with only 3 bags as to fill it to capacity we'd be loosing a considerable amount..We are at that point when we go through the ritual of vacuuming and I empty the filter basket on the pump..To do so I close the valve leading from the skimmer to the pump..Plus swing the dial from Filter to Backwash to release pressure as well ( the power to the pump is turned off ).. Either I'm biting down to hard on my tongue or I'm doing things in the wrong order..lol...Once I've cleaned the basket and put everything back in place , opened the value and put the dial back to filter and the power back on...We notice a considerable amount of silica sand has come out through the return into the pool and settles on the bottom..Any help or ideas appreciated:help:

If you just replaced the silica sand, you may have bought too fine of a sand and it's going through the screen that is supposed keep the sand in the filter.

You really shouldn't have to change sand anyway. You can't hurt it by backwashing it. Sand filters work their best just before they need to be backwashed. The film of hair etc on top of the sand is what does the best filtering.

Speedbump said:

If you just replaced the silica sand, you may have bought too fine of a sand and it's going through the screen that is supposed keep the sand in the filter.

You really shouldn't have to change sand anyway. You can't hurt it by backwashing it. Sand filters work their best just before they need to be backwashed. The film of hair etc on top of the sand is what does the best filtering.

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@ Speedbump..Thanks for the Comeback I hear You, for lack of better words it was "Pillar to Post" decision...As the Pool came with the House when we bought, nature of the beast not everyone follows the manual as they should leaving room for surprises if you will..Some you catch right away and others down the road..lol...As I may have said in a previous Post we have issues with Hard Water & Iron Content..We had dealt with a previous Water Filtering system that Sucked big time, changed that out to a system that has been performing top notch.. According to the records @ the local pool store our Pool is 10 yrs old this Season..I pulled the top off the filter drum back beginning of May, the silica sand was hard, crusty, and a rust color...Hence the decision to start with a fresh batch...

Like seeking a 2nd opinion for Medical Advise , I spoke with another Pool Store and they suggested I just monitor the silica sand we see coming from the Return...Their Answer to my Query as the main Control Dial sits on a PVC pipe that runs right down through the s/s connecting to a donut style ring...It very possible that while we were refilling the filter drum some of the s/s got into the pipe, hence it finds it's way through the return...btw it's not a constant amount, just seems to happen after we turn the pump back on after cleaning the filter basket on the pump, like a momentary surge..They say if what I described happened, it should clear itself out.. :beer:

As you've noticed, the reason to change the sand is because after time the sand begins to clog and harden. I had the same problem when we had a pool and the store where I bought my supplies sugggested removing some of the sand from the filter, because when the filter is turned on there is considerable agitation of the sand bed and it gets sucked out into the return line before it can settle. This is even more pronounced when the filter is back washed
I removed enough sand so that it didn't get back into the pool. I then adde more sand a little at a time until I got a small amount of sand back in and then removed another scoop or two. I then knew what level the sand needed to be to be effective. It was a lot of work at first, but I had no problems after that when I had to change the sand again

As you've noticed, the reason to change the sand is because after time the sand begins to clog and harden. I had the same problem when we had a pool and the store where I bought my supplies sugggested removing some of the sand from the filter, because when the filter is turned on there is considerable agitation of the sand bed and it gets sucked out into the return line before it can settle. This is even more pronounced when the filter is back washed
I removed enough sand so that it didn't get back into the pool. I then adde more sand a little at a time until I got a small amount of sand back in and then removed another scoop or two. I then knew what level the sand needed to be to be effective. It was a lot of work at first, but I had no problems after that when I had to change the sand again
If you do nothing, eventually, enough sand will be removed when you back wash the filter, but that may take a while and the sand recirculating through the filter and pump could erode the pumps impeller

There are screens in all the sand filters I have ever. They are there to prevent sand from getting into the pool, pump or pipes. So if your getting sand continuously, one or both of those screens are broken. These screens are optional on Water Filters such as softeners, iron filters etc, but not optional on pool sand filters.

The only thing I can think of that could gum up the sand in a filter is way too much body lotion, suntan lotion etc. The iron color on the sand won't affect it's ability to filter. Believe it or not, sand filters are the least effective of the three most popular; sand, cartridge and DE. Sand filters do their best work just before it's time to backwash them.