Is the Filter in your Above Ground Pool Ready to be Cleaned?

If you have an above ground pool in your backyard, you have a choice of two different kinds of filter to keep the water clean as it goes through the pump. Some systems use a sand filter; others use a filter made of diatomaceous earth. Now with both kinds of filter, backwashing is a proper DIY option. Depending on the kind of filter you use, you'll have to perform different steps to get the job done.

Let's start with the diatomaceous earth filter though. To start with, turn the filter off, and find the switch on the filter somewhere that lets you change the filter to backwash mode. You should be ready to switch the pump back on now once that's done. When water starts running out of the pump now, depending on how long it's been since your last time cleaning the filter, the water should be somewhat dirty. When you leave it running for long enough, the water coming out of the pump begins to clear up. That indicates to you that your pump is now clean and ready for service again.

All you need to do then is to turn your pump off, and set the dial back to the way it was. You'll need to check the pressure gauge to see that everything looks okay. And then you should be ready to fill the filter back up with the diatomaceous earth. The amount you need of course will depend on how large a filter you have. You'll need to check with the owner's manual to your filter, before you scoop diatomaceous earth into it. Make sure that it fills in evenly, and close everything back up. You're done now with a job well done.

If your above ground pool has a sand filter, backwashing it follows somewhat the same kinds of steps. The pressure gauge on the sand filter usually shows you when the filter needs to be cleaned. If the pressure gauge shows higher pressure than normal, or if the water flow indicator is up to a third lower than normal, these are your signs that your filter is ready for a good cleaning. All you need to do is to turn off the pump, reverse the valve setting for a thorough backwash, open a different valve in some models for water to flow in the other direction, and turn it on. Once everything is rinsed clean, you shut it down, turn off all the valves and you are done with it.