Can A De Filter Still Work Without De Powder?

[Gavin]

update..the pool is cleaner than it has ever been. In fact when I arrive at the pool the pool is so clean I could walk away and not clean it...no one would know. But I do still brush, skim and vac and check the chems. I keep the FC above the min CYA/FC and there is no problems at with this pool. This pool is runing better than any other pool I have. Of course the day will come when I will have to clean the filter. but its been several months now and its still good.

[waterbear]

the day will come when you will have to replace the grids. Also, DE grids to not filter down to micron size so you are not really filtering the water at all. But like it was said before, you decided to do what you wanted to do even though advised against it.

I hope this is your own pool and not a customer's but I do not think this is the case since I have answered posts of yours in the past and have gotten the impression you are in the industry. If you are it is exactly stuff like this that gives pool care techs a bad rep and hurts the industry as a whole since you are NOT properly caring for this customer's pool but just being lazy and trying to make your job easier.

Sorry if this seems harsh to you and if it is your own pool then ignore what I said.

But if you are servicing someone else's pool and getting paid for it then you really need to do your job properly.

[Gavin]

the day will come when you will have to replace the grids. Also, DE grids to not filter down to micron size so you are not really filtering the water at all. But like it was said before, you decided to do what you wanted to do even though advised against it.

I hope this is your own pool and not a customer's but I do not think this is the case since I have answered posts of yours in the past and have gotten the impression you are in the industry. If you are it is exactly stuff like this that gives pool care techs a bad rep and hurts the industry as a whole since you are NOT properly caring for this customer's pool but just being lazy and trying to make your job easier.

Sorry if this seems harsh to you and if it is your own pool then ignore what I said.

But if you are servicing someone else's pool and getting paid for it then you really need to do your job properly.

Thank you for the reply. no problem. not harsh just realilty. I'm sure I will have to replace the whole filter one day. Its an old filter. I had a repairman do this job. I think what I have learnt from this is that if you have a DE filter with movable parts inside it is best to replace it than try to fix it. Even if you fix it next week something else inside could break or crack and will end up costing you more in the long run. at least with a new filter, if properly cared for, will last many years.

NOTE: I do NOT recommend anyone do what I did. I recommend they replace the filter with a new one.

[Pool Clown]

You replaced the manifold and two fingers. Curious, who paid for that? The customer? Does the customer also know that you put him on a collision course for another bill when his "old filter" finally succumbs to your experiment? Water bear is right, it's practices like this that give people in our industry, or the pool care industry rather, a black eye.

Your a professional, you know this is not the correct way to operate a filter, and you listened to a "repair guy" instead. I hope that he does not work for you. If he does, you should let him go (if it's not too much trouble). If the filter is old, as you say, and not clearing the pool anymore, it should have been replaced, one bill, done. The only person that matters here has to pay the bill. Doesn't that bug you at all?

[Gavin]

You replaced the manifold and two fingers. Curious, who paid for that? The customer? Does the customer also know that you put him on a collision course for another bill when his "old filter" finally succumbs to your experiment? Water bear is right, it's practices like this that give people in our industry, or the pool care industry rather, a black eye.

Your a professional, you know this is not the correct way to operate a filter, and you listened to a "repair guy" instead. I hope that he does not work for you. If he does, you should let him go (if it's not too much trouble). If the filter is old, as you say, and not clearing the pool anymore, it should have been replaced, one bill, done. The only person that matters here has to pay the bill. Doesn't that bug you at all?

It did at the time but I learn and I move on. I do not dwell on negatives but keep moving forward and up. I am in business to make money not lose money. Once my clients are happy, the pool is in great condition and I get compensated for my time that is all that matters. eventually this filter will have needed replacing anyway. we will replace it with a small Hayward cartridge filter and the pump is needing replacing so will replace that the same time.

[waterbear]

You replaced the manifold and two fingers. Curious, who paid for that? The customer? Does the customer also know that you put him on a collision course for another bill when his "old filter" finally succumbs to your experiment? Water bear is right, it's practices like this that give people in our industry, or the pool care industry rather, a black eye.

Your a professional, you know this is not the correct way to operate a filter, and you listened to a "repair guy" instead. I hope that he does not work for you. If he does, you should let him go (if it's not too much trouble). If the filter is old, as you say, and not clearing the pool anymore, it should have been replaced, one bill, done. The only person that matters here has to pay the bill. Doesn't that bug you at all?

It did at the time but I learn and I move on. I do not dwell on negatives but keep moving forward and up. I am in business to make money not lose money. Once my clients are happy, the pool is in great condition and I get compensated for my time that is all that matters. eventually this filter will have needed replacing anyway. we will replace it with a small Hayward cartridge filter and the pump is needing replacing so will replace that the same time.

Right here is a very big reason I choose to no longer work in the industry. I could not in good conscience when things like this occur to unsuspecting customers way too often.

[quantumchromodynamics]

Gavin, you're being dishonest and unprofessional. You're not doing the right thing for your client and you know it. Do the right thing. If you can't make money doing things right, then get out of the business.

Maybe no one will be hurt or killed this time, but it's only a matter of time if you keep making decisions like this. Perhaps when you decide that a GFCI isn't necessary on an underwater light or some other similar decision.

[Gavin]

Gavin, you're being dishonest and unprofessional. You're not doing the right thing for your client and you know it. Do the right thing. If you can't make money doing things right, then get out of the business.

Maybe no one will be hurt or killed this time, but it's only a matter of time if you keep making decisions like this. Perhaps when you decide that a GFCI isn't necessary on an underwater light or some other similar decision.

Thanks for your reply and your concern quantumchromodynamics. I guess you are also in the pool biz as well and know the challenges. I know about under water lighting btw. I studied electrical engineering and was once an aeronautical engineer. My business is growing rapidly and we are the premier pool company in the country. I see no way but up. definitely not quitting. I will be the next millionaire poolman by the end of the year. Take care and have a great life!

[waterbear]

Gavin, you're being dishonest and unprofessional. You're not doing the right thing for your client and you know it. Do the right thing. If you can't make money doing things right, then get out of the business.

Maybe no one will be hurt or killed this time, but it's only a matter of time if you keep making decisions like this. Perhaps when you decide that a GFCI isn't necessary on an underwater light or some other similar decision.

Thanks for your reply and your concern quantumchromodynamics. I guess you are also in the pool biz as well and know the challenges. I know about under water lighting btw. I studied electrical engineering and was once an aeronautical engineer. My business is growing rapidly and we are the premier pool company in the country. I see no way but up. definitely not quitting. I will be the next millionaire poolman by the end of the year. Take care and have a great life!

Funny, I never heard of you as the 'premier pool company in the country'. I guess you are no longer an aeronautical engineer because you cut corners there too and got booted out. It is only a matter of time...

I have answered several of your posts in the past and the amount of knowledge that you do not have would make me guess you are a newbie in the biz that really does not have a clue except for the one you bought.

This is a prime example:

http://www.poolspafo...=1entry102821

(last sentence in the bottom of your first post)

and a pH of 7.0 IS neutral but I guess you never had a college or even a high school chem class or you would have known that.

[quantumchromodynamics]

NOTE: I do NOT recommend anyone do what I did. I recommend they replace the filter with a new one.

My business is growing rapidly and we are the premier pool company in the country.

Premier? Based on what?

[waterbear]

Gavin, In march of 2010 you started this thread:

http://www.poolspafo...=1entry102234

In it you are indicating that you are just learning about pools. How did you become the premier pool company in 3 months?

You said some things in the thread that indicated that you learned much of the little that you know from the Troublefreepool website (that I was a moderator on since it started for several years until the management changed) and was also a main contributor of material on that site and one of the authors of their 'pool school' area.

So please explain how you could be such a newbie with limited knowledge in March of this year and in June you own the premier pool company in the country?

I will put on my hip boots before you start so I can wade through it without getting soiled.

Don't make me embarrass you with more examples but quit while you are ahead.

Oh yeah, had to add this gem from December of 2009:

Just wondering and I think I'm right but I shouldn't be using trichlor tablets while the FC is high? I need FC to come down.

Just in case you didn't really understand back in December (just 7 months ago) I will explain it for your now. Trichlor will add chlorine to the pool so if you want the chlorine to come down it would be a good idea NOT to use any trichlor or any other form of chlorine for that matter.

Premier pool company in the country? I think not.

Oh yeah, then there was this gem from April (2 months ago only!)

http://www.poolspafo...=1entry105367

If you really were in the business you would know that the major wholesale suppliers in Florida are TeamHorner, SCP/Superior (both Poolcorp), and Gorman and that, as a service tech, you could buy from them wholesale.

Oh, snap! Dude, you just got served!

[Pool Clown]

After reading those links, i think he thinks he is the premiere pool company in the country, just not this country.

[icreatepools4u]

DE filters are great. They filter down to something like 3 microns. You need not buy cartridges for them. If you keep your pool clean they're pretty low maintenance, requiring backflushing and reloading of the DE or Fiberclear powder every month or so. But at least once a year, and probably more often unless you keep your pool absolutely immaculate, you need your entire filter assembly, including the grids, cleaned. I've had to have mine cleaned twice in about 6 months.

[waterbear]

DE filters are great. They filter down to something like 3 microns.

More like 6 microns.

You need not buy cartridges for them.

True but you do need to buy DE powder or a substitute on a regular basis and the grids do need replacement evenually (sometimes quite expensive to do).

If you keep your pool clean they're pretty low maintenance, requiring backflushing and reloading of the DE or Fiberclear powder every month or so.

Assuming it is a backwash and not a bump filter.

In a bump filter you 'bump' the dirty DE off the fingers so the dirt and DE can mix together and then the fingers get recoated with dirty DE. Never quite understood the logic in that.

But at least once a year, and probably more often unless you keep your pool absolutely immaculate, you need your entire filter assembly, including the grids, cleaned. I've had to have mine cleaned twice in about 6 months.

And there you have it, breaking down DE filters is a JOB and needs to be done about twice a year. FWIW, I clean my cartridge filter twice a year and it's a lot faster than I have ever been able to service a DE filter. Carts can filter to about 20 micron, there is no used DE to dispose of (and no separation tank if required by code) and a well cared for cart can last about 5 years before it needs replacing.