We replaced the pump
We are continuing work on the pool. We changed out the old pump with the new one we ordered through Amazon. The old one had a leak that we believe was caused by improper winterizing practices of the previous owners.
There were no unions on any of the lines, so my husband installed them when he installed the new pump. This will make any future repairs/maintenance easier because it won’t be necessary to cut the pipes.
We changed the sand in the filter
It turns out that the unions were put to use sooner than we expected. There was still air in the line so we decided to go ahead and change out the sand in the filter, since we had no idea how long it had been in there. I had to go to 2 different stores to get the correct sand. Apparently some of the sand labeled pool sand at some stores isn’t what the filter manufacturer recommends which is No. 20 Silica Sand. When you get down to the fine print they were not the correct particle size (0.45-0.55mm). Theirs was particle size (0.85-0.425 mm).
We watched a SwimUniversity video on YouTube to get pointers. It is a pretty straightforward job though.
- Remove the multi-port valve
- Drain the tank.
- Use a shop vac to get the old sand out.
- Rinse out the tank.
- Fill tank halfway with water
- Add new sand
- Replace multi-port valve
You have to cover the center pipe to the multi-port valve so sand won’t get in it. You also have to make sure you keep it in the center as you fill it since you won’t be able to move it once you get the sand in it.
Our pool saga will continue in a future post.
Previous pool posts: