Dirt Is Blowing Into the Pool While Vacuuming!

You are making great progress cleaning up your very dirty pool when you suddenly notice a nasty cloud of dirt is blowing into the pool while vacuuming!  What went wrong? What is wrong with that stupid filter?

There is most likely nothing wrong with your filter.  You are simply vacuuming particles out of your pool that are too small to be caught by your filter (most likely a sand filter).

Great news!  There is a simple solution if you have a multiport valve on a sand or DE filter.  It's called the WASTE setting.  Watch the video below for an explanation of the settings for your multiport valve including the one needed in this case......WASTE.



When you vacuum in the waste setting, the dirt is sucked out of the pool, through the pump and the filter valve, then out the waste line onto the ground somewhere.  It bypasses the filter!  That is exactly what you want to do.

When should you vacuum to waste?  Whenever you have algae (which is very fine) or a very dirty pool.  Otherwise you will use the FILTER setting.  Keep an eye on the returns anytime you are vacuuming and you will know if you should have used the waste setting because a cloud of dirt will begin blowing into the pool!

"What if I have a cartridge filter with no waste valve?"

You need to have Metro Pool Service install a 3-port valve between the pump and the cartridge filter.  This will give you an exit port for the waste water while you are vacuuming so that you can bypass the filter when necessary.  

We will plumb it so that a backwash hose can be attached to the exit port that will reach to the area where you want the waste water to go.


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