I've recently moved into a house with a pool, and as a complete novice, I had zero communication with the previous owner about how the system works. A few weeks ago, while trying to map out the system and understand what each component does, I noticed that my filter pressure gauge was reading 35 PSI - about 15 PSI higher than what I assume was the clean state:
After checking the Hayward DE4820 manual, I got seriously concerned because it warns that the filter can explode at 50 PSI. I quickly searched online for solutions, and the easiest one seemed to be backwashing. I followed the manual's backwashing procedure, but it made no noticeable difference in pressure.
Thinking the filter itself might be clogged, I found tutorials on cleaning the DE grids. I followed one that showed how to remove the grid and hose it off, even splurging on a Hayward wand attachment, which actually worked well for deep cleaning. (Here are the before-and-after pics.) Next time, I may fully disassemble it to speed up the process. The Results? Disappointing. After all that effort, the pressure only dropped from 35 PSI to 32 PSI - barely a change.
I suspected the gauge might be faulty, so I checked what it reads when the pump is off and air is released from the filter. It settled at 12 PSI, which somewhat aligns with the previous owner's "clean" setting of 20 PSI. In other words, if my cleaned filter reads 32 PSI but is offset by 12 PSI, the actual pressure is 20 PSI - which still seems high compared to what I’ve seen in online videos.
I've already ordered a new pressure gauge, which I plan to install once the weather warms up. That said, even the new one reads 5 PSI out of the box, which makes me wonder if there's a way to calibrate these gauges properly.
I guess my two questions are:
1. What could be causing the high pressure reading on my DE filter?
2. Is there a way to adjust or calibrate pressure gauges to read actual pressure?
Thanks for your help!
After checking the Hayward DE4820 manual, I got seriously concerned because it warns that the filter can explode at 50 PSI. I quickly searched online for solutions, and the easiest one seemed to be backwashing. I followed the manual's backwashing procedure, but it made no noticeable difference in pressure.
Thinking the filter itself might be clogged, I found tutorials on cleaning the DE grids. I followed one that showed how to remove the grid and hose it off, even splurging on a Hayward wand attachment, which actually worked well for deep cleaning. (Here are the before-and-after pics.) Next time, I may fully disassemble it to speed up the process. The Results? Disappointing. After all that effort, the pressure only dropped from 35 PSI to 32 PSI - barely a change.
I suspected the gauge might be faulty, so I checked what it reads when the pump is off and air is released from the filter. It settled at 12 PSI, which somewhat aligns with the previous owner's "clean" setting of 20 PSI. In other words, if my cleaned filter reads 32 PSI but is offset by 12 PSI, the actual pressure is 20 PSI - which still seems high compared to what I’ve seen in online videos.
I've already ordered a new pressure gauge, which I plan to install once the weather warms up. That said, even the new one reads 5 PSI out of the box, which makes me wonder if there's a way to calibrate these gauges properly.
I guess my two questions are:
1. What could be causing the high pressure reading on my DE filter?
2. Is there a way to adjust or calibrate pressure gauges to read actual pressure?
Thanks for your help!
