Jackie wrote an entire how to change pool filter sand post about how to change pool filter sand but here s a 5 step summary.
Sand filter drain plug leaking.
If the leak seems minor and is little more than a drip check for any.
The drain plug on a pool filter is often threaded and hard to reach due to its location so this can result in cross threading of the connection.
You ll want to pay particular attention to the multiport valve spider gasket pump pot lid and all unions in the plumbing.
Teflon tape can be used to reconnect the drain plug if it is a threaded connection that is leaking.
Here in the northeast we have to winterize the filter and drain all of the water out.
At the bottom of the tank the water enters the laterals which have tiny perforations that keep out the sand.
Remove the top mounted valve or dome.
Drain the tank by removing the drain cap.
Pour in new 20 silica sand labeled pool filter sand.
In the spring close the drain plug and turn the filter on and it fills it up and eventually all of the trapped air is removed via the tube.
We were losing a lot of water out of the swimming pool.
Scoop out or use a wet dry vac to remove sand.
If this happens the drain cap can leak even once you have threaded it on correctly.
The leak could be the filter the union on the pump side or the union or valve on the return side.
Typically an o ring or some teflon tape will seal these up.
The filter will fill up once connected to the pump.
Water enters the tank through an inlet at the top and gravity pulls it downward removing impurities that get lodged in the sand.
A sand filter is basically a large tank filled with pool grade sand which is coarser than regular play sand.
Top mount valves seal up to the tank with an o ring and a tight clamp.
Oh pentair filters you will see the drain plug either underneath or on the side of the tank.
The drain plug will be white and around 2 inches in outer diameter size.
It s important to exactly where the leaks origin is.
Replace valve or dome.
On sta rite sand filters you can find the drain plug in the center of the bottom of the filter tank.
There are other sand filter leaks that can be fixed however with the right filter parts.
You can solve this by inspecting the suction side and return side.
I realized it was leaking out of the drain line backwash port on the sand filter when it was set to.
