You have simply purchased that new home that got here with a swimming pool. As you take a look at the pool pumps and sand filters, you come throughout the 6 place multiport valve and no concept the way it works. What do the phrases filter, backwash, rinse, waste/drain, and closed imply?

The multiport valve, which can also be referred to as an MPV mounts to both the bulkhead fittings on the aspect of the Sand or Diatomaceous Earth DE filter. Not like the 2 place push-pull valve that’s solely filter or backwash, the multiport valve has six positions and subsequently six choices. The choices are FILTER, BACKWASH, RINSE, WASTE/DRAIN, and CLOSED. All the time ensure the pump is off earlier than shifting the valve to a special place.

When the valve is within the FILTER place, water is moved by way of the pump and sprayed into the highest of the Sand or DE filter. Because the water strikes by way of the sand or Diatomaceous Earth particulates comparable to algae, sand, sulfates, or carbonates will get trapped. The water will then be acquired by way of return pipes on the backside of the sand filter. Clear filtered water will then be returned to the swimming pool. As water strikes by way of the filter medium and leaves behind particulates, the filter will turn out to be extra environment friendly at cleansing the water as smaller particulates get trapped. A drawback with this and each filter that collects particulates is the filter strain will enhance, and the strain of the return water will lower. When the filter is saturated with particulates and the strain may be very excessive, often above 10psi it’s time to clear the filter.

Cleansing a sand filter is far simpler than cleansing a cartridge filter supplier. As cartridge filters have to be disassembled to be cleaned, a sand filter merely must reverse the movement of water to take away the particulates. With the intention to accomplish this, flip the pump off and transfer the valve from the FILTER place to the BACKWASH place. As soon as the valve is securely in place on the BACKWASH place, simply flip the pump on. Water will movement backwards by way of the filter and the particulates will mechanically be pumped out the drain on the filter. The pump solely must be on for again wash for two to three minutes. Simply watch the sight glass and watch because the water turns from brown or inexperienced shade again to clear. As soon as that is achieved, flip the pump off and transfer the valve to the RINSE place. RINSE will pump water by way of the filter from high to backside. Nevertheless, somewhat than the water being returned to the pool it is going to nonetheless exit of the drain. The aim of RINSE is to flush out any remaining particulates and guarantee that when the valve is returned to the FILTER place no particulates will return to the pool.

If and when your swimming pool is filled with algae, or grime that may merely go by way of the sand and be returned to the pool you may wish to use the WASTE setting in your multiport valve whenever you vacuum. The WASTE setting bypasses the filter and drains all the water to the drain. The one efficient option to inform if the WASTE setting is critical is to observe the return jets in your pool as you vacuum the grime and/or algae. If you happen to see the matter vacuumed up being sprayed again into your swimming pool, it is suggested to hoover the swimming pool on the WASTE setting.

The RECIRCULATE setting circulates the water, bypassing the filter utterly. Most pool house owners do that solely when the water is so clear they really feel it would not have to be filtered. A pool proprietor may select recirculate if they’ve algae and have simply shocked the pool. Dwell algae will clog a sand or Diatomaceous Earth filter a lot sooner than useless algae. This setting is beneficial to unfold across the closely chlorinated water after stunning to kill the algae and vacuum it up after it dies and sinks to the underside.