Cleaning Sand Filter Media

Starting with your pool pump running, find the switch (above-ground pools' pumps may have a switch in the back, furthest from the water inlet, in ground pools may have a dedicated switch or circuit breaker) and turn the pump off.

Push down on the back of the multiport valve handle so the notched front of the handle raises, and turn the handle usually 180 degrees either clockwise or counter-clockwise, The notched front of the handle should now be pointing towards "Backwash".

Make sure your backwash hose is hooked up and any valve in between it and the multiport valve is OPEN, then switch the pump to the ON position. Depending on your system, water should be flowing out of your backwash line, always directed away from the pool structure, vessel, equipment, or swimmers.

Observe the clear "sight glass" component, usually mounted on the side of the multiport valve, you will probably see dirty water tossing and swirling around inside. This is normal, and a sign of progress. Please observe the color and turbidity of this sight glass over time. It should've started out relatively clear, then turned cloudy white/brown/yellow/ or other discoloration, then over the period of time the pump has been running, should mostly clear back up. Again starts clear, turns cloudy, returns to mostly clear. Once the required amount of clarity has been observed, switch off the pump and, repeating the same steps to move the valve to backwash, change the valve to "rinse",

Once again, turn the pump back on and observe that water is being pumped out of the backwash line, this time, instead of observing the condition of the water in the sight glass, count to 20-30, then shut off the pump. The rinse setting returns the flow of water to normal filtering direction and flushes the remnants of debris and particulates out of the valve body and top of the filter.

Finally, return the multiport valve handle to the "filter" or "filtration" position and switch your pump back on. You've now successfully cleaned the media in your sand filter.