Constant fine sand at the bottom after vacuuming
- Thread starter syedsam
- Start date
Brandon Hayes
Member
I had the same issue once, and it turned out not to be filter sand at all, but fine dust blowing in from the yard every time the wind picked up. It settled on the floor so fast it looked just like sand returning through the filter. What helped was running the pump a little longer each day and using a clarifier so the particles stayed suspended long enough to actually get caught. It might be worth considering if your equipment checks out fine.
Michael Young
Member
I’d check the sand filter first—if the sand shows up in the same spots, it’s likely a cracked lateral/standpipe, so you’ll want to open it up and inspect. If it’s random (especially after wind), it’s usually fine dust/pollen: run the pump longer, aim returns toward the skimmer, add a touch of clarifier, or vacuum to waste if needed.
Ashley Hernandez
New member
I’ve seen this too. If it always piles up in the same spot, it’s likely a small issue inside the filter (lateral/standpipe) letting particles back in. If it’s random, especially after wind, it’s usually dust or pollen. You can try running the pump longer and using a small dose of clarifier so the filter can catch it.
Matthew Collins
Member
Something else I’d look at is whether the debris is actually coming back through the returns after vacuuming. I had a situation where I was vacuuming to the filter like normal, pool looked perfect, then the next morning that same “dust” layer was back again. Drove me crazy for a while.
What ended up happening was the really fine stuff was passing through the filter during vacuuming, then slowly settling again once the water got calm overnight. My filter pressure looked totally normal so I assumed it was fine, but when I checked the pressure against my clean baseline it was about 5 psi higher than it should have been. The media inside the filter was starting to channel a bit.
After doing a long backwash and then running the pump for a full day to keep things moving, the floor finally stayed clean. Also noticed the returns were pointed mostly across the surface, so the deep end floor had very little movement and that fine dust would just settle there again.
If you try brushing the area lightly and it turns into a little cloud instead of staying gritty, that’s usually a sign the particles are super fine and just slipping past the filter for a bit before settling again. Happens a lot with dust after windy days.
What ended up happening was the really fine stuff was passing through the filter during vacuuming, then slowly settling again once the water got calm overnight. My filter pressure looked totally normal so I assumed it was fine, but when I checked the pressure against my clean baseline it was about 5 psi higher than it should have been. The media inside the filter was starting to channel a bit.
After doing a long backwash and then running the pump for a full day to keep things moving, the floor finally stayed clean. Also noticed the returns were pointed mostly across the surface, so the deep end floor had very little movement and that fine dust would just settle there again.
If you try brushing the area lightly and it turns into a little cloud instead of staying gritty, that’s usually a sign the particles are super fine and just slipping past the filter for a bit before settling again. Happens a lot with dust after windy days.