Why is There Sand in Pool?

If you suddenly see sand or glass media at the bottom of your pool, don’t panic. The most likely cause is a break in either the laterals or stand pipe of your sand filter.

To determine if the issue is with your sand filter or if it’s just dead algae, take your pool brush and brush the sandy area. If the sand becomes a hazy cloud in the pool, it’s just algae and can be vacuumed up.

However, if the sand stays near the bottom and doesn’t create a cloud, then the issue is likely with your sand filter.

How Did Sand Get Into My Pool?

Are you worried about sand in you pool? Looking inside the filter of your swimming pool, you will see a long pipe running through the centre, with small tubes branching out from it that is what we call a valve.

When your filters gets dirty with sand, it will usually be due to one of these valves being damaged which could then mean needing to replace them all – which requires professional help as they can be tricky to fit and adjust correctly.

Your pool will need a new sand filter if it’s more than five years old. If you want to avoid multiple failures, this is one of the easiest ways to make sure your pool stays in good shape without too much effort on your part.

Sand in Pool Causes?

It can be worrisome to suddenly see sand in pool bottom, especially if you think that your filter has stopped doing its job correctly. The most likely cause of the problem is a broken seal in one of your sand filter’s laterals or stand pipes.

Sand can be mistaken for dead bits of algae, but there is a very simple way to figure out what is causing the cloudy pool: take your swimming pool brush and brush the sandy area.

If the sand becomes a cloudy dust cloud, you are dealing with algae and need only have the pool vacuumed. No worries. If the sand stays near the bottom and doesn’t create a lot of debris then it’s almost certainly a problem with your filter.

How to Get Sand Out of Your Pool?

Once the problem has been rectified, the next step is to remove the sand from your pool. To do this job, you will need your pool vacuum.

I suggest you use your pool vacuum’s standard cleaning setting for this job because it’s design with a bubble that thoroughly cleans these types of surfaces and gives them extra shine.

You will also want to be careful to avoid actually sucking up any of the water because this can cause the vacuum—and most likely your entire pool—to overflow due to the powerful suction (which is how it gets things out of the pool).

The only thing harder than vacuuming a sand filter, is spreading all that sand back out all over again.

Once you find the leak, it’s important to fix it as soon as possible. To do this, you will need a piece of plywood or some other flat surface that is strong enough to prop up your pool liner against.

Pour yourself a nice tall glass of lemonade (the secret to being a good pool owner during summer) and get started.

First locate the hole in your pool liner, then plug it up with some cement and let it dry completely before filling your swimming pool back up with water and removing the excess mud from around the area where you plugged the hole in your pool.

What if I Don’t Have a Sand Filter?

Well, that’s what you get when you don’t use chemicals in your pool and are worried about why sand in my pool. It turns out this is actually not sand at all but a type of naturally occurring algae called mustard algae.

And yeah it might look quite similar to the sand before you stir up the water or flip over your rafts but believe us it’s much more dangerous to swim without the proper equipment to protect yourself when this stuff ends up in your pool because it could present some serious health hazards like hallucinations and respiratory system failure for example.

So always test your pool regularly and stay safe.

To find out for sure, sprinkle some dry mustard seed into the water. If you notice a cloud start to form in the water. Well then congratulations. You solved the mystery.

Mustard algae is not the end of the world and getting rid of it will only set you back a few hours. Follow these easy steps and your pool will be sparkling clean in no time.

Swimming Pool Sand Filter Problems

Pools without clean water are not inviting places for swimming. If you want to keep your pool water fresh and sparkling, then a sand filter may be a good option for you.

Sand filters work by trapping dirt in the pool water that is pump through the filter, preventing it from entering and impeding your pool’s ability to function effectively as a swimming environment.

So here are 4 things that can go wrong with a sand pool pump and filter. How they can be resolved:

1- Broken Multiport Valve Handle

The multiport valve is an important part of your pool filter sand. As its name suggests, a multiport valve has multiple internal ports that the pool water can flow through.

These valves have a lever handle that you can rotate to set one of seven filtering functions. You can use the handle to initiate the filter, sand in pool after backwash, recirculate, waste, rinse, winter, or closed settings.

Depending on which setting you choose, the pool water will be route a certain way. This function enables your pool filter to perform multiple maintenance operations efficiently.

A loose or broken multiport valve handle can be a real problem if you rely on your valve to perform multiple functions.

If you notice that your multiport valve handle is wiggly, this is likely due to a loose or broken spring within the key seal assembly. Replacing the spring is fairly simple.

A broken multiport valve handle is easier to fix than a loose one. To fix it, remove the valve handle and check the washer. If the washer needs to be replace, do so.

2. Leaking Waste Line

If water is dripping from your sand filter’s waste line after you backwash the filter, this is normal. However, if the drip continues for a long time or becomes more intense, there may be a problem. Usually, an old or damaged spider gasket is the cause of a leaking waste line.

How to Replace the Spider Gasket

In order to access the key seal assembly, unscrew the lid of your valve. The spider gasket will be either glued to the rotor (the bottom piece of the key seal assembly) or sitting inside the valve body.

If the spider gasket is glued to the rotor, you will need to replace the entire rotor. If the spider gasket is located inside the valve body, peel it off with your hands or pliers. Once the old spider gasket is remove, clean and dry the valve.

When everything is dry, apply a small amount of glue to the edges of the grooves in the valve, and place the spider gasket flat side down into position.

3- Low or High Filter Pressure

Most pools have an ideal sand filter pressure that falls within the range of 10 to 25 pounds per square inch. An increase or decrease in pressure is often cause by an obstruction in the system or incorrect sand levels.

If the sand filter pressure drops below 10 psi, you should check for a clog before the filter. If there is no sand in pool pump, the problem could be due to low pool water levels or not enough sand in the filter.

You can solve this problem by topping off your pool water or adding more sand to the filter.

If the pressure in your sand filter is too high, the first step is to backwash the filter. This will remove any dirt or debris that may be causing the pressure to rise.

If this doesn’t resolve the issue, you may have too much sand in the filter or an obstruction. Check your sand levels and remove any excess if needed. If you suspect an obstruction and are not sure how to clear it out, contact a professional for assistance.

4- Cracked Tank

If your sand filter’s tank cracks, you’ll need to replace it. Duct taping won’t work – the pressure is too high. It’s usually cheaper to replace the entire filter than to repair a cracked tank.

Broken Filter Parts

If you have a sand in pool from filter. You know that one of the hallmarks of a well-functioning system is clear pool water. So, if you start to see sand in your pool, it’s a sign that something has cracked or broken inside your filter.

If this happens, it’s important to take action quickly to avoid further damage and maintain the quality of your pool water.

Standpipe

The standpipe inside a sand filter is made of rigid, strong plastic, but it can still crack at some point if it’s not well-maintain. When this happens, sand can get into the pool. The standpipe is connect to the multiport valve at the top and the laterals at the bottom. Make sure that sand in pool laterals not broken.

What Are Laterals?

Inside a sand filter tank, water enters the sand from the top. As it moves down through the sand, small debris and contaminants are filter from the water. Once it reaches the bottom of the filter, the now clean water is expell back into the pool through the return jets.

Of course, you want to make sure that only water goes into your pool-none of the sand from the filter.

To do that, at the bottom of the filter is an array of eight to ten laterals, which act as a sieve. Each lateral has tiny perforations large enough to allow water to pass through but not sand.

FAQ For Sand in Pool

1- Is it normal to have sand in your pool?

When you find sand in your pool, it means that one or more parts of your sand filter have broken. This means that the filter is not working as it should, and you will need to take action to fix it.

Depending on the severity of the issue, you may need to replace the entire filter or just a few parts. In either case, it is important to get the problem fixed as soon as possible to avoid further damage to your pool.

2- Why am I getting sand in the bottom of my pool?

There are a few reasons why sand might end up at the bottom of your pool. One possibility is that it simply fell in there. This can happen even if you don’t have any sand around your pool area.

Another possibility is that the wind can pick up sand particles and carry them long distances. So if there’s been a lot of wind recently, it’s possible that some of the sand ended up in your pool.

3- How do I get sand out of my pool without a vacuum?

Use a rake to gather the debris pieces into a pile, and then remove the pile by hand. Bag it and dump it in a garbage. If the debris is floating and not in the bottom of the pool, you can opt for a leaf net to trap the debris along the water’s surface.

4- Why is sand coming out when I backwash?

There are a few reasons why your pool’s filter might be overflowing with sand. It could be that the pump is too large, or that the sand level in the filter is too high.

When the filter is backwashing, the water flow can cause the sand to rise up and overflow into the standpipe. This allows the sand to get back into the pool.