Refilling system

[SteveS]

Hello Everyone

I am new here. So I hope this post is in the right place.

I decided to change my media in my water filter system. Now that I have done this I am worried if I done this correctly. System is a single stage calcite with a backflushing head.

I emptied the entire cyl and washed it out. Then reinserted the rod with the screen at the bottom in the center. Then I added 3 50 lb bags of calcite fine. After I refilled the unit I noticed the calcite looked different then the media I removed. The removed stuff looked like kitty litter with small stones mixed in and the media was a little larger then the fine I put in.

Was I supposed to put a bed of gravel first? I did not see a bed when I flushed the system. Will having no bed hurt? Could I have installed the wrong media or is it just a different blend?

Thanks for any help.

[SteveS]

Any info would be helpful.

[Gary Slusser]

If you have an automatic backwashed filter, then you need a gravel underbed.

[Andy CWS]

Yes, you need a gravel be that is slightly higher than the distributor basket at to bottom of the riser tube. This is important as it lets the water--during the backwashing stag--spread out across the bottom of the Calcite and will make it lift more evenly and thoroughly.

Without it, you will notioce no diffrence at first, but in time the Calcite will start to clump and 'channeling' will occur causing the service to become poorer.

What make of valve do you have and what is the size (HxW) of your tank?

Andy Christensen, CWS-II

[SteveS]

Thanks guys. I will check the numbers later today.