Jandy DEV D.E. Filter

The DEV is Jandy's D.E. filter: a composite tank split by a band clamp, holding eight vertical grids that a coat of diatomaceous earth does the filtering on. It comes in 48 and 60 square feet, the DEV48 and DEV60, which replaced Jandy's DEL filters. Jandy says it traps particles down to 5 microns. Like Jandy's sand filters, it has no valve of its own.

Choosing a size, and the flow question

Both sizes share a 2.00 GPM per square foot design rate and a 25-inch footprint. The DEV60 stands 6 inches taller and takes a pound more D.E.

Maximum flow depends on the document. Jandy's product page, brochure, spec sheet and Fluidra's catalog give 96 GPM for the DEV48 and 120 GPM for the DEV60, which is the design rate times the area. The manual gives those same figures as the commercial limits and allows 120 and 150 GPM for residential use. The design rate is what the six-hour capacities are worked from: 34,560 and 43,200 gallons.

Leave room above it. Lifting the grid assembly out takes 57 inches of vertical clearance on the DEV48 and 71 on the DEV60, per Fluidra's catalog.

Choosing a valve

The DEV's ports are 8 inches apart, and Jandy's brochure lists three valves for it:

• Multiport valve, BWVL-MPV-80.
• Slide valve, BWVL-SLD.
• 2-in-1 Never Lube valve, BWVL-NVL.

These are the 8-inch versions. Jandy's SFSM sand filters take different, 7.5-inch valves.

Where it goes

• A well-drained spot that doesn't flood, never damp or unventilated. Protect it from the weather.
• On a firm, level surface, never leveled with sand, which washes away. Jandy says a loaded filter system can weigh up to 800 pounds.
• Electrical controls at least 5 feet away, so you can stand clear at start-up.
• At least 6 inches of clearance around it, to see the clamp ring.
• Air release and drainage pointed somewhere safe.
• Above the pool's water level: up to 2.5 feet without hurting pump efficiency, with a check valve on the pump's suction line.
• Below the pool's water level: isolation valves on the suction and return lines.
• Anchored where codes require it, as Florida's do, with Jandy's anchor bracket kit, R0465500. Screws aren't included; Jandy recommends 1/4 x 2 1/4 in. stainless Tapcon screws in 5/32 in. holes, one per bracket, not over-torqued.

Don't move the tank without its shipping screw in place, or the grids can be damaged. Take the screw out once it's on the pad.

Plumbing it

• Use 2-inch pipe at minimum, with as few fittings as possible.
• Connect with the unions supplied, assembled dry and hand-tight. No Teflon tape or pipe dope on the unions, and no pipe joint compound, glue or solvent on the union nuts. Silicone lubricant on the o-rings only.
• Support the pipes so they don't strain the valve.
• Fit an ASME-approved pressure relief valve or regulator if there's any doubt about the pressure the system will see.
• Don't include the filter in a piping pressure test if you can avoid it. If you can't: no more than 35 psi, water no warmer than 100°F, all air out first, and no longer than 24 hours.

The gauge assembly: put the smaller, thicker o-ring on the tank adapter's threads and screw the adapter into the tank through the coupling nut, snug, but don't overtighten it. Put the larger, thinner o-ring on the gauge housing and thread it into the coupler. Then orient the gauge, and hand-tighten the locknut only; a wrench can damage it.

The clamp

1. Clean the o-ring seat, check the o-ring is in place on the lower tank half, and press the lid on.
2. Fit the clamp over both tank flanges, bring its ends together, and seat the T-nut and threaded rod the right way round.
3. Tighten with a 9/16-inch socket until the clamp ring halves touch, or are within 1/16 inch. Don't overtighten, because the clamp can break.
4. If it won't close that far, don't run the filter. Call a technician.
5. Recheck the clamp after the first week, then at least once a month.

Starting it up and coating the grids

1. Set the valve to Filter, and prime the pump by filling its basket.
2. Open the air release valve fully by turning the knob on the back of the gauge assembly counterclockwise, without removing it. Open any isolation valves and check the drain plug is in.
3. Stand clear, never within 5 feet, and start the pump. When a steady stream of water comes out of the air release, close it.
4. Coat the grids, on a new filter and after every backwash. Mix 5 lb of D.E. for a DEV48 or 6 lb for a DEV60 with water in a bucket into a thin, milky slurry. With the pump running and the skimmer valve open, pour it slowly into the skimmer basket.
5. Watch the gauge. The pressure must stay under 50 psi.
6. Once it settles, turn the gauge bezel so the Clean arrow lines up with the needle.

Never run the filter more than three minutes without D.E. The D.E. does the filtering, and the grid cloth only holds it; running bare damages the grids. Too much D.E. clogs the system, so use the amount Jandy gives. The dust irritates the eyes and lungs.

Backwashing

When the needle reaches the Dirty arrow, 10 to 12 psi above the starting pressure, it's time.

1. Pump off. Set the valve to Backwash.
2. Open the air release, stand clear, and start the pump.
3. Close the air release once a steady stream of water comes out.
4. Run until the backwash water is clear, repeating if needed.
5. Pump off, and coat the grids again with fresh D.E.

Each backwash sends 100 gallons or more to waste, so check local rules on where it can go. The valve's Rinse position, where it has one, flushes dirt from the valve after a backwash.

Cleaning and replacing the grids

Inspect the grids at least twice a year, and clear out anything backwashing left behind.

To take the filter apart: backwash, then turn the pump off at the breaker and open the air release fully. Close the isolation valves, remove the drain plug and let the tank drain. Take off the clamp and lid, check the tank o-ring, and lift the grid assembly out by the handles molded into the manifold. Rinse the tank and refit the drain plug.

To separate the grids: unscrew the tie rod knob in the center of the manifold and lift the manifold off. Take off the top spacer, and lift the grids off the support. Check the o-ring at the top of the outlet tube. To reassemble, set the seven full-size grids and the short span on the bottom plate, hold them with the top spacer, and seat the manifold so the grids and outlet tube fit into it and the rod comes up through its center. Tighten the knob until the assembly is snug, but don't overtighten it.

With water: hose every grid surface clean.

With acid, for grid fabric stiffened by mineral deposits: check first whether a local pool store or service company offers grid descaling. Otherwise, soak the grids in a plastic tub of 6 parts water to 1 part muriatic acid for at least 4 hours, then rinse them thoroughly. Wear rubber gloves and eye protection, and add acid to water, never water to acid.

Winterizing

Turn the pump and breakers off. Open the air release, and set the diverter valve handle between two ports so air reaches all of them. Take the drain plug out and leave it out until spring, stored somewhere safe. Drain all the piping, and cover the equipment with a tarp or plastic sheet.

When it isn't filtering properly

Jandy's troubleshooting table, condensed:

• Water not clear: low sanitizer, water chemistry off, heavy bather or dirt load, too little run time, a dirty filter, or a hole in a grid.
• Low flow: dirty skimmer or pump baskets, an air leak on the pump's suction side, a blocked line or partly closed valve, grids that need cleaning or replacing, a low pool level, an unprimed pump, blocked impeller vanes, or low voltage.
• Short filter cycles: algae, water chemistry including TDS, missing or broken strainer baskets, a pump that outruns the filter's design flow, or ineffective cleaning.
• High pressure at start-up: small eyeball fittings in the returns, a partly closed return valve, a pump too big for the filter, or dirty grids.
• Dirt coming back into the pool: a hole in the grid fabric, a worn o-ring inside the filter, or a cracked manifold.

Warranty and where to buy

One year, parts only. Jandy's warranty doesn't cover a filter bought online, though replacement grids and parts bought online are, and it requires installation and service by a licensed pool contractor where one is required, or an experienced pool professional. Buy from a pool dealer and keep the receipt. The manual says water above 105°F voids it.

Where Jandy's documents disagree, or are unclear

• Maximum flow. The product page, brochure, spec sheet and catalog give 96 and 120 GPM. The manual gives those as commercial limits and 120 and 150 GPM for residential use.
• Another filter's drawings. The manual's dimension drawing labels the ports "CV inlet" and "CL inlet", with a note about a port "on CV model only", which are Jandy's cartridge filters. Its grid arrangement drawing labels the grids "DEL", the filter the DEV replaced.
• The brochure's specification table. Its labels are shifted a row: it lists "Max Working Pressure" as 34,560 and 43,200 gallons and "D.E. Required" as 50 psi.
• Port spacing. The manual, brochure, product page and catalog say 8 inches between inlet and outlet. The 2011 spec sheet says 8 1/2.
• D.E. in kilograms. The manual gives the DEV48's 5 lb as 2.0 kg; 5 lb is about 2.3 kg. Jandy also measures the charge in 1-lb coffee cans of loose D.E.: ten for the DEV48's 5 lb, which puts about half a pound in each can.
• The DEV60's outlet tube. The manual gives the DEV60 its own outlet tube assembly, R0358100. Fluidra's 2026 catalog lists only R0555100, the DEV48's number, and adds a separate outlet tube o-ring the manual doesn't list.
• Page references. The manual sends you to a parts list "on page 15" and a troubleshooting guide "on page 14". They're on pages 13 and 12.