High Profile PolyGeyser FAQ & Troubleshooting

Dirty water comes out of my filter after a backwash.

The HPPG was specifically designed to minimize this issue.

1. You are manually activating the backwash: The HPPG unit was designed with the presumption that backwash intervals would be short. Automate the unit and increase the backwash frequency
2. You have the unit on an extended backwash interval: Increase the backwash frequency and keep the bed clean of debris.
3. If your unit takes more than 5 seconds for air discharge: The trigger is blocked or partially blocked. You have a dysfunctional trigger and the unit is not dropping properly. See the section on the air “burps”.
4. If your unit washes quickly (<5 seconds) but fails to drop (look through the port hole), you may be flooding the filter with excessive flow during the wash. Check if your water pump sized properly for the HPPG model.

The flow coming out of my HPPG is dramatically reduced. 

Check your pressure gauge on the pump side of the filter. If it low, you have a water pump issue. If it is high, you have a backwash problem.

• If your pump pressure is normal or high then you have an air delivery problem and the bed is clogging.Check the rotary meter for the air. If the ball is down, open up the rotary meter and increase air flow to the charge chamber.
  • Ball will not come up. Your air pump cannot overcome the hull pressure established by the water pump. This is most commonly seen with linear air pumps.
  • You may have just set your backwash interval too low and now you are trying to push against the shutoff pressure of the water pump.
    1. Turn off the water pump and increase the backwash frequency. Let the unit dry wash for several cycles then turn the pump back on and set your backwash frequency higher.
       1. Put a pressure relief valve on the intake side of the filter and set it below the shutoff pressure of your air pump.
       2. Buy an air compressor with a shut off pressure higher than your water pump.
    2. Inspect the line between the rotary meter and the HHPG   Is there a kink or has something pinched the line off?
    3. The diaphragm in my linear air pump is developing a crack.
       1. Replace the diaphragm. At high pressures, the diaphragm in a linear air pump will fail in a year or two.
    4. The ball comes up: Problem over, or…
       1. Check the line between the rotameter and the HPPG unit. Has the line slipped or is there an air leak where the line is connected to the HPPG unit?
       2. Has the external hull been damaged? Is there any evidence of a water leak on the bottom half of the unit?
    5. If the pump pressure is low:
       1. Check to see if the intake screen is clogged. If so, clean the inlet screen out.  Pressure should restore immediately.
       2. If you have an inline screen with a clear top look for bubbles in the screen compartment. IF there are a lot of bubbles present, the air may be breaking the centrifugal action of the pump.
          1. Is there an air stone or packed column discharging air bubbles where they can be drawn in to the pump?
          2. Check the seals on all threaded PVC pipe fittings on the suction side of the pump. Turn off the pump and let the filter backpressure the line.  A small water leak will indicate a large air leak.

• Check the very end of the inlet line for a vortex. Is water spinning and sucking air?   Raise the water level or break the vortex.

1. IF you don’t have an inlet screen protecting the pump: Remove the propeller housing from you pump and check for debris in the centrifugal chamber.   You will find it typically jammed across the outlet port.
2. Remove the propeller housing on your pump and check the impeller for a broken blade or a loose set screw.

The unit continually “burps” air through the bed ….unit never backwashes.

Air passing through the bead bed during the filtration stage or just prior to backwashing indicates a backwashing issue.

1. The trigger is clogged. This condition occurs most often when a unit is just set up or subject to heavy organic loading.  Basically a clump of beads has jammed in the trigger preventing air release.
   1. Try tapping the trigger on the inlet end (the low end) with a rubber mallet. This will normally vibrate the clump free.
   2. Try tapping the trigger on the discharge end (the high end) with a rubber mallet, the clog may be at this end.
   3. Try draining the filter about half way while the chamber is still filled with air. This will increase the pressure differential and allow the clump of beads to be pushed out.
   4. Remove the trigger and inspect for obstruction.
2. The charge chamber is leaking (the filter has be recently transported): Turn off the air supply to the charge chamber. If the bubbles continue, then you may have a leak. Pull the filtration head and screen.   Remove the beads.  Fill the unit with water until the trigger out let is covered by about 12 inches of water.  Fill the charge chamber and inspect for leaking bubbles.

The unit “burps” air through the bed before it backwashes.

Delays in trigger firing are sometimes evidenced by a slow release of air through the trigger or under the HPPG cone.  These delays undermined the backwashing strategy and should be corrected.

1. If you are accelerating the wash sequence by dramatically increasing the rate of air input then reduce the rate of input. It takes several seconds for a trigger to respond to a change in air level in the charge chamber.  This causes a lag time between filling the chamber and trigger release.  If you put the air in too fast then the chamber will overflow air before the trigger can react.
2. Your trigger could be loosely clogged. The clog produces a backpressure on the charge chamber, but slowly releases air.  The air passing through the trigger clog, however, erodes the clog and the unit then backflushes after a few seconds.   Try increasing the backflush frequency.  This will loosen up the beads, knocking off excessive biofilm that is sinking them and cause them to move into the charge chamber where they cause problems. A partially clogged trigger can lead to a visible discharge of dirty water.
3. The discharge end of your trigger maybe embedded in the bead bed. Beads cannot escape for the trigger and a transitional stream of bubbles results.   You have too many beads in the unit or the bed is eroding and piling beads on top of the trigger.  Try reducing the water flow to the unit.
4. Unit maybe poorly leveled. If the unit is poorly leveled then some air may release just moments before the trigger.  Normally is seen only when a marginally leveled unit is coupled with a low backwash interval.  Try leveling the unit by raising the side opposite the trigger.
5. The trigger may be set to low (is this a new filter?). Try raising the unit on the trigger side and test firing.  Call AST; highly unlikely, as all units are test fired before shipping.

The beads seem to be fluidizing.

1. The High Profile PolyGeyser^® Bead Filter Models HPPG-10, HPPG-20, HPPG-30, HPPG-40, and HPPG-50 are designed with specific peak flow rates. If you exceed this flow rate, you can cause the beads to fluidize.  When beads are fluidizing, they do not capture solids. To correct this problem, simply reduce the flow through the filter.
2. Or, the inlet diffuser might be broken or be rotated out of the proper vertical position.    Lower the bead bed by draining and check to see if the top of the inlet diffuser opens vertically.  The diffuser should be securely anchored to the sidewall on both ends.  If not call or email AST for assistance.

The sludge coming out of my HPPG stinks like rotten eggs.

This is part of the price paid for water conservation.  Organically rich sludge decaying in the absence of oxygen will smell like rotten eggs as sulfur is reduced. This is a transitional problem.  Once the sludge is exposed to oxygen, the smell will disappear.

1. Try increasing your backflush frequency.
2. Discharge your sludge though a hose that will prevent exposure to the air.
3. Take sludge out of the HPPG more often.