Back-Flushing Your Diatom Freedom Filter; Switching Tanks And Recharging - Vortex DFF Instruction Manual

BACK-FLUSHING YOUR DIATOM FREEDOM FILTER

When the flow from the exhaust tube is weak or the Diatom Filter is visibly dirty, it is time to clean and
recharge the unit with a new charge of Diatom Filter Powder.
(A) Remove the Diatom Filter from the aquarium to a suitable laundry tub, sink, etc.
(B) Remove both hoses and drain about half the water from the Diatom Filter.
(C) Block the intake and exhaust ports with your fingers, or use the P-25 cap plugs from your P-24 strainer.
(D) Shake up and down vigorously several times to dislodge any Diatom Filter Powder that may be on the
outside of the P-4 filter bag.
(E) Connect a hose from the water faucet to the exhaust port on the Diatom Filter and turn the water on. (The
optional P-11-A or P-11-B snaps adapter is recommended for this.) (Fig. 14)
(F) Shake the Diatom Filter periodically as incoming water forces the dirty water out to make sure all of the
waste material is flushed clean.
:
Caution
Do not exceed (5lbs. Per square inch) internal pressure!
All fish secrete a slime to help protect them
from their environment and this slime also becomes an
important factor in the operation of the filter. After each
time you back-flush the unit and recharge it properly, the
flow should be very close to what it was when the filter
was new. If so, good, however, sooner or later you will
find that the fish slime has passed through the Diatom Powder
and collected on the bag itself in such a way as to almost
stop the flow of water completely. When this occurs,
simply remove the filter bag from the unit and check by
running water into it from a faucet. If the bag fills up
completely, it is a sure sign that the slime has it plugged.
Sterilize it with a light chlorine bleach solution and spray
clean with fresh water. This will loosen and dissolve the slime and the filter will again flow like new.

SWITCHING TANKS AND RECHARGING

If you have filtered your tank until the desired clarity has been reached and you would like to turn it off,
when restarting the filter, first switch the Recharge valve to the charge position for about a minute to re-coat the
filter bag with Diatom powder. Switch it back to the filter position. After you have filtered a tank to its desired
clarity, you may switch tanks by leaving the filter on and switching the Recharge valve to the charge position. Pick
the intake and exhaust hoses out of the tank, insert them into another tank, and switch the Recharge valve back to the
filter position.
8
CLEAN