Cleaning your Disc Filter (Part 2 of 4)

Updated

Rinse your Flex Acre Disc Filter in place twice a week, with your Tank full and your crop still in the Panels. It is the one task in your visit that takes the pump offline.

After Checking your Pump & Timer (Part 1 of 4), you can begin the in-place rinse of your Disc Filter, which sits between pipe section B and pipe section C. This is the mid-cycle rinse, done in place with your Tank full and your crop still in the Panels, and we recommend it twice a week. The bench version, where every disc comes off the housing, is a separate task covered in Deep Cleaning your Drip Lines & Disc Filter (Part 3 of 7). Follow the steps in Keeping your Flex Acre Clean before you begin.

Gather Tools:

  • 5-Gallon Bucket
  • Hot Water

Step 1: Unplug the Pump

  1. Unplug the Primary Pump.
  2. Turn the Disc Filter outward, facing you, as it is easier to unscrew from that angle.

Cleaning your Disc Filter comes second in your visit because it is the one task that takes your pump offline. Everything after it, starting with your nutrient dose, runs with the pump on and the water moving. Clearing your Disc Filter now means you unplug once instead of stopping the water a second time later in the day.

Step 2: Remove the Disc Filter

  1. Hold your bucket underneath the Disc Filter.
  2. Unscrew your Disc Filter into the bucket to catch any water that drains out.
  3. Rinse the cap you just unscrewed with hot water.
  4. Run a finger over the internal O-ring to clear off any slippery film.

That film is biofilm, the slime that algae and salt leave behind. Anything left on the O-ring ends up pressed between the cap and the housing when your Disc Filter goes back together, so clear it before you move on.

Step 3: Rinse the Discs

  1. Unscrew your Disc Filter further to loosen the discs.
  2. Run the loosened discs under hot water.
  3. Shake the discs back and forth so the debris trapped between them rinses out.
  4. Look between the discs and confirm no debris remains.

Your Disc Filter carries a 130 micron disc insert, so it is the point on your vertical irrigation line that collects fine debris before your water reaches the Drip Lines.

NOTE: This is the in-place rinse only. Every disc comes off the housing and is scrubbed one at a time during the six month reset.

Step 4: Reinstall the Disc Filter

  1. Screw your Disc Filter back down so the discs are compressed together again.
  2. Screw the cap back onto the housing.
  3. Reinstall the Disc Filter in the same fittings it came out of, so it seals and sits square on the line.

Step 5: Check for Leaks

  1. Open all 4 doors fully to keep your Light Bars away from the water, as the light system is not waterproof.
  2. Plug the pump back in.
  3. Watch your Disc Filter and the fittings above and below it while the pump runs.
  4. Confirm your Disc Filter does not leak.

If you see water at a joint, unplug the pump, reseat the leaking fitting, and plug the pump back in. Repeat the check until your Disc Filter stays dry. Do not move on until that joint is dry, as the pump stays on for the rest of your visit.

Your Disc Filter is clear and your water is moving again. Well done!

Previous: Checking your Pump & Timer (Part 1 of 4)

Next: Checking & Adjusting your Nutrients & pH (Part 3 of 4)