Staff Answer
Sep 17, 2026 - 11:46 AM
Debris, sediment, and other material is meant to accumulate at the bottom of the TJ16’s clear collection chamber, which must then be flushed out through the bottom purge valve. You'll want to flush the prefilter out when the clear sediment chamber is half-way filled (or less).
There are two ways to flush out the TJ16 prefilter - flushing it with the pump running or with the pump off.
With the pump running, open the purge valve until the collected sediment has flushed out, then close it. Note that if you have a variable-speed pump running at low speed, temporarily increasing its speed may help. Also check that the purge discharge pipe or hose is unobstructed.
If you are flushing the prefilter with the pump off, open its air relief valve then open the purge valve. Water will then drop through the prefilter, flushing out most debris. Then, close the air relief valve and turn the pump on - the turbulence of the water re-entering the sediment chamber will help flush out the rest of the remaining sediment. Once the chamber is clean, turn the pump off and close the purge valve. Open the air relief valve and start the pump, closing the air relief valve once water starts to flow out of it.
If you have dirt remaining inside, clean the prefilter out using the method above that you have not yet performed.
While not typical, if normal flushing does not clear the chamber, the manual specifies that the pump may be providing insufficient pressure. If this is the case, a 2-way valve can be installed after the prefilter, which can be used to carefully throttle the water flow through the filter while it is being purged - this directs greater amounts of flow through the sediment chamber and out of the purge valved while throttling. (Caution: Do not close the 2-way valve prior to opening the purge valve and do not close the purge valve while the 2-way valve is closed or partially closed. Both valves should never be closed or partially closed at the same time.)
Regarding what might look like mold or algae in the prefilter - this would be atypical and may indicate insufficient sanitizer level in the pool water and/or insufficient cleaning frequency.
Please let us know what other questions you might have.
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