Pool Multiport Valve Settings: Filter, Backwash, Rinse and More
The labels around a pool multiport valve describe different water routes. Some send water through the filter, some bypass it, and others direct water out through a waste outlet. Understanding those differences helps you read your equipment without treating every position as another cleaning setting.
Before changing any setting, stop the pump
Never move the multiport handle while the pump is running. Follow your system's shutdown and pressure-relief instructions before repositioning the valve. The Pentair Hi-Flow side-mounted valve manual requires stopping the pump, disabling automatic controls that could restart it, opening the manual air relief and waiting for pressure to dissipate. Trapped pressurized air can cause dangerous equipment separation.
This is a guide to label meanings, not a startup or maintenance procedure. If you cannot identify the controls or safely relieve pressure according to the manual, have a qualified pool professional handle the change.
Filter, Backwash and Rinse: through the filter
The Pentair Hi Flow six-way top-mount valve guide describes these common positions:
Filter: Water passes through the filter and returns to the pool. This is the normal filtration route.
Backwash: Water flows through the filter in reverse to remove collected material, then leaves through the waste outlet.
Rinse: Water passes through the filter and exits to waste. On this valve, the setting supports startup cleaning and resetting the filter bed after backwashing.
Backwash and Rinse are not interchangeable labels. Neither is simply a stronger version of Filter. They change where water goes, and the filter's instructions determine when each available setting belongs in a maintenance procedure.
Recirculate, Waste and Closed: different jobs
Recirculate: Water bypasses the filter and returns to the pool. Moving water at the return fittings does not necessarily mean filtration is happening.
Waste: Water bypasses the filter and leaves through the waste outlet. Unlike Backwash, it does not clean the filter by reversing flow through it.
Closed: Flow is blocked. Never run the pump in Closed. Pentair warns that doing so can damage equipment and cause system components to separate.
Your valve may not have all six positions
Read the actual label and identify both the valve and filter model. For example, the Hayward SelectaFlo SP0740DE manual lists Pool or Spa Boost for circulation that bypasses the filter. Its position chart does not list Rinse or Closed. Winterizing is a separate condition, not a normal circulation setting.
Do not copy a handle position from another brand's photograph or assume every sand and DE system uses the same sequence. The Pentair FNS Plus DE filter instructions, for example, include replenishing the specified DE after backwashing. Selecting a valve position alone does not complete that maintenance.
Know where the waste outlet leads
For Chino homeowners, “Waste” names an equipment outlet, not an approved disposal destination. The City of Chino explains that storm drains carry untreated water to local waterways and identifies pool filter media as a pollutant. Confirm the appropriate, locally permitted discharge route before using any setting that releases water.
If labels are unreadable or the plumbing route is unclear, take photos of the valve label, filter identification plate and visible piping for a professional review. Identifying what you have is more useful than guessing which setting sounds right.
Not sure which filter is connected to your valve? Start with our pool filter identification guide, then include the model information when requesting service.
