Raw water enters the inlet and passes from the outside of the Coarse Screen to the inside, then to the inside of the Fine Screen. The clean water passes from the inside of the Fine Screen to the outside while suspended solids collect on the inside of the Fine Screen, forming a filter cake.

As the filter cake grows thicker it causes a pressure drop across the Fine Screen. When the pressure drop reaches 7-psi, the Rinse Controller (not shown) triggers a rinse cycle.

When the rinse cycle is triggered, the Rinse Valve opens. This causes the Dirt Collector Nozzles to suck in the filter cake and the incoming water, similar, in principle, to the operation of a vacuum cleaner.

This rinse water passes from the Dirt Collector Nozzles into the Dirt Collector tube and from there into the Hydraulic Motor, causing the entire Dirt Collector assembly to rotate.

As the Dirt Collector assembly rotates, the Piston moves in the direction of the flow, allowing the Dirt Collector to be pushed forwards by the rinse water it is sucking in.

At the end of the rinse cycle, the Rinse Valve closes. The Piston moves back to its initial position, forcing the Dirt Collector to do the same.

The rinse cycle lasts for 8-16 seconds without interruption of flow through the filter.