We heard from a good friend recently that when changing media in his Towerklean TK20, he simply added the 53 lb can in the top of the column without removing the old media. While I am glad this has worked out (for several years!) it really isn't recommended. The correct procedure is to remove both ends of the column, empty and dispose of all the spent media, clean the column thoroughly, and reassemble and refill with new media. For those of you who don't have an instruction manual, it's available free of charge on http://www.towerklean.com. Just hit the HOME button up above.