SlimeBag for 1/10 of the price, yes you can!

[sixn3is7]

Long story short, I wanted cartridge filter clarity without a cartridge filter. I came up with an idea, tested it, and now I want to share it with others. I performed a forum search before making this post and learned of the "Slimebag". Low and behold, the "Slimebag" is equivalent to my idea but much more expensive. I will post pictures within a few days but for now here are the details.

I have a 28,000 gal inground pool, 220 lb sand filter and 1 1/2hp pump rated at 70 gpm (probably only pushing about 50). I purchased 2 of part number 9830K21 from http://www.McMaster.com, this is a Slip-on Filter Bag Polyester Felt, 33" Height X 7" Diameter, 5 Micron @ $5.74 each. I purchase a 1 1/2" MIP to slip with a couple other pvc fittings and using a SS hose clamp, the returns feed through each bag.

These bags are glazed and are NOT intended for reuse. Regardless, when they are dirty, I put them in the washing machine with other shop towels and then put them back in place. Before the first machine washing, they worked awesome, I am now on the third machine washing and they are still working very good.

Our pool load consist of 2 adults, 1 6YO, and one 50lbs hairy dog and we swim almost everyday.

And yes, I see the same issue mentioned in some of the "Slimebag" post where if you hit the bag or when you remove it a cloud of very fine dust leaves the outer surface of the bag. Very small in comparison to the amount of particulate that the bag has captured.

 

[sixn3is7]

Pictures :-D

 

[gordiec]

That's a great idea -- thanks for sharing it!

 

[WILANDAARON]

I tried (kind-of-the-same) approach to help with filtering on our grandchildren's little 12' Intex frame pool. The difference was amazing. Before, when I vacumned, I could see a hazy cloud coming right back into pool thru the outlet. I couldn't belive the amount of fine dust and sediment the filter had missed and was caught in the bag. I just sprayed the micron bag off with nozzle on the garden hose (from outside and downward) after taking the bag off the outlet. I ordered 1 micron bags from Duda Diesel. Big price difference in the $50 SLIME BAG vs. the $4 bio-diesel filterbags.

 

[seeclearly]

I don't know what a MIP is, but I am having trouble with dust so I just ordered four of the Duda Diesel bags. Thanks for posting the picture of the PVC assembly.

I suppose I'll be $50 in by the time I get the whole thing made but for four bags instead of one.

 

[Bama Rambler]

MIP is male iron pipe or male international pipe threaded. It's another way of saying male pipe thread (MPT). It's just the standard tapered pipe threads everybody in the U.S. uses.

 

[aust1648]

I have used the Slime bags for over a year and are very happy with the results. I ordered some of the bags you mention above and will report on the results compared to the Slime Bags.

 

[PAGirl]

This might be my answer to the vacuuming problem with the Intex garden hose vacuum. I've been trying to find something to put on it to get the finer stuff that flows right through the little cloth bag it comes with.

 

[crek31]

This might be my answer to the vacuuming problem with the Intex garden hose vacuum. I've been trying to find something to put on it to get the finer stuff that flows right through the little cloth bag it comes with.

You might try lining the little cloth bag with a knee-high panty hose.

 

[DistantHorizon]

Can you give a rough idea of how often are you washing the bags? Weekly? Monthly? Curious.

I have a pair of ducks pretty much every day this year, and there's a lot of dust coming through thanks to the drought... I'm sure these would be good for my pool, but not sure if I want to add one more thing to do.

 

[hwyfuzz]

I have a regular cartridge filter system (30K Gallon Pool) - would it benefit me in doing this?

 

[JasonLion]

hwyfuzz, for most people, no. A working filter should get the water sparkling and clear without any additional help.

 

[hwyfuzz]

Thanks Jason!

 

[Wizaugh]

Good read!
My family owns an air filtration manufacturing company. We also dabble a little in liquid filtration. We happen to stock these filters in numerous sizes and micron ratings, as well as different materials. I'm going to have to rig something like this up.

 

[sixn3is7]

Sorry I have not answered, I have not been on the site for some time . I was putting the bags in the laundry once a week. Come to find out my problem was three fold. 1st I was still learning BBB, second road construction caused significant dust (very dry last year), and thirdly not knowing enough I had algea . The significant amount of dust and algea is why I used these bags and until the construction stopped I could not tell I had algea. Like Jason says, not needed if your pool equipment is working fine. On the other hand, after dust and algea was gone, I could keep TDS below 700 and the water was crystal clear! A night, with the light on, cant see anything floating in the water. I don't use them any more but still have them if needed. BBB and the information from this website has help me keep my pool in excellent condition! I have a new posting coming in a couple weeks on a DIY tablet eroder, just haven't had time to post.

 

[PAGirl]

This might be my answer to the vacuuming problem with the Intex garden hose vacuum. I've been trying to find something to put on it to get the finer stuff that flows right through the little cloth bag it comes with.

You might try lining the little cloth bag with a knee-high panty hose.

I did that today, it worked great!! Had 3 times more stuff in it than what I usually get with just the little bag it comes with. I put the knee-high on, then tied the bag around it, to make sure it stayed on. There wasn't anythig in the original bag when I removed it!

 

[MoreSparkle]

I had to clean up an algae bloom after vacation (not enough cl going into the pool before and while gone)... And I was desperate to find something locally I could get my hands on immediately, not enough POP to wait for mail order and too rural for pool stores... Not a tractor supply or grangers around either ... So I bought an allergen pillowcase, cut it in half lengthwise, sewed ip up, attached it with zip tie to a hose that would fit in the return, and let it run while vacuuming and filtering. I think it did help bc it was coated with the nasties on the inside. At the time I had **** filters that did nothing... I finally got a unicel that performs much better, but my homemade slime bag did help.

I thought this was a novel idea and was patting myself on the back until I saw somewhere here some one else had the same idea! Great ( or desperate!) minds.... ;-)

I still want to get some of those biodiesel bags though.... Totally obsessed with clear as glass water :-0

 

[aust1648]

I have had the Slime Bags for two years and they work great. Good quality product and long lasting. I use them for opening the pool and when my laziness gets the pool dirty and I want to clean it up quick. Now, I did buy (3) of the McMaster-Carr 5-micron diesel bags online. The bags performed well too and certainly a lot cheaper then Slime Bags...Not quite as well as the Slime Bags but good. In short, either product will help "clarify" the water with Slime Bags a better quality but more expensive product.

 

[no fence cl pool]

I just wanted to say thanks everyone for sharing ideas throughout this thread. It seems use of a large capacity bag in-line with our vacuum post-storms could help keep some load off the sand filter. If that gets fabricated, I'll share pics.

 

[swimcat]

I have a cartridge filter & appropriate 3/4 hp pump so I don't have a waste valve on the pump. I had a slime bag in the past and found it did a great job of filtering my pool. But, the problem was, since I don't have a waste valve, I had to hook the slime bag up directly to the return fitting inside the pool. Because it was extremely difficult to remove the slime bag while there was water in the pool, I left it on too long and, eventually, the bag ruptured spilling some contaminants back into the pool before I could get the bag out of the pool.

I would mainly like to use the slime bag, or any of the less expensive replacements discussed on this board, for vacuuming. I have a decent cartridge but I still find a lot of the debris that I vacuum from the pool bottom comes right back in when I don't use a slime bag. Since I don't have a waste valve, my option for vacuuming "to waste" is to take the hose off return altogether. Then, I wind up emptying so much water out of the pool that I can't finish vacuuming.

Does anybody have suggestions for attaching the slime bag or one of the less expensive replacements to the pool so that it would be relatively easy to remove it after vacuuming?

Maybe, the inexpensive options suggested here will be lighter than the slime bag and will solve my problem but I'd still appreciate any suggestions

Thanks,
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