Filter Question

[pwrstrk]

Hi all! New to this forum. I,m looking to purchase an 24x54 ag pool. The package comes with a Hayward EC50 1.5 hp pump.
Could I have some pros and cons on the filters. First time pool owner.

DE,sand,cartridge

Thanks for any help

Jeff

 

[Richard320]

[center:3fgnim20]Pool Filter Comparison

Most newbie questions can be answered by
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[pwrstrk]

Thanks Rich. I read pool school. Just trying to see what everybody else was using and the best route to go.

 

[Richard320]

Thanks Rich. I read pool school. Just trying to see what everybody else was using and the best route to go.

It all depends on what you have to accommodate. If you get loads of dust, a sand filter is a poor choice. If you get loads of dog hair, sand is good. Lots of evaporation where Calcium builds up fast, a sand or DE filter will lower it when you backwash. But if you live in some stodgy HOA place, backwashing could turn out to be a nightmare, so a cartridge would be better.
Give us some specifics.

I have a DE filter but I use fibreclear in it and I'm happy with it. It filters well, and I can backwash onto the front lawn because the celloluse is biodegradable. I don't get much stuff in my pool, so it goes almost a year between cleanings.

 

[pwrstrk]

Dust could be somewhat of a problem. The kids have a atv track on property. We live out in country. Lots of trees around. Pool will have southern exposure a good 8hrs of sun light. The dog wont be allowed in. He's a lab and SHEDS .Backwashing won't be a problem. When you backwash DE how much water and DE do you lose? We also have a well but will have water deliverd for pool fill up. Our water has a some iron in it. Other wise it tests good.

 

[Richard320]

Dust could be somewhat of a problem. The kids have a atv track on property. We live out in country. Lots of trees around. Pool will have southern exposure a good 8hrs of sun light. The dog wont be allowed in. He's a lab and SHEDS .Backwashing won't be a problem. When you backwash DE how much water and DE do you lose? We also have a well but will have water deliverd for pool fill up. Our water has a some iron in it. Other wise it tests good.

You won't keep a lab out unless it's fenced! They love swimming.

I figure by the inches I lose, a backwash uses a little over 600 gallons. Ideally, you'd lose all the DE, but in reality, at least 20% will stay stuck to the grids.

If I had iron in the well water, I'd get a cartridge filter. Less iron to deal with, less chance of running the well dry.

 

[dmanb2b]

Too much pump for a 24' round imo, while the filter is a bit undersized. I'm in a semi-country neighbohood and love my sand filter. Water clarity is far more affected by proper water chemistry vs. the type of filter you are running. The only time I can notice a difference between the two is a night with a pool light on.

 

[pwrstrk]

By too much pump what exactly do you mean?

 

[dmanb2b]

A 1.5hp pump on standard AGP plumbing is a waste of energy as you can only pump so much water through 1.5" diameter pipe. The pump in your case is oversized and the filter is undersized, as is typical with most store bought combos. It will still work, but is not an efficient set-up as water flow is limited by your plumbing and the filter will require more frequent backwashing vs an oversized filter.

I run a 0.5 hp pump and a 250lb sand filter on the same size pool. I typically backwash twice a season...midseason and at pool closing. Although I like my set-up, I wish I had a two speed so I could run it at an even lower flow for daily circulation.

Here is an article that explains what I am trying to describe.
http://www.energysavers.gov/your_home/w ... opic=13290
In general you will want the largest filter you can afford and the pump sized to not exceed the flow rate of the filter or pool plumbing.