using filter media in sand filters, feedback please!

[mayhem69]

Hi, well after careful consideration on choosing a filter it looks like I am going with a sand filter.
I want to use a filter media like zeobest to vastly improve the filtering.
Has any of you used this stuff in your sand filters? Or anything similar to it?
How well does it work?

 

[linen]

My pool is crystal clear and I use sand. We have heard very mixed reviews on zeo, for some it works great and for some not good.

Instead, you might consider adding DE to the sand filter if you feel you need the extra filtering.

 

[Bama Rambler]

Liike Linen, I have a sand filter and on a calm day you can't even tell that there's water in the pool.
There many reports of problems with Zeo and a few good reports.

I will say however, that it works great in the chicken coop because it scavenges ammonia. And they can also use it as grit. So it performs double duty in there.

 

[mayhem69]

Liike Linen, I have a sand filter and on a calm day you can't even tell that there's water in the pool.
There many reports of problems with Zeo and a few good reports.

I will say however, that it works great in the chicken coop because it scavenges ammonia. And they can also use it as grit. So it performs double duty in there.

ok, just wondering why I am reading mixed reviews with sand filters?
Is it brand related? I am looking to go with Pentair.
I have read sand filters filter up to 30 microns? If I add DE as said above wouldn't that help with water clarity?

 

[Bama Rambler]

If you look enough you'll find mixed reviews on all types of filters.
It's really not brand related.

Adding a little DE to your sand filter helps it filter a little better if you're having clarity issues and I've even used it a few times.

 

[mayhem69]

If you look enough you'll find mixed reviews on all types of filters.
It's really not brand related.

Adding a little DE to your sand filter helps it filter a little better if you're having clarity issues and I've even used it a few times.

I've also seen media like cellulose, filterglass, zeobrite, DE, etc.

My local swimming pool dealer down the road was the 1st place I stopped. He quoted me a price that included a sand filter with some kind of media in it. He stated they have been doing this for yrs. and it works very well. He did not state what kind of media though. He said it filters just as well as DE filters.
Are any of the additives above better for adding to sand filters?
Why wouldn't I add something like above to help the filtration? Doesn't cost too much.

 

[Bama Rambler]

If you're that hung up on micro filtering you really should be looking at DE filters and not adding something to another type of filter. I recommend that you go with a DE filter to start with.

 

[duraleigh]

I just love another opportunity to post this pic. That's a nine y/o sand filter with original sand and absolutely nothing ever added. (Yes, that's a small leaf floating on the pool surface and it's shadow next to the robot) This is good enough for me. Six feet of water.[attachment=0:1zktmuha]clearpoolauto1.JPG[/attachment:1zktmuha]I would add that the majority of clarity issues we address on this forum is a chemistry issue rather than mechanical.....not all, but most.

 

[Donldson]

Bama is right, if you want better filtering than a sand filter then why buy a sand filter? Cartridge filters filter smaller particles and DE filters even smaller.

So now that you have that answer, why do you need to filter smaller particles? When someone comes to the forum complaining of cloudy water, 99%+ of the time it is improper chlorination and algae problems. It is next to never filtration problems. You have plenty of people here that have sand filters and perfectly clear water. I have a cartridge filter and perfectly clear water. It matters far more that you keep your pool balanced and chlorinated than being able to micro filter.

 

[mayhem69]

If you're that hung up on micro filtering you really should be looking at DE filters and not adding something to another type of filter. I recommend that you go with a DE filter to start with.

Im not "hung up" on any of the filter methods. Im just trying to get some info.
I see a lot of online dealers selling bags of micro media along with the sander filter, so it just got me thinking.

 

[linen]

That's a nine y/o sand filter with original sand and absolutely nothing ever added. (Yes, that's a small leaf floating on the pool surface and it's shadow next to the robot) This is good enough for me. Six feet of water.

duraleigh, i don't believe you when you say there is water in there...I think the leaf is just sitting on the bottom

Im not "hung up" on any of the filter methods. Im just trying to get some info.
I see a lot of online dealers selling bags of micro media along with the sander filter, so it just got me thinking.

IMO, dealers sell "sand substitutes" cause they can make more money on them.

We here at tfp are trying to help pool owners have "trouble free pools". Most water clarity issues have nothing to do with type of filter (or for that matter the media used in the filter). The fact that "sand substitutes" cost more than sand for very little (if any) advantage combined with the fact that some users have had significant issues when using them results in them not fitting the "trouble free pool" category. That is not to say that some users have had positive results.

Have you seen this comment from hydraulics101:

Which filter is best for you depends on several factors:

Cartridge Filters: Most energy efficient and don't require back-washing. Best suited for areas with water restriction, high electrical rates and/or pools that use a SWG.

Sand Filters: Easiest for algae clean up. Best suited for areas where the pool is closed for the winter and/or high algae potential.

DE Filters: Best filtration. Best suited for owners that really want their water to be as clean as possible.

 

[danacc]

Sand filters let larger particles go through than cartridge or DE filters will. This shows itself when you're doing something like cleaning up a green algae-filled pool. Once the algae is dead, the sand filter will take longer, generally, to clear out the dead algae than a cartridge or DE filter does. On the other hand, the person with the cartridge filter will spend a lot more time and effort cleaning it, or a lot more money replacing cartridges. The DE filter owner will spend a lot more time backwashing and money on DE. The person with the sand filter will need to backwash, but that's it.

I think all those additives get marketed for sand filters because oh-my-gosh-it-lets-higher-micron-stuff get through, and folks conclude that's why there water is cloudy. It's not why the water's cloudy. Sand filters will make the water clear if it's balanced and chlorine levels are properly maintained. A lot of people are looking for a quick fix, and think it's a filter media issue when it isn't.

All that said, DE filters will polish the water really well. You will mentally know that you've got the smallest particles filtered out. It also makes balanced, well-maintained water look even more "sparkly". If that's important to you, go with a DE filter.