Hayward Sand Filter....Replacing Sand really necessary or pool store ripoff?

[Romerj]

I have heard from pool store people that you should replace the sand in the sand filter every 3 - 5 years....but then i also hear from people who have sand filters they have never ever done it. Is it necessary or just a poor store ripoff to get you to spend money on sand that you dont need to spend and waste time on?

thanks
John

 

[JVTrain]

I think it was Richard320 and Smykowski who said it best. My terrible paraphrase is "The sand has been around for millions of years, why would a few years of pool use necessitate replacement?"

It may indeed need a deep cleaning: Deep Cleaning a Sand Filter but that's only if it's having problems. Is it having problems?

 

[Smykowski]

Train's right. There are only a very few scenarios that would require a sand change.

Why are you asking - for curiosity's sake, or because you think there might be something wrong?

 

[JVTrain]

Train's right. There are only a very few scenarios that would require a sand change.

Why are you asking - for curiosity's sake, or because you think there might be something wrong?

Updated my post for proper citation.

 

[Romerj]

I was asking cause I just bought a house with inground pool. hayward filter working fine. was just told this by a pool store guy trying to sell me something i didnt think i needed. thats all. Im new and well i wanted to make sure everything is set to go. He stated "test sand by running it through fingers, if its not course then u need to change". Really? im new but not stupid. pump works well

 

[Smykowski]

Sounds like your setup will be fine. Give it a good cleaning, but fire it up and see what happens.

@Train, you have to edit it again. I parroted that one from Richard320.

 

[JVTrain]

Sounds like your setup will be fine. Give it a good cleaning, but fire it up and see what happens.

@Train, you have to edit it again. I parroted that one from Richard320.

haha. Sometimes I am right the first time!

 

[samt]

I changed mine out simply because I didn't know how old it was. The real reason was, I just wanted to take it apart and make sure the baffles any everything was ok. It was something I needed to know how it works type of thing I guess.

 

[samt]

Take this with a grain of salt, but I read in a few places, each grain of sand is not round. Under a microscope a grain of sand actually has points or spurs, like a snowflake I guess.

Over time these spurs grind away and do not catch small particals. ( sound logical to me )

Thus the argument on should you or should you not replace your sand.

For me, since I'm not a sand expert, I chose to replace mine. Like I said above, I wanted to know how this filter worked, so I took it apart, checked everything and added new sand. Now I know.