The Sandmaster appears to be a filter for the Canadian market so I can't say what the equivalent filter is with which I am familiar. It just may be a rename and tank color of what I know. Any filter will work with any pump right up to the point that it doesn't. The manufacturers publish design specs and parameters for a good reason, they don't want to hear complaints and accept unnecessary liability. You don't buy a 1/2 ton pick-up to regularly pull a 35,000 pound trailer. Will it work? Right up 'til it doesn't. Are you asking me to recommend something the factory doesn't? Won't do that. Will a 1hp impeller damage the filter? Read the following and make a choice. Someone mentioned that they have seen combinations of equipment that don't meet what the manufactures recommend that work. So have I, right up 'til the problems started and need correcting.But if I put a 1HP impeller on it, it won’t damage the filter?
Also the C225SC works up to 84GPM while the S244T is up to 63GPM so if I understand correctly, the cartridge would filter better and last longer? I don’t understand the difference between sqft and GPM.
So if I have the chance between the 25” sandmaster with a 2” to 1.5” reducer for $180 cheaper vs the S244T2, I should go with the 25?
Sorry for all the questions. It’s just that you seem the most knowledgeable because everyone else I’ve talked to tells me that these filters work with the 2HP pump
According to Hayward's pump curves (chart that explains flow rates at different head. You can look up what that means.) a 1hp Tri Star, at 40ft. of head (an average starting amount for most pools) will try to move 110gpm. That is over the design rate of a 3sq. ft. sand filter, 60gpm. Yes, most 24" sand filter are not exactly 3sq. ft. and have a rate of 63gpm. Flow rate for high-rate sand filters is 20gpm per sq. ft. You can do the math if you want to be that exact. It is also over the maximum recommended flow rate of 88gpm for 2" pipe for pool purposes. Put a 1hp impeller on that motor and you have a 1hp pump, regardless of motor power. If you were to have a .5hp impeller installed it would become a .5hp pump and the curve says that, at the same 40ft. head, the pump will move 60gpm. These are factory numbers.
A problem is that every motor school I attended cautioned against going down in size that far on a motor, which is why it wasn't mentioned. Going to .75hp is three steps down and that was the recommended limit. Going to .5 is four steps. Would it be a problem? I don't know, I'm not an engineer, and didn't really care the whys about the instructions as I am never going to design pumps or motors. I just figured that they paid other people big bucks to design these things, I took the time to attend the school, I should listen to their advice. Has served me well for over 3 decades.