Stuck on filter decision

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I had a DE filter for a number of years and it is labor intensive and time consuming to clean compared to the cartridge filter I replaced it with 3 years ago. I wish I went straight to a cartridge filter when I had my pool built. I can not tell a difference in the cleanliness of the pool and it is a lot easier to maintain.

I have never had a sand filter so I can't comment on that. Good luck.
 
" I just don't want anything that's going to be a a pain in the rear"

I've had 2 pools both with sand filters. One had glass media which worked great despite the bad rep I've heard.

Water clarity has never been an issue.

In theory sand hardly ever, if ever needs changing.

When I read about what others here have to do to clean the grids for cartridge and DE filters and add DE in
the case of a DE filter, For me that would indeed be a pain in the rear.

I'm really glad I have sand where I just backwash for 3 minutes, rinse for 30 seconds and
its done and not a big production.

Sure a deep cleaning of a sand filter would be a pain in the rear but it seems rare to need that
and it would go years and years without needing it again.

I do use skimmer socks in the skimmer.

my 002 cents
 
Texas Splash said:
If we ever vote on who has the most OCD, pristine, factory-looking equipment pad, Cowboycasey has my vote. That stuff never looks used it's so clean and well-organized. Now I feel guilty.
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I thank you :) it is all learned from here so the thanks goes to everyone...
 
From what I have seen, those that have and hate cartridge filters have filters that are much too small for their pool so they end up cleaning it fairly often. I clean mine only once per year and it takes less than an hour. If you add up the time it takes to backwash and clean a DE or sand filter over a years time, it is probably not much different.

Having said that though, a pool that closes for the winter should probably go with a sand filter. Much easier to open.
 
I have a sand filter and I am very happy with it. I have a robotic cleaner so I'm not vacuuming dirt into the filter and I usually only need to backwash in the spring when I open the pool and in the fall when I close it.
 
mas985 said:
From what I have seen, those that have and hate cartridge filters have filters that are much too small for their pool so they end up cleaning it fairly often. I clean mine only once per year and it takes less than an hour. If you add up the time it takes to backwash and clean a DE or sand filter over a years time, it is probably not much different.

Having said that though, a pool that closes for the winter should probably go with a sand filter. Much easier to open.
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It's pretty easy to pull the bottom plug on a DE or cartridge filter.
 
That's great for closing but I said it was much easier to OPEN and mainly for algae cleanup. With a DE, if you have to backwash often, you will waste a lot of DE during clean up and with a cartridge, it is just a pain to constantly clean it during the cleanup cycle.
 
But, a DE filter will remove dead algae a lot quicker than a sand filter. That's why it clogs so fast. A sand filter will take a lot longer to clear out dead algae. In fact many find that they have to add DE to their sand filter to help it clear the dead algae.

Each type filter has its good and bad points. There is no best filter. It depends on your preferences. Ease of maintaining, finest filtration, avoid having to deal with DE, minimize water waste. The only constant advice is regardless of type, always oversize it. In filters, size matters.
 

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One little tiny note regarding my cartridge filter, which BTW I like, is that I do pull the bottom plug during the winter after I clean the cartridges. Consequently, there is a possibility that mice could climb in and eat my cartridges. So I remove them and store them inside in the bag that my winter cover comes out of. I suppose I could reinstall the plug and restrict access but I like to have all plugs removed as insurance.

And since I have a cartridge and like it you should get one too! [emoji6]

I don't intend to have any algae outbreaks so I didn't plan my filter selection based on that criteria.
 
I too, was torn when we put in our pool a few years ago whether to go DE or Sand. However, after talking to friends and neighbors with pools- we opted for the cartridge filter and we love it! Like Texas Splash said above, it isn't a big job at all! Spray it out with garden hose on your driveway and you are back in business. I think the key is TFP- really!! I love how pristine our water is and we loose enough water with evaporation etc over our hot summers, I can't imagine wasting a bunch of water to backwash. I watch one neighbor do it often, he certainly does it much more than we flush out our cartridge! I'm sure your friend meant well but without starting fresh,(new pool, new equipment) her experience may been tainted by poor equipment and not having a TFP! Good luck on your decision! You'll love having a pool in time for summer! :)
 
mas985 said:
Having said that though, a pool that closes for the winter should probably go with a sand filter. Much easier to open.
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I would like to add, unless you live in a climate so cold you have to bring your equipment inside for the winter, in which case a sand filter would be the last choice due to the weight of all that sand.
 
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