sand vs. cartridge

[Guest]

0 expense......

Well, you have to add water to replace what gets backwashed so it costs unless you have a well

Plus if you use a filter aid like DE (which, IMHO is a necessity) you need to buy it.
Sand is the not most effective at clearing a pool of dead algae unless you are very patient so you might need floc.
and finally, Sand does need to be replaced every several years (and that last comment will open up another kettle of worms! )

I'd better hide now before all the stuff starts flying around again! :blah:

 

[JasonLion]

There is no answer to this question. Get the kind of filter you feel more comfortable with. They both have advantages and disadvantages. (I love my sand filter.)

 

[Butterfly]

I love my sand filter.

Oops, I think I already posted that in this thread.

 

[lovingHDTV]

I can see why it is hard for a new person to figure out what kind of filter to get. Without any experience with the three types it is hard to decide.

The list of filter quality vs ease of use is the best thing I've seen. I'm not sure if people even understand the difference in water clarity between 60um and 5um filtering. I know that with my sand filter I don't see any floaties at night with the lights on, but there are others that do.

I got the filter that was already installed in my pool which is sand. I've cleaned cartridge filters for a stand alone hot tub and decided that I'd never have a cartridge filter again. My friend has a DE filter and hates taking care of it. So I think I'm happy with my sand filter.

P.S. - my water is clearer and nicer than my friends with the DE filter. Turns out that water balancing impacts water clarity, no matter what filter you have.

 

[spishex]

It's more about the owner than the filter. I'd base it on your car.

Are you the kind of person that cleans your car every couple of days, vacuums it every week or two, waxes it regularly and keeps a fresh scented pine tree under the seat?

Or, are you the kind of person that throws all the fast food bags and 20oz bottles in the back seat only in the event you have a passenger, and for whom cleaning is more of a semi-annual necessity just because you run out of places for stuff to accumulate?

If you're more like #2 go with a sand filter. A cartridge is great if you stay on top of your water, but if you wait until you've got a problem it can become a pain. A sand filter gives you the flexibility to be a little lax at the expense of some water (and some chemicals over time).

 

[duraleigh]

Great post, Tim. :lol:

 

[PaulR]

If I didn't already have DE, I'd go with sand and dose it with 1/2lb DE.
--paulr

 

[Henry Porter]

It's more about the owner than the filter. I'd base it on your car.

Are you the kind of person that cleans your car every couple of days, vacuums it every week or two, waxes it regularly and keeps a fresh scented pine tree under the seat?

Or, are you the kind of person that throws all the fast food bags and 20oz bottles in the back seat only in the event you have a passenger, and for whom cleaning is more of a semi-annual necessity just because you run out of places for stuff to accumulate?

If you're more like #2 go with a sand filter. A cartridge is great if you stay on top of your water, but if you wait until you've got a problem it can become a pain. A sand filter gives you the flexibility to be a little lax at the expense of some water (and some chemicals over time).

I see myself like #1 So I've made the right choice

 

[azle]

Hey WaterB, thanks for the in depth explanation. I guess I am one of those nuts that does it all, I usually break my filter at least twice a season not counting the after summer and and opening. It is just too easy and takes about 30 minutes from start to finish. My wife was hit by the recession? and lost her job i am glad that I have a mechanical background, I would not be able to afford to pay for Joe the pool mech to fix what I can! I also belive that if more people wanted to it really is not rocket science(except the electrical boards and controllers), and if need be I will figure these out to. Had to trouble shoot and replace my circuit board in my outside control box was Quoted over a thousand $$ and did it myself parts and labor (mine you know had to charge the wife....) for under 600. This is a great site and I have already reaped some benefits, hope everyone has a great wet weekend!

 

[NullQwerty]

As far as bump filters... the DE gets dirty so you bump it off the grids to allow the dirt and DE to mix together and recoat the grids?!?!?! You just coated your grids with dirty DE! You have NOT cleaned your filter!
To clean the filter you need to break it down.

Hey waterbear!

Just to clarify on this one...Bumping the DE filter for me is actually both a necessity and life/time/money saver. At least it is for my filter. I have the Hayward EC-65. I put DE in it at the beginning of the season. Anytime the water gets really dirty or has any kind of algae outbreak, the filter pressure will rise quickly. It will go from 12 to 25. Once at 25, the water flow from the return lines decreases tremendously...and it won't correct until you do something about it.

To fix this, all you gotta do is turn off the pump, bump the filter 4-6 times, turn the pump back on...and bam all is good...pressure back to 12 and water flow is great. Takes only 2 minutes tops. Now if you still have the algae outbreak or the dirty pool, the pressure will probably go back up again in about 24-48 hours, at which time you'll need to bump again. But once the water is back to normal, all is good again and the pressure won't rise until you have another issue.

I can actually go an entire season without changing the DE. Usually when opening to a really nasty pool, I change it 1 time once it looks good (just to give it a fresh start). Once your pool is looking good though, I usually end up bumping once a month and that's it. And my water is crystal clear.

The only alternative (that I'm aware of) would be to change the DE, which is kind of a pain, more time consuming, and would get expensive.

But anyway...in my experience, the point to bumping isn't to clean the filter...it's just to shake up the fingers inside so that it can start filtering again.

You may have had a different experience than me though...but for some, bumping has it's place

Oh...and thanks for all your help in these forums

 

[Guest]

But anyway...in my experience, the point to bumping isn't to clean the filter...it's just to shake up the fingers inside so that it can start filtering again.

Exactly my point! You have to break them down to clean them and those Hayward Perflex units are a pain to break down. I would NEVER own one for that reason!

 

[Guest]

Sorry not on topic but did i read right? Don't backwash DE? please why not and the implications. I have been backwashing my DE for years (4 to be exact) and still running strong, thank you.

Better off to open the filter and rinse the DE off the elements completely rather than backwash.

More efficient usage of the water. More controlled and ensures you know it is all gone (no caking) and then you know to use the full amount of DE to recoat them instead of guessing how much is needed.

This is how I have always done my IGP with DE filters over the last 30 years (yeah I got to take care of this when I was 14).