YippeeSkippy, thank you for doing your homework. the Blu is just a name that pool and spa re-sellers wanted us to use as it reflects the clarity of pool waters. There are no additives or coatings like copper of silver and therefore no anti-fungal or anti-bacterial claims of any kind. Also on point, we do not use any recycled plastic in the construction of FilterBalls, although they are recyclable.
What you will get is tighter particle removal (when compared to sand). 15micron for Blu / 10micron for Blu10 vs 30micron for sand. Consumption of less energy, FilterBalls are less than 1psi differential at start-up where sand can be 7-12 psi differential. The energy to overcome that pressure differential is significant in additional power consumption.
JoyfulNoise: FilterBalls are not made from any recycled plastic of any type. We use traceable virgin resin for quality control and quality assurance. However, when they do expire (4-5 years) you can place them in the recycle container.
FilterBalls are a fully back washable filter media. The agitation during the back wash cycle does a complete job of shaking loose trapped particulate matter from the ball. What you will not get is sand that locks into your ball valves, destroys pump seals or dumps into your pool.
Let me know when you will give it try.
So what's the verdict?...is anyone on here using FilterBalls?
Stick with regular sand. Cheaper and never wears out.
And it is what your filter was designed to use.
Got an Ace Hardware close by? HTH 50lbs Pool Filter Sand (61308) - Pool Maintenance Equipment - Ace HardwareThank you for the reply sir!
I don't have a problem with using sand at all, but I am having a problem figuring out which one to use. I was reading a thread on here about a guy that got bogus quikrete sand and the pictures he posted of it with the 'good' HTH sand is just not what I was picturing.
This is my first sand filter (still in the box) I'm switching from cartridges. So to be honest, I had no idea what pool filter sand is supposed look like til I saw those pics. When hear (or see) the term 'filter media' and that Intex is specifying a certain size, grade, etc...I'm thinking that it will be all the same size and uniform in shape and not just regular outdoor sand that is screened down to a tolerable level. Maybe I'm thinking too much about it? haha