Suggestions for new filter on well water??

[jahyde]

My cartridge filter has worn me out, originally I had DE, it worked great, but it rusted out... and silly me took tips from a couple of pool boys and the dimwits at the distributor counter and switched to cartridge - those people are just lazy, they say "its great, when the cartridge gets dirty you just throw it away".

I live on a high traffic dirt road, heavy pine pollen, and fill from a nasty calcium well - the water is rough!!! I'm tired of cleaning and cant afford to trash 3-4 cartridges per year.

I am 90% set on a new DE filter, trying to find something near $500, ideally a 36ft, any recommendations? Was looking at the Hayward Progrid, but by the time I add a valve its well over $700, a bit more than I was hoping (busy dumping $$$$ down the deeper hole in the ground).

I have a 12.5k IG plaster pool. My dad was a pool guy, so I have done 100% of my own maintenance for the last 25 years, including the equipment. I have a Superior account and PEP... although I would probably just buy online for a better price and not having to deal with the goons.

On a side note... I am considering a zeo filter combo at the well, maybe it will help in pre-softening. I would probably never use a conventional softener, it would just get trashed too fast.

 

[duraleigh]

Welcome to the forum

Have you considered a sand filter for your pool?

We can discuss the zeo later but you would throw your money away looking for it to remove CH.

 

[Nectarologist]

Hi. Cartridge filters are not to be thrown away when dirty. You simply hose them off and put them back in place. With a pool your size I'd assume you have one cartridge (should take 10-15 min start to finish). Stay as far away from that pool place as possible. My advice is to save the $700 and clean your filters 3 to 4 times per year. Eventually the cartridges will not clean well and need to be replaced but you should get a couple of years out of them.

 

[Patrick_B]

Welcome to the forum

Have you considered a sand filter for your pool?

We can discuss the zeo later but you would throw your money away looking for it to remove CH.

I think he just means a Zeolite exchange bed at the well for softening. Reading your post, I thought Sand right away, but with that much pool stuff in your past, no doubt you have too.

Very dusty and dirty here too, with lots of tree trash. I nearly did DE, but I am very, very happy I went Sand.

Oh yes, Welcome to TFP!

 

[jahyde]

ok, thanks for the encouragement towards sand, I was really considering it, but scared it would not be as good as the DE I had before which was really low maintenance, and simply kept it clean... the tank just didnt want to hold after 30 years. I will look in to some sand options, any recommendations, such as the Sand Dollar or Haywards?

I buy a new cartridge once a year, I clean my cartridge about every 6-8 weeks from March-Sept, as long as there are no major incidents, this amount of cleaning wears it out. This winter 2 major storms brought a lot of sand in the pool, and it just has not caught up since... and I am not about to buy another cartridge right now because I know it will be short lived.

My well needs a new storage tank, and I am considering some sort of tiered system with a small sand tank gravity feeding to the storage tank, and then some carbon/UV at the house. It has a deep pump > 3k storage tank > pressure pump > 85 gal pre-charged bladder tank.

 

[jahyde]

So I am thinking a 24" sand filter, that should give me a 4 hour turnover... I have read the zeo is overhyped, and once it gets dirty it filters the same as sand. Should I avoid it altogether, or is it worth a try for my pool? If it softens my water even 10% I think it is worth it to me.

 

[pooldv]

Definitely avoid zeo, lots of folks with poor experience with it over the years. And sand works great. Just be sure to get #20 silica sand for a pool filter.