skippr1249 said:
Take a look at the Pentair Quad I have used them on two pools and like the cartridge ease. They are much easier to clean over the fin style de filters.
I've really had my heart set on the Pentair Quad 80. When I was at the pool store the other day the manager said I didn't want that one because the cartridges are so expensive to replace. He then showed me a Hayward 2060, including multiport valve, display of a whole pumping station but not actually running, that was a floor model that he would knock quite a bit off the price. He did ask about my pump, 1.5 uprated by 1.5, so basically it will handle a much larger filter than I have (and the solar I want to put in next summer). He was shocked that I hadn't had problems at my pumping station, pipes, etc., (my filter grids usually last about 3 years) with my 36 sq ft SS DE Filter and asked why I had such a big pump. I told him that was what came with the house/pool (23 yrs ago) and when I had to replace it, I think only once, they just put in the same size pump. The pump is really, really quiet, right under where we sit on the deck and you can't even hear it. The Trex decking probably helps to deaden any sound too. BTW... there are two suction lines, 1.5" combine via 3-way valve, enter pump via 1.5" pipe, then upped to 2" pipe coming out of pump to filter, and one 1.5" going to returns that is downsized from a 2" pipe coming out of filter. Booster pump comes off of return pipe soon after filter, via hose, then leaves pump via hose attached to 3-way valve going to 1.5" dedicated cleaner return line. So I'm not worried about pump being able to handle the big filter. I have excellent return pressure, and just installed my second PoolSkim. With other two returns put restricters in the eyeballs and each PoolSkim has excellent venturi action and Polaris moves some without the booster pump turned on. I never let the pressure rise more than 10 psi.
Anyway, since you have experience with the Quad, would I be making a mistake not getting it? I have boo-koos of fine silt blown into the pool and dragged in by the dogs. Until this week, with water being much colder and puppies not getting in and out of it so much, I was having to backwash my 36 sq ft twice, and sometimes three times a week. Before we got these puppies I could go a week or more between backwashings. The Quad 80, also, doesn't need as much vertical clearance as the Hayward appears to need. I'm going to have to dig out a hole anyway anyway, a little down the hill from the original pad to get enough vertical clearance for just about any larger filter I get, because filter is under the deck. My current filter doesn't have enough head room so I have to unhook it from system and carry it out from beneath the deck to clean grids. I really like the idea of the ease of taking the top off the Quad to rinse out the media and hose off the cartridges.
Although the Quad and new multi-valve will cost me more I'm willing to spend that in order to lessen some of the hassles of my current system. Also, I'll be keeping the pool open for winter and I can't trust that the current filter will make it through the whole night, when we have freezing temps, i.e., too much pressure rise during night from blown in debris, sand, silt. (It's really windy out here.) So I need to get the new filter in really soon. Besides that I don't want to be doing so much backwashing during the winter.
Would appreciate some advice on this from anyone. I need to make a fast decision as it is not too late to cancel the order I have made for the Quad 80 and get the flex pipe and fittings ordered in next few days. I'm not moving the whole pumping station but just the filter about 5' down from pumping station.
Thanks, gg=alice
