Using Pearlite instead of D.E.?

[czechscott]

I was shopping at our local Lowes store and saw that instead of DE, they had a product called Pearlite. On the package it said it replaced DE scoop for scoop. One selling point was it said that it cleaned off of the grids easier than DE. At roughly $1 per pound, I wondered if this was an economical alternative. Has anyone tried this product?

 

[teapot]

Don't know much about it apart from the fact it's Perlite not Pearlite which is totally different, but is it hard enough to withstand the mechanical stresses of a pool filter? Being promoted as a replacement for DE indicates very regular changing, good for the manufacturers.

My concern is the amount of free silica you could intoduce into the pool as the micro structure shown here look pretty fragile.
http://www.perlite.org/perlite_info/guides/general_info/Perlite_Works.pdf

Even the trade association aren't say that much and they dont usually miss a trick. Like some zeolites sold round the world that also are not hard enough and turn to mush in pressure filters.

Probably good as kitty litter though.

 

[czechscott]

That was my thought. I was just needing some confirmation. Thanks!

 

[geekgranny]

Aquaperl claims to be 100% crystalline silica free. 12 lbs Aquaperl=25 lbs

http://www.doheny.com/catalog/product/view/id/8916/s/AquaPerl-D-E-Alternative/?___store=default

From another site that sells it:

Aqua Perl is a unique alternative to D.E. or cellulose (paper pulp) media, that’s 100% crystalline silica free and is volcanic in origin. It takes half the Aqua Perl to do what D.E. does (a ½ lb of Aqua Perl equals 1 lb of D.E.). And there’s no complicated converting –the specially designed Aqua Perl scoop lets you match the amount of D.E. you used to use - “scoop-for-scoop”.

Won’t attract oil by-products, for longer filter cycles
Cost-Effective
Easy to Use!

http://www.poolproducts.com/SPP/product_family.asp?family_id=2429

After I use up the cellulose I have I'm going to give Aquaperl a try in my Quad 80. I'm having issues with the cellulose releasing from the Quad cartridges when backwashing. Quads use cartridges rather than grids. I think I found the reason, though, other than the immense amounts of clay and chalk powder. I read somewhere this morning that all "extra" pool chems, other than the basic, can cause the cellulose to hold more firmly to the cartridge fabric. The first few weeks I was filtering out suspended calcium (it took two weeks) along with the clay/chalk powder that blows into my pool daily. In addition I put in a start up dose of HTH sequestrate, even though there should have been some in there. The article I was reading said that sequestrates can clog up the filter faster making it harder to get the stuff off with just a backwash instead of a hose cleaning and soaking. Cartridges have been soaking in auto dishwasher solution all night. I'm going out now to rinse and reinstall.

I have always had to backwash a lot due to our powder but having to backwash more since I started using the sequestrate after AA treatment last fall. That was with my DE 36 sq ft and my new Quad 80 sq ft. The cellulose does filter out finer particles so I'll have that experience to compare with the pool water appearance, at night, with light on.

I switched from DE because I was concerned with the amount of DE that was being backwashed into our already dusty environment; the amounts of silica.

So I'll keep all updated on the Perlite once I start using it in next week or two.

gg=alice

 

[teapot]

Although it maybe silica free (doubtful as its volcanic) it is obsidan glass and very fragile looking structure so could still be dangerous if the structure breaks up with the force of the water. It's still mined so what happens to it when it's finished with?
Have you thought of using recycled glass, I can't vouch for the quality of the US product compared to AFM from Dryden Aqua, but when that's finished with whenever that is, it goes straight into the recycled glass bin and is turned into something else.

 

[Durk]

I have been using AquaPerl instead of DE for two years (starting third). It lasts me the whole season (as did D.E) so I am still on original bag. It seems to work just as well and actually seems to leave the grids more completely when I backwash at closing time than did D.E. (I clean my filter myself). If there is a downside, I haven't figured it out yet. Pool is crystal clear with a minimum of particulate in the light beam at night. And I only run 4 hrs/day (1 turnover) due to oversized pump/plumbing and really bare bones layout with short runs and low bather load.

 

[geekgranny]

I've just ordered some Aqua Pearl. Backwashing is just not doing it with my Quad 80, cellulose, and our "cementous" dust. Every 10 days, if I want to get to clean filter psi, I have to take the lid off filter and hose with brass concentrator on end of hose. Day before yesterday I did a series of backwashes, rinses, opening filter drain to let water escape out bottom fast, repeated several times. Use a lot of pool water. Filter psi is almost as low as, open and clean, but VF pump is running at higher rpms for same flow rate, so it obviously didn't get all the cellulose released.

So I'm going to try the Aqua Pearl to see if it will maybe release from the cartridges better. Will report back.

gg=alice

 

[Zephyros]

Hi gg=alice,
Can you please give us an update on how you like the Aqua Pearl as compared to the cellulose?
Thanks, Tom

 

[carlscan26]

bump

Alice, any update?

 

[Pacifica]

Pearlite is good economically but it does not have the same coverage on filter grids that the D.E. does. I saw a demonstration at a swimming pool convention that showed the coverage on the grids of each one and the D.E. coated the grids much better, thereby giving the pool a greater surface to filter the water through.

 

[MarkPristine]

Pearlite is good economically but it does not have the same coverage on filter grids that the D.E. does. I saw a demonstration at a swimming pool convention that showed the coverage on the grids of each one and the D.E. coated the grids much better, thereby giving the pool a greater surface to filter the water through.

I always add two extra scoops of AquaPerl to any size filter.

I have yet to ever have a customer complain about any residue that comes back after cleaning a filter as with D.E.

Perlite filters down to 4 microns as D.E. so there's no CONS as far as I have seen in the past 6 years using it. Also it's much lighter when removing a dirty 60" for sure.

 

[BoricuaTec]

Any updates on how Aqua Pearl works from the folks that said they would try it?

 

[SpongeBob]

I been running Perlite Aquaperl for 1.5 years, I don't close the pool for the winter, and bi-annual cleaning and it works very well. See no difference between DE and Perlite. I had a few balls show up in the pool but the skimmer just takes care of them. That happened once, havent see it again. Trying to read up on Dicapool I figured brand names aside, perlite is perlite.