Filters and pollen

[budysr]

I decided to start a new thread after the responses I got from a thread about flocculats and pollen(in the chem 201 forum).
Anyway, I am looking to replace my sand filter with either a large cartridge or DE filter. I know that DE filters the best, but does a cartridge filter much better than the sand filter I have now? Is the cartridge filter able to catch the fine dust pollen that seems to be a problem for many(typically those with sand filters and trees nearby)?
I would like to go with a cartridge filter, but am not sure if that will be much better than the sand and I do know that a DE WILL offer noticably better filtration.
Thoughts?

 

[257WbyMag]

Cartridge filters filter finer particles than sand and of course, DE filters filter the smallest particles of them all. I can't remember the filtration differences in numbers (microns), but DE gets the really small stuff.

 

[KurtG]

Sand's cut off is about 50 um and a cartridge is around 20 um. Tree pollen falls in the range of 20-45 um. So a cartridge filter removes most of it; whereas a sand filter is generally not that efficient unless you treat the sand during pollen season.

 

[geekgranny]

I think typically DE filters down to 5 microns or a little less. That should catch most pollen. I use cellulose and it does filter down much smaller as noted by how the water looks in front of light at night. Cellulose, in my situation, mostly microscopic dust, re., chalk,clay, etc., takes more effort and water to clear off the filter grids with backwashing. That might not be the case with particles that are a different type than mine.

This past weekend I opened up my new Pentair Quad 80 DE to rinse off the four cartridges (Quads use cartridges instead of grids.). I've been running the pump, 16 to 34 gpm, 23/7 for about two months since new pump and filter installed. I've been back washing filter about every 8-10 days. Lots of very fine stuff to clear out. This time I back washed at 60 gpm for only a minute. When I opened the filter I was shocked at how much stuff was stuck to the cartridges; fine tan particles mixed with cellulose with cartridges same color. To clean them off by hosing probably took as much water as a full back wash would have take but at least I know they were clean.

I was expecting one minute backwash to clear off more than that. The very fine stuff really, really sticks on. I typically do three minutes and that takes a lot of water out of the pool. With my old filter I typically had to do five minutes backwash to get the psi back to clean pressure.

Just telling this because, in the past, people have said that I shouldn't have to use so much water to backwash but it does take a lot with the type of microscopic, sticky particles in my environment.

My solution to save on chemicals and water is going to be to use the Backwash Slime bag to put the backwash water back in pool.

Later I'll post a pick of stuff on cartridges.

gg=alice

 

[geekgranny]

Wanted to add. I now have more experience with cleaning cartridge filters. Although I've been cleaning my spa cartridges for 23 years they are smaller but are still a hassle to clean I keep several so I can put a fresh one in while the used one is soaking. Do this weekly. Uses a lot of water.

Cleaning the four larger cartridges in Quad was a very messy, very wet job. The whole time I as cleaning them I was thinking about how I'm going to handle this in dead of winter. :?

I certainly like the ease of backwashing over cartridge cleaning! Never get wet back washing. The main disadvantages of lengthy back washing are loss of chemicals and water. Hopefully the Slime Bag, which filters down to 1 micron (not small enough to catch all my stuff), will help.

gg=alice

 

[crabboy]

I have a Jandy with 4 large carts in it and I only clean it once a year. I'll usually clean it after the pollen has fallen in the spring, probably in about a week or two. Cleaning them is not so bad now that I have it down pat. I stick a pipe through the filter and prop the ends of the pipe on two chairs. I'll sit on a chair and using the filter flosser, clean them out. Not bad at all. Never timed it, but probably about an hour for all four.

Sorry, I can't comment on the level of filtration, as I have no reference to compare my current setup to, but I do know I don't have to backwash nor replace DE after backwashing. My filter eats pollen for breakfast lunch and dinner and pressure never rises. We have pollen galore here every year.