Hello,
I am new to this forum and find it very informative. I am wondering about filtering media but am not sure where to post my questions. I have a few of them...
First I have had a pool in Canada for the last 10 years which is running on SWG with Zeolite in the sand filter and am very happy with the setup.
I now work in Panama (Central America) and have a 25,000gls plaster pool with a 600lbs sand filter. (isn't that oversized?)
Given the hot weather and heavy rains and outrageous chlorine prices (3 times the price from back home) I have switched this one to SWG as well.
I know I have to change the sand in my filter.
I was told by an online pool store support guy to put 200lbs pea gravel at the bottom and 400lbs sand on top...but I don't understand the logic?? Isn't the flow from top to bottom? And if so would it not be more efficient for the water to go through the coarse medium (pea gravel) first and then the finer medium (sand) last? If that's the case, then shouldn't the sand be at the bottom and pea gravel on top?
I am tempted to go with zeolite but the prices here are very high...required amount of zeolite(300lbs) is same price as a new filter and pump back home (nearly $500).
So I am wondering if I would still get the benefits of zeolite if I were to use part sand and part zeolite in a scheme similar to sand and pea gravel. I was thinking 400lbs sand and 100lbs zeolite? I am thinking it should improve the filtering but could be mistaken.
And if I do that should I put the zeolite first, at the bottom or at the top?
And last question: while searching for the above I stumbled across perlite as a filter medium. It seems to be used only as a fine powder in DE filters in lieu of the DE. Would it work using coarser perlite in lieu of sand in a sand filter? Has anyone tried that?
Thanks in advance for any input...
Eric
I am new to this forum and find it very informative. I am wondering about filtering media but am not sure where to post my questions. I have a few of them...
First I have had a pool in Canada for the last 10 years which is running on SWG with Zeolite in the sand filter and am very happy with the setup.
I now work in Panama (Central America) and have a 25,000gls plaster pool with a 600lbs sand filter. (isn't that oversized?)
Given the hot weather and heavy rains and outrageous chlorine prices (3 times the price from back home) I have switched this one to SWG as well.
I know I have to change the sand in my filter.
I was told by an online pool store support guy to put 200lbs pea gravel at the bottom and 400lbs sand on top...but I don't understand the logic?? Isn't the flow from top to bottom? And if so would it not be more efficient for the water to go through the coarse medium (pea gravel) first and then the finer medium (sand) last? If that's the case, then shouldn't the sand be at the bottom and pea gravel on top?
I am tempted to go with zeolite but the prices here are very high...required amount of zeolite(300lbs) is same price as a new filter and pump back home (nearly $500).
So I am wondering if I would still get the benefits of zeolite if I were to use part sand and part zeolite in a scheme similar to sand and pea gravel. I was thinking 400lbs sand and 100lbs zeolite? I am thinking it should improve the filtering but could be mistaken.
And if I do that should I put the zeolite first, at the bottom or at the top?
And last question: while searching for the above I stumbled across perlite as a filter medium. It seems to be used only as a fine powder in DE filters in lieu of the DE. Would it work using coarser perlite in lieu of sand in a sand filter? Has anyone tried that?
Thanks in advance for any input...
Eric