Sand replacement.

[feetr2c]

I am on my 3rd season with my Hayward Dreamlike 175 lb sand filter. The pool stores say sand has to be replaced every 3-5 years. I think they just wanna sell sand. They say that the particles on new silica sand are square, like tiny cubes. Apparently these corners are what catches a lot of the junk, and they wear off so the particles are more rounded and then they don't filter good. What's the consensus here? On another note, the specs on the side say that the effective filter area is 1.8 sq ft. Huh? I look at the size of the tank and can't understand how something nearly 5 feet in circumference and nearly 2.5 feet tall that is full of sand can have such a tiny filter area. What's up with that?

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[JasonLion]

The surface of the sand bed is only 1.8 sq ft. An 18" diameter circle has an area of 1.8 sq ft.

Sand doesn't "wear out". It will last essentially forever as long as it doesn't get calcium scaling clumping it together.

 

[applgrl]

We have replaced the sand in our Jacuzzi Dial Valve filter once since 1969. (We re-plumbed the pool 4 summers ago and thought maybe it might be time )

Jason is right: there was no difference in clarity or function with new sand. Just a lot of grumpy teenagers who hauled stinky sand out of the basement for no good reason.

BTW we run our pool 4 months a year, do not use DE in the filter, and our local water is high in carbonates but not high in calcium.

 

[feetr2c]

Awesome. So the pool stores just wanna make $$. This Site is freaking amazing! I love it, and just referred my brother to it, as he is setting up a new AGP.

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[applgrl]

Yep, yet I still have friends who can't be bothered to read the Pool School notes and continue to spend good beer money at the pool store...