DE alternatives...need some clarity

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D

ddas

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May 21, 2013
131
Los Angeles, CA
I've been trying to research possible DE alternatives, both on this forum and across the wider internets, and haven't found a good solid recommendation yet, and am wondering if anyone might know of any further resources.

I've got a DE filter but don't really like working with DE, because of its carcinogenic properties, and because it strongly irritates my skin when applying it to my pool (even when I try and cover up and not touch it).

I did some searches on this forum and found a few threads here and there, but no real definitive "THIS IS THE BEST DE REPLACEMENT" kind of opinions. Across the internet, I see products like Aqua Perl, Fiber Clear, Zeo Fiber, Purifiber, and various forms of cellulose, but I read the reviews and for every one positive review, I read one strongly negative review that the product was useless. Leslie's seems to sell some cellulose fiber, but there's only 2 reviews.

Anyone care to add to the discussion? Or did I miss a better resource on this site that already exists?
 
All of the "fiber" products are essentially interchangeable. For most people they work great, some say a little worse than DE, others say a little better. The largest difference between them and DE seems to be in how easily they backwash, but some people say better and some say worse, more or less at random.
 
I have used both interchangeably. I like the cellulose better as it is easier to deal with as a waste product. I don't see much difference when the product is being used. Both clean the pool exceptionally well.

I have mainly used the cellulose from HomeDepot but I think I used the Leslie's product once.
 
Bought some cellulose at Home Depot...I'm looking forward to trying it in the next week, as it's time to clean the DE filter.

The bag says 3 lbs of cellulose is = to 25 lbs of DE. But then I read a review that says "no way, they're lying, you need more." How does one know this? Only if I open up my filter (losing half the water inside) could I even get a peek at coverage.

Last time I opened my filter and removed the blades, I noticed DE was only covering the top half of the blades, and I have no idea why. (I'm sure I put the recommended amount of DE in there.)

How do I know how much cellulose is right? (Presumably too little and too much are not a good thing.)
 
I have struggled a little to determine how much my Perflex needs. It is a Hayward EC50. I thought the EC50 had 50 cubic feet of filter area but i thinks the 50 means gallons per minute, not 50 feet of media.

When I add too much, I clogs quickly and when I clean, it has lots of clean media inside the fingers. I read today that it can pack tighter than DE inside the filter and that seems consistent with my experience. I think I may be using too much cellulose. I am going to try less when I go back to cellulose, I found I had an extra bag of DE I have decided to use this summer.

I also read when you change from DE to cellulose, the first charge or two may not last as long. I am not sure about that one. It implied it was cleaning better so it traps the stuff the DE had left. dE seems to clean so well already, I don't how it's possible.

How are you measuring how much cellulose to add?
 
techguy said:
I have used both interchangeably. I like the cellulose better as it is easier to deal with as a waste product. I don't see much difference when the product is being used. Both clean the pool exceptionally well.

I have mainly used the cellulose from HomeDepot but I think I used the Leslie's product once.
Click to expand...

What is it called at Home Depot?
 
It's called Cellulose Fiber. You can't miss it. (There's nothing else like it.)

I just put Home Depot's Cellulose Fiber in my pool last week, substituting for DE for the first time. I haven't noticed any difference at all. Water is very similar. Filter pressure is identical. I'm new here, so am not exactly sure what I should be looking for. But generally speaking...it's the same as it was with DE.
 

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ddas said:
It's called Cellulose Fiber. You can't miss it. (There's nothing else like it.)

I just put Home Depot's Cellulose Fiber in my pool last week, substituting for DE for the first time. I haven't noticed any difference at all. Water is very similar. Filter pressure is identical. I'm new here, so am not exactly sure what I should be looking for. But generally speaking...it's the same as it was with DE.
Click to expand...

Do you recall what your water looked like at night in from of a pool light? How does it look now at night in front of a pool light?
 
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