Which filter best for Salt Water?

Jump to latest Follow Reply
D

ddesousa323

0
Aug 11, 2013
10
Just bought a new resin pool to install next year. Debating like crazy which pump/filter to get. The more research i do the more confused i get. I have decided to go salt water and the local pool store recommended sand if doing salt water but couldn't really articulate why. I am intrigued by cartridge because not sure i want to backwash every week (not sure where i would dump the water).

thoughts?
 
I don't think salt water really effects the filter in any noticeable way. With that being said everyone has their own opinions on what filter is "best" I personally prefer sand filters because all filters keep the pools clear and sand is by far the easiest to clean. The vast majority of the pools in my area are 300lb Hayward sand filters (s244t) and 1hp Hayward super pumps.
 
You will lose water (and salt) when you backwash, and how often you have to backwash depends on your individual pool environment and the size of your filter. In theory, the larger the filter the longer you can go between cleanings. Read the comparison of pool filters for more information.

Personally I have a DE filter and while I love the clarity it gives, it is a lot of work to break down and clean. If you ever find your self with a bad algae bloom you will get very tired of cleaning it out during the SLAM process!

If you do decide to go with a cartridge filter install it with plumbing that will allow you to bypass the cartridge and vacuum to waste. This comes in handy if you ever need to drain the pool or if you have a bad algae bloom and don't want to gunk up the cartridge during the clean up.
 
My pool has been open since the end of March, I backwashed right after opening and and haven't had to since. Though yesterday after vacuuming road dust off the bottom my pressure has gone up to 20, I backwash when I get to 21. So I've gone almost 5 months without backwashing, very low maintenance. With all the rain we've had I've had to pump to waste to get rid of several inches of water.
 
Beg to argue here, but I believe Cartridge filters are best with SWG's, reason, you can go longer, if not whole season without backwashing, salt water pools are becoming a legislative issue. Sand filters require more backwashing and this means more salt water going into our local waters, there are several states and provinces that have specific rules about salt water pools now, its only going to get worse. Sad, but some people backwash after every time they vacuum.
 
pooladdict said:
Beg to argue here, but I believe Cartridge filters are best with SWG's, reason, you can go longer, if not whole season without backwashing
Click to expand...
In fact you can go forever without backwashing :mrgreen: hehehe. You don't backwash a cartridge, you remove it and clean it (just in case anybody new was confused by the wording, I know pooladdict is aware of that). So there is almost no water loss compared to backwashing a sand filter. The loss is still fairly low as long as you only backwash when needed, but a cartridge will always be less lost pool water.

What is the best filter? The one that gets used properly :goodjob:
 
If you install an appropriatly sized DE or sand filter ... you may only need to backwash once a year also. So the frequency of cleaning is not a valid reason ... that just depends on the sizing and the amount of debris for a given pool.
 

Enjoying this content?

Support TFP with a donation.

Give Support
If your pressure increases, due to bloom or whatever, you will in fact have to back wash a sand filter. That backwashed water will cause a problem in certain areas. Not to mention DE has been recognized as a carcinigen I believe. Cartridge filters are the way to go IMHO.
 
pooladdict said:
Beg to argue here, but I believe Cartridge filters are best with SWG's, reason, you can go longer, if not whole season without backwashing, salt water pools are becoming a legislative issue. Sand filters require more backwashing and this means more salt water going into our local waters, there are several states and provinces that have specific rules about salt water pools now, its only going to get worse. Sad, but some people backwash after every time they vacuum.
Click to expand...

We could completely empty EVERY saltwater pool in the state of Wisconsin and never even come close to the amount of salt that gets spread over the roads of our state during the winter. (over 800,000 tons a year!) I'm not going to worry about a couple of 20 gallon, back yard backwashes a year, that's for sure... :cheers:

salt3-23-02-al.jpg
 
pooladdict said:
If your pressure increases, due to bloom or whatever, you will in fact have to back wash a sand filter. That backwashed water will cause a problem in certain areas. Not to mention DE has been recognized as a carcinigen I believe. Cartridge filters are the way to go IMHO.
Click to expand...

Well, assuming the pool stays clear, then any of the filters (properly sized) will not need frequent cleaning.

Now, adding the algae bloom, certainly more frequent backwashing will be required for sand or DE. On the flip side, clearing a swamp with a cartridge is a HUGE pain in the xxxx due to having to open up the filter every couple hours to clean the cartridge.

DE when dry and inhaled can be a problem, but that is easily mitigated by using the cellulous products instead.

There are +/- with each filter type. What is "best" for one situation may not be for another. If backwash water drainage is the biggest concern, then certainly a cartridge would be the right choice.
 
duraleigh said:
I haven't heard that before. Do you have some links? I would like to learn more of their reasoning.
Click to expand...
Not true...believe it or not, it's a false rumor started by ecosmarte :roll:

There have been restrictions on some types of water softeners in California, because the salinity of the wastewater was affecting some really sensitive crops (almonds IIRC).
 

Enjoying this content?

Support TFP with a donation.

Give Support
You must log in or register to reply here.
Thread Status
Hello , This thread has been inactive for over 60 days. New postings here are unlikely to be seen or responded to by other members. For better visibility, consider Starting A New Thread.
Top Bottom
Back
Jump to latest Follow Reply