I am about to have a pool installed and originally the set up was for a chlorine pool. I had D.E. with my last pool and was pretty good at backwashing and adding D.E. on a regular basis. However I decided to go Saltwater and I'm concerned if the backwashing and loss of saltwater will be a big enough issue to consider switching to cartridge..
D.E. or Cartridge with SWG?
- Thread starter Starsky
- Start date
Not enough to worry about. Besides, the cost of salt is cheeeeep.
A cartridge filter means less water lost from the pool to clean the cartridge. Backwashing a DE or Sand filter dumps out less than 100 gallons.
Figure it this way, to maintain 3000 ppm, you would have to dump out 2,000 gallons of water to require adding back 50 lbs of salt. $6.00 maybe?
As I said, not enough to worry about.
A cartridge filter means less water lost from the pool to clean the cartridge. Backwashing a DE or Sand filter dumps out less than 100 gallons.
Figure it this way, to maintain 3000 ppm, you would have to dump out 2,000 gallons of water to require adding back 50 lbs of salt. $6.00 maybe?
As I said, not enough to worry about.
Thanks! You answered my question very well and I am sticking with the DE filter. I know this reply is not needed but I felt ungrateful if I didnt let you know I was going with your information 
They dug the hole over the last 2 days. I'm sure I will be asking more questions as the installation comes along..
They dug the hole over the last 2 days. I'm sure I will be asking more questions as the installation comes along..
- May 3, 2007
- 16,875
- Pool Size
- 20000
- Surface
- Plaster
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Hayward Aqua Rite (T-15)
You might also want to consider where you are dumping the backwashed water. It will have salt in it so dumping it on landscaping and/or the grass may cause problems over time. Some things are salt tolerant but the salt will build up over time. If you have a hard drain plumbed to the sewer, then you don't have to worry about it.