Back on the fence about getting a DE filter

[suzook]

Buy a submersible pump. I have two. It’s one of the first things I bought when we moved into our home because even here,in the dry desert, when the downpour hits, you never know when you’ll need to move water. A good submersible pump can easily drain a few inches of water in a short time and you can direct the discharge wherever you want.

I actually have one already. Thanks

 

[suzook]

A 3 way valve between the pump and filter will cost peanuts in the grand scheme of things while they're already there on-site and will allow you to drain excess rain water of you have a path for it.

View attachment 621116

OH, thats a great idea!

 

[wireform]

I will ask my builder if there is a price difference between the DE and cartridge.

Let him also give you the model specifics so it can be an actual comparison.

 

[Jimrahbe]

S,

A manual 2 or 3 way valve, between the pump and the filter, will also allow you to remove the pump lid without the filter draining down..

Thanks,

Jim R.

 

[PoolBrews]

Yup.

View attachment 621110

#realfiltershavecurves
Yes, it's this filter - but my pool is just under 7K gallons, so it's pretty small. Not sure how much bigger I would need to go for a pool this size. I'm only passing on what I found worked for me with the equipment I have. When this filter eventually goes, I may go to a larger filter.

Will a larger filter actually work any better on a pool this size and if so, why?

 

[Newdude]

Will a larger filter actually work any better on a pool this size and if so, why

No. But the larger filter (any style) will work to its abilities longer when it needs proportionately less cleanings.

While your poolmath FC numbers look GREAT, if you're only testing weekly (roughly) there is plenty of time for the FC to dip and be back to great before you test again. I caught my SWG off after big rains 8 times last year and a couple of times this year. Add in system gremlins/hiccups or power flickers knocking the swg offline for 12 to 24 hours and alot can go sideways.

I'm glad you've had success with the clarifier but they're just a band aid and don't address the root issue. That's 95% of our beef with them. They help remove the what (cloudy) but do nothing for the why (low FC) and another round needed is only a matter of time.

 

[suzook]

I have decided to just stick with the DE. It worked excellent for me on my last pool, and no reason to change. DE is cheap, I don't mind handling it, and in the grand scheme of things, I'm not wasting much water doing a backwash, especially if i time it during the pool being too high during a rainstorm. Appreciate everyone's advice.

 

[PoolBrews]

No. But the larger filter (any style) will work to its abilities longer when it needs proportionately less cleanings.

While your poolmath FC numbers look GREAT, if you're only testing weekly (roughly) there is plenty of time for the FC to dip and be back to great before you test again. I caught my SWG off after big rains 8 times last year and a couple of times this year. Add in system gremlins/hiccups or power flickers knocking the swg offline for 12 to 24 hours and alot can go sideways.

I'm glad you've had success with the clarifier but they're just a band aid and don't address the root issue. That's 95% of our beef with them. They help remove the what (cloudy) but do nothing for the why (low FC) and another round needed is only a matter of time.

If you look back further in my logs you'll see that for the first 2-3 years I was testing 2-3 times per week. My pool would go cloudy even when my FC was above 10. I was keeping my pool FC way on the high side just to keep it clear (I never had to do that in MI or GA - where I had a DE filter).

Over the past year I started using Super Blue. Now my FC is closer to 7-9, my pool hasn't gone cloudy once, and I'm testing less frequently because it's now staying stable and clear. I think the cloudiness had nothing to do with algae, but more with air born particulates or pollen getting washed in from rain (or morning dew) on my screened enclosure. The Super Blue helps the cartridge filter to remove these particulates quickly.