JMadden, I have a lot of answers and information for you. Some comments above are partially true.
Activate is a permanent filter media that replaces sand. On the Dryden Aqua website it is talking about AFM which is for commercial pools. Activate is made the same way but doesn't strictly use green and brown glass and is for residential pools. (Less people, less bio film and other molecules to clean)
The Activate is made from recycled glass that goes through a decontamination, sterilization,shaping and activation. This prevents bio film from sticking to it like it does to sand. Now when you backwash, all that harmful bio film washes away.
Activate will filter down to 4 microns for it's entire time where sand can loses the ability to filter because the bio film gathers the sand together making channels and decreasing the ability to filter your water. You will notice the water is clearer the day after you make the switch.
Now you have created a healthier pool, all the debris floating in the water which you see at night with the pool lights on is gone, and you use less chemicals reducing or eliminating the chlorine smell.
Summer Enhance is a replacement for CYA and acts as a UV protector for your chlorine. Think of it this way, CYA surrounds a molecule of chlorine where Enhance partially covers it. Now that chlorine molecule has an easier time killing bacteria in the pool. When its covered in CYA you have to put more chlorine in the water to get the same effect. The Enhance changes the wave length of the UV light so that less chlorine is lost to the sun. To test you can measure your free chlorine levels and you'll see them drop.
You do not have to use Enhance with the Activate. It has nothing to do with the Activate.
You also don't need to modify your current sand filter or pool system to achieve these results. The Daisy system is used in other countries but not necessary. You can pour your Enhance in the water without the expense of having a dedicated system doing it for you.
You cannot use DE in a sand filter.
Activate is a permanent filter media that replaces sand. On the Dryden Aqua website it is talking about AFM which is for commercial pools. Activate is made the same way but doesn't strictly use green and brown glass and is for residential pools. (Less people, less bio film and other molecules to clean)
The Activate is made from recycled glass that goes through a decontamination, sterilization,shaping and activation. This prevents bio film from sticking to it like it does to sand. Now when you backwash, all that harmful bio film washes away.
Activate will filter down to 4 microns for it's entire time where sand can loses the ability to filter because the bio film gathers the sand together making channels and decreasing the ability to filter your water. You will notice the water is clearer the day after you make the switch.
Now you have created a healthier pool, all the debris floating in the water which you see at night with the pool lights on is gone, and you use less chemicals reducing or eliminating the chlorine smell.
Summer Enhance is a replacement for CYA and acts as a UV protector for your chlorine. Think of it this way, CYA surrounds a molecule of chlorine where Enhance partially covers it. Now that chlorine molecule has an easier time killing bacteria in the pool. When its covered in CYA you have to put more chlorine in the water to get the same effect. The Enhance changes the wave length of the UV light so that less chlorine is lost to the sun. To test you can measure your free chlorine levels and you'll see them drop.
You do not have to use Enhance with the Activate. It has nothing to do with the Activate.
You also don't need to modify your current sand filter or pool system to achieve these results. The Daisy system is used in other countries but not necessary. You can pour your Enhance in the water without the expense of having a dedicated system doing it for you.
You cannot use DE in a sand filter.
