Help Me Choose a Cartridge Filter

[Mark Shvitz]

Can someone suggest a good cartridge filter, or at least the right size, for a 19,000-gallon pool with a 2HP pump?

I have a 2HP Hayward Super Pump. The pool is in-ground. I have a Pentair DE filter with 53 square feet of area and an optimal flow rate of 80 gpm.

 

[mknauss]

I would recommend one no smaller than 400 SF. Brand does not matter.

 

[Mark Shvitz]

Ay, Chihuahua! I just checked, and they're not cheap. Thanks for the reply.

 

[Newdude]

Got any pics of the yard? Do you have a screened enclosure ? Both would have alot to do with your selection.

 

[Mark Shvitz]

The pool is screened. Not much gets into it. Pop-up cleaners which I bypass. One waterfall. Spa jets I don't use. No heat. The pump is around 30 feet away.

I have owned the pool for 5 years, and I have only used it to flush toilets and bathe after hurricanes. It's not a busy pool.

Pipes are 2".

 

[Mark Shvitz]

My old filter is a Pentair S8D110. It has 53 square feet of area. The optimal flow rate is 80 gpm. The turnover rate for 6 hours is 38,000. For 8 hours, it's 51,000. The port size is 2". It holds 5.3 pounds of DE.

There is no place for the old DE to go when I backwash it, and squirrels bite holes in the backwash hose, so I am not in love with this filter.

 

[mknauss]

If you wish to save a few dollars, a 300 SF will work as you are screened in. But the bigger you go, the longer you go between cleanings. I have a 240SF for a 6000 gallon pool in the desert. Clean it once a year. And likely could go far longer.

 

[Mark Shvitz]

Now I'm wondering if I should go with sand. I see articles warning about how sand will leave 20-micron particles in the pool. Like that's worse than having DE all over your driveway.

 

[Newdude]

In the real world, the technicalities are nothing but bragging rights. A sand filter will clean the water far below the threshold that human eyes can see. The other 2 do 'better' but it's a moot point when discussing 1/24,500ths of an inch (microns)

Carts are great in that there is no backwashing or replenishing needed. When they are finally dirty, it takes a bit longer to clean them, but when properly sized, or oversized, once a year is no big deal.

 

[guinness]

Ay, Chihuahua! I just checked, and they're not cheap. Thanks for the reply.

Pentair is a popular brand, but there are alternatives if cost is an issue.

Waterway Crystal Water 325 Sq. Ft. Cartridge Filter

 

[Mark Shvitz]

Pentair is a popular brand, but there are alternatives if cost is an issue.

Waterway Crystal Water 325 Sq. Ft. Cartridge Filter

Thanks for the link. That is helpful.

I used to live in a house with a real pool, not a shallow kiddie pool like this one. It had a one-meter diving board and a real patio, not a little cage designed by lawyers. Anyway, it had a cartridge filter, and it never caused any problems.

It's hard to believe anyone would brag about a pool filter. Isn't that like bragging about your denture adhesive?

 

[Mark Shvitz]

I do see an issue with that Waterway filter. It's polypropylene, and polypropylene disintegrates in the sun.

 

[Newdude]

It's hard to believe anyone would brag about a pool filter. Isn't that like bragging about your denture adhesive?

We're all enthusiasts here. Some over the top-ness is expected at times.

 

[guinness]

I do see an issue with that Waterway filter. It's polypropylene, and polypropylene disintegrates in the sun.

It's fiberglass reinforced polypropylene which is the same as the Pentair CCP.

 

[Bluesilv]

Aquastar Pipeline filter $899 and your troubles are over. Can clean it in about 10-15 minutes. One large cartridge easy to open won’t blow the lid off easy to install. I’ve had it 6 months and don’t miss the DE mess all over my side yard at all.