Is getting a cartridge really an upgrade?

[pikeman]

I have a FNS48 Pentair DE filter. Recently it’s begun spitting Crud back into the pool so I think one or more of the vanes is disintegrating. The filter is about 25 years old but until recently has been perfect. I have been reading claims about cartridge filters being less wasteful, apparently due to a reduction in backwashing volume. But I never depend on the backwash method to clean my filter. I open the vessel and use a hose to wash out the soiled DE. The typical reverse flow backwash is pathetic!
I expect a $350 service call to replace ripped vanes. Going forward the proposition of switching out the DE filter for cartridge does not seem economical. However, I expect it will be 2-3 years before my old filter will need another service.
Any thoughts on this situation?
Thanks
Pete

 

[TinFoilHat]

A cartridge filter will not be backwashed. They can go months without needing to be cleaned and then the cartridges come out for that. That's their advantage. A filter with a square footage of about 500 would be good for your pool. Just so you know, DE filters best, then cartridge, then sand filters the worst. I had DE 30 years ago and have had cartridges for the last 22 and I'm very glad I didn't opt for a sand filter back then.

 

[Lake Placid]

The filter grids can be replaced if you wish to keep the filter. You will find proponents and opponents to each type of filter. From a service perspective I have a love hate relationship with carts…not a fan of carts because the cleaning process can slow me down on my route over de or sand backwashing, but cleaning them is also additional billable time. Your decision will come down to personal preference, they all will be effective when sized correctly. As stated above carts have to be removed and cleaned….DE and sand are backwashed and recharged if DE.

 

[Jimrahbe]

Pete,

I love my large Cartridge filter and will never, ever go back to DE..

It sounds like you clean your current DE filter yourself... which is great..

In my mind, the key is how often do you currently clean your filter??? If you only clean your filter once or twice a year, then 'upgrading' to a cartridge filter will not be much of a change..

Tell us how often you currently open and clean your DE filter...

Thanks,

Jim R.

 

[wayner]

A cartridge filter will not be backwashed. They can go months without needing to be cleaned and then the cartridges come out for that. That's their advantage. A filter with a square footage of about 500 would be good for your pool. Just so you know, DE filters best, then cartridge, then sand filters the worst. I had DE 30 years ago and have had cartridges for the last 22 and I'm very glad I didn't opt for a sand filter back then.

It is best to take them out for a full cleaning, but I will sometimes just hose them off in place as well which makes the process a bit quicker.

 

[1poolman1]

I have a FNS48 Pentair DE filter. Recently it’s begun spitting Crud back into the pool so I think one or more of the vanes is disintegrating. The filter is about 25 years old but until recently has been perfect. I have been reading claims about cartridge filters being less wasteful, apparently due to a reduction in backwashing volume. But I never depend on the backwash method to clean my filter. I open the vessel and use a hose to wash out the soiled DE. The typical reverse flow backwash is pathetic!
I expect a $350 service call to replace ripped vanes. Going forward the proposition of switching out the DE filter for cartridge does not seem economical. However, I expect it will be 2-3 years before my old filter will need another service.
Any thoughts on this situation?
Thanks
Pete

DE filters filter best initially, but you would never notice a difference in water quality after a day or so. Look at your water in front of a light at night. Those are the "fines" that can't be caught by a pool filter. Regardless of type of filter, as long as it is working correctly, the water will all look the same.

Had a customer 30+ years ago that wanted to go to cartridge from DE. His wife was opposed, but he won the day. Got a call about two weeks later saying his wife had tested the water in her lab under a microscope. She was a bio-chemist and did this regularly. I was expecting to hear that they wanted to go back to DE. No, she said that she found "no appreciable difference in water quality."

DE, cartridge, sand, they all work very well. Its just a matter of preference (and sometimes the room available for the install).

 

[wayner]

Personally I like the never having to backwash aspect of cartridge filters. That also means you aren't dumping salt if you have a salt pool which will dilute your salt concentration over time.

 

[Mark Shvitz]

I got a cartridge filter. I don't really miss shooting a bushel of used DE all over my grass. I don't miss unscrewing 8 clamps and lifting a 50-pound lid off the housing. I don't miss getting DE all over my arm while SLOWLY adding it to the skimmer.

They say DE filters better, but if your pool is very, very clear, isn't that good enough? Works for me.