Pea Gravel & Sand

[taheso1033]

Hello,

I have seen this question asked before, however I haven't seen a clear answer yet. I'm hoping someone can assist me here.

I want to replace the sand in my Pentair Triton II TR 24" sand filter. Pentair says it requires 75 lbs. of pea gravel & 250 lbs. of sand, but it also states 325 lbs. of "all sand".

What is the 325 lbs. of "all sand" referring to? Is it the total weight of pea gravel and sand, or is it the weight of sand to add if I don't want to use pea gravel.

If I am correct, pea gravel is not a requirement, but recommended. What benefit does pea gravel offer? What type of pea gravel should I purchase, and is there anything I should know when placing them into the filter?

My local pool store sells pea gravel, but I don't know the quality of it, or if quality even matters with pea gravel.

Local Pool Store Pea Gravel
Local Pool Store Sand (Low quality, like Quikrete?)
Ace Hardware HTH Sand

Thanks!

 

[JoyfulNoise]

It’s up to you. You either use 325bs of all sand OR you use 75lbs of pea gravel + 250lbs of pool sand. Always be mindful of the freeboard length … no matter how much material you add you want to ensure that you have the proper freeboard distance. Adding pea gravel can reduce the head loss of the filter but will also reduce filtration a bit (faster loading of the sand).

Pea gravel is a specific grade of smooth gravel with a narrow range of sizes mixed together. If you get a pool grade of pea gravel, it’s ok to use in pools. Same with sand. Use a good quality pool sand like HTH. I’d stay away from Quikcrete, it’s had issues in the past.

 

[ajw22]

Hello,

I have seen this question asked before, however I haven't seen a clear answer yet. I'm hoping someone can assist me here.

I want to replace the sand in my Pentair Triton II TR 24" sand filter. Pentair says it requires 75 lbs. of pea gravel & 250 lbs. of sand, but it also states 325 lbs. of "all sand".

What is the 325 lbs. of "all sand" referring to? Is it the total weight of pea gravel and sand, or is it the weight of sand to add if I don't want to use pea gravel.

75 lbs. of pea gravel & 250 lbs. of sand,

- or -

325 lbs. of "all sand".

If I am correct, pea gravel is not a requirement, but recommended. What benefit does pea gravel offer? What type of pea gravel should I purchase, and is there anything I should know when placing them into the filter?

My local pool store sells pea gravel, but I don't know the quality of it, or if quality even matters with pea gravel.

Local Pool Store Pea Gravel

Pea gravel is sometimes recommended in the larger filters to help support the laterals from the tremendous weight on the sand. In some applications it can also help prevent clogging and improve filtration in the filter.

Pea gravel is pea gravel.

Local Pool Store Sand (Low quality, like Quikrete?)
Ace Hardware HTH Sand

From Sand Filter Use and Care - Further Reading

The sand in a pool sand filter is #20 silica sand; 45 - 55 mm. A discussion about different qualities of pool sand can be found in My findings on how not all sand is created equal. Pool sand that is too fine with small particles will be blown out from the laterals.

Pentair uses US Silica Mystic White II sand for all of their testing. It may not be readily available at Ace/Home Depot though. In general, we recommend getting your pool sand from a pool supply store and not a hardware store as they are far more likely to stand behind what they sell than a big box store.

Be aware that members have had issues with Quiikrete Pool Sand. Members find that Quikrete Pool Sand is too fine and perceptibly heterogenous (i.e., not filtered to #20 specifically). It does not filter well and tends to blow back into the pool. A search in the Forum can provide more information about the issues.

Swimming Pool Sand filters generally use #20 silica sand which is approximately .40 to .55 mm.

If the slits in the laterals are a little bit large and the sand is a little bit small, then you can get some sand passing through the laterals.

MYSTIC WHITE II filter sand has three effective sizes, .49 mm, .65 mm or .80 mm.

MYSTIC WHITE® II .49

MYSTIC WHITE® II .65

MYSTIC WHITE® II .80

TFP recommends using pool sand. There is no need for an alternative media like glass.