I bought the house 2 years ago and I am looking to upgrade the pool equipment in stages, as I can afford it. I am currently using a 10yr old (estimate) cartridge filter, I think that my first purchase will be a DE filter? Will I see any difference in using the DE over the cartridge? As in my daily testing or maintenance? Is it worth the money to upgrade to the DE or should I go for the variable speed pump first, to save money on electricity?
To De or not to De?
- Thread starter Niteowl
- Start date
VS pump makes more sense than a new filter unless the old filter has sprung a leak or something.
Any style filter will filter adequately. DE might filter best but not so you could see with the naked eye and they are also the most work to maintain.
If you do go for a pump and they are cutting pipes anyway, have a hose spigot installed in a tee in the pump outlet. Then if you need to lower water level due to rain or whatever, it's really easy. Screw on a garden hose and let 'er rip.
Any style filter will filter adequately. DE might filter best but not so you could see with the naked eye and they are also the most work to maintain.
If you do go for a pump and they are cutting pipes anyway, have a hose spigot installed in a tee in the pump outlet. Then if you need to lower water level due to rain or whatever, it's really easy. Screw on a garden hose and let 'er rip.
Owl,
I agree with Richard, a VS pump would be the first thing I would buy...
I have two rent houses that have DE filters, and I can't want until they die, so I can replace them with large cartridge filters..
What is your goal in switching to DE?? What is your current filter not doing?
I see you live in Florida, what I call the land of the dinky filters..
Thanks,
Jim R.
I agree with Richard, a VS pump would be the first thing I would buy...
I have two rent houses that have DE filters, and I can't want until they die, so I can replace them with large cartridge filters..
What is your goal in switching to DE?? What is your current filter not doing?
I see you live in Florida, what I call the land of the dinky filters..
Thanks,
Jim R.
I would go VS pump and a sand filter 
We love our sand filter, very little maintenance and slightly dirty improves it's performance! The only caveat, is needing the ability to backwash occassionaly, not all locations have that ability (we don't have to do it often though)
You have just need to size it for your pump (making sure it was at least big enough)... Our pool is not big enough for a VS, but I wish it was!
We love our sand filter, very little maintenance and slightly dirty improves it's performance!
The only caveat, is needing the ability to backwash occassionaly, not all locations have that ability (we don't have to do it often though)You have just need to size it for your pump (making sure it was at least big enough)... Our pool is not big enough for a VS, but I wish it was!
My current filter is working great, its just old. Everyone keeps telling me to go to DE filter, that its sooo much easier. You just pour some DE in your skimmer when it needs it and your done. By everyone, I mean the guy who came out and fixed my pump a year ago, the guy that just came out and ran all new pipes for me. Reading these comments makes it sound like the DE filter is not as easy as they are making it sound.
I had a pool at a house that I rented 6 years ago, that had a sand filter. I loved it, just backwash every now and then. When I started asking around about upgrading this one to a sand filter, I was told that noone uses those anymore. That the DE filter replaced those and are much easier to use. Sounds like I am getting bad info.I would go VS pump and a sand filter
We love our sand filter, very little maintenance and slightly dirty improves it's performance!
You have just need to size it for your pump (making sure it was at least big enough)... Our pool is not big enough for a VS, but I wish it was!
Have you checked out these articles:
www.troublefreepool.com
www.troublefreepool.com
Pool Filter Comparison
Your pool's filter is a vital part of your equipment pad. We'll take a look at each type of filter and list the pro's and con's of each.
www.troublefreepool.com
Maintenance and Cleaning of Pool Filters
Maintaining your swimming pool filter system is important. Learn how to clean and maintain your pool filter at low cost & enjoy a Trouble Free Pool.
www.troublefreepool.com
It's fairly easy but not NEARLY what your uninformed friends are telling you.
Is your pool caged? I would do cartridge for sure. Not caged? I would likely consider sand as my first choice.
You are definitely getting bad info. For easiest it's sand. You can backwash without ever getting your hands wet or even setting down your coffee. But the tradeoff is water loss, and salt and CYA too. Cartridge filters mean take apart and clean. Less water wasted, but you do get wet. DE filters means backwash, then mess around with DE. So all the disadvantages of a sand filter plus adding DE And once a year open it up and get really dirty cleaning the grids. Plus there is the disposal of the old DE to deal with. On my morning walks I can always tell who has just backwashed by the white crust in the gutter that ends by their driveway or gate. Could lead to a fine if anyone enforced the law.
If getting rid of 500 gallons of water will be a problem, stick with the cartridge.
I suspect your pool guy got a deal on some DE filters and is trying to move 'em.
If getting rid of 500 gallons of water will be a problem, stick with the cartridge.
I suspect your pool guy got a deal on some DE filters and is trying to move 'em.
Greats reads, thank you!!Have you checked out these articles:
Pool Filter Comparison
Your pool's filter is a vital part of your equipment pad. We'll take a look at each type of filter and list the pro's and con's of each.Maintenance and Cleaning of Pool Filters
Maintaining your swimming pool filter system is important. Learn how to clean and maintain your pool filter at low cost & enjoy a Trouble Free Pool.
The county that I live requires me to drain to the sewer outlet near my pump. I will have to look up the rules on putting DE down there. Everything I am reading here and those 2 links from splashpad make me want to stick with the cartridge filter, just maybe buy a new one thats a little bigger to go with the VS I will get. Thank you all soo much for the advice.
Same for the DFW area.. I wanted a DE filter, when I built a pool at my house, but had to get a cartridge because of the effort it would have taken to connect the DE filter to the sewer.. Now, 6 years later, I am so glad I went with a large cartridge filter... Simple plumbing and no multiport valve to turn or go bad, or DE to screw with.. Best unintentional decision I have made..
The bigger the filter, the less often you have to clean it. I could go a whole year between cleanings, but I can't help myself and clean it twice a year anyway..
Thanks,
Jim R.
Is there a good resource to help me pick a pump? I did a quick search here on TFP and it looks like a VS won't save me much at only 8.4k gallons? that I should go with a 2-speed instead and run it on the lower speed for routine circulation, then maybe the higher speed for suction side vacuuming? If so, I need to figure out the HP that I need, if there is a good site to do that.
For an 8k pool a 2-speed 1 hp pump would be my choice. Lot's of up front savings over a VS and then electrical savings that will match a VS when you run on low.
Do you have a suggestion on one? I just took a quick look through PAP and Inyopools, some have a switch built onto it to switch it manually, other say that you need to buy a different timer to switch the speed. Some say that you can't prime it on the lower speed, does that mean that if I have it set to run 8 hours through my timer, on the lower speed, that I need to switch it to the higher speed before the timer turns it back on? Doesn't it prime everytime it starts?
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The time is coming soon that I am going to pull the trigger on the new pump, I will be buying it the first week in July. PAP is having a 15% off sale on pumps right now, but it only lasts until tomorrow. I might be able to scrape the money together to get it by tomorrow, but still not sure what to get. I really like the gadgets that come with the VS (being a tech guy). Is there any downside to buying a VS with only an 8.4k pool, aside from price?
I have a DE filter and love it. I never have to backwash. When the pressure rises, I bump the handle a few times, and I'm done. We do have a shorter pool season up north.
Owl,
You cannot buy too big of a VS pump.. They really should be called Variable Horsepower pumps.. You just dial the pump to match your pool..
The bigger the pump, the slower you can run it and still move the same amount of water..
I have a 3 HP IntelliFlo pump that run 248/7 at 1200 RPM most of the time and it costs me less than $20 bucks a month.
Thanks,
Jim R.
You cannot buy too big of a VS pump.. They really should be called Variable Horsepower pumps.. You just dial the pump to match your pool..
The bigger the pump, the slower you can run it and still move the same amount of water..
I have a 3 HP IntelliFlo pump that run 248/7 at 1200 RPM most of the time and it costs me less than $20 bucks a month.
Thanks,
Jim R.
My current pump is not strong enough to run my new suction side vac. So if I get a bigger VS I could set it at a lower rpm for daily running, then pump it up to run the vac? Does it allow you to set it from the phone?
DanF
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@Niteowl the way my 2-speed pump works is...if I set the timer to have the pump run on "low" speed first, it powers on at "high"speed first (for 5 minutes) then dials back to "low" automatically.
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