There are various filters being sold for maintaining swimming pools. Prior to buying one, it is important that you know what you are buying and if it can be useful for your pool. The various pool filters you can choose from would include the types:
- Cartridge Pool Filter System
- Sand Pool Filter System
- DE or Diatomaceous Earth Pool Filter System
Once the sand filter becomes flooded with pool debris, pressure towards the filter actually increases allowing the water flow to drop. To be able to clean this sand filter, you only need to have run in reverse and then have the so-called “waste water” dumped. This is called “backwashing of the filter”. After this process of “backwashing”, you will then move towards the rinsing mode. This will automatically repack the sand back towards the filter. Although this is a time consuming task, this should be done every couple of weeks, manually.
Many believe that having a backwash valve seem like very inefficient equipment for the pool system. With regards to the filtering those in particle sizes, the smaller particles can really go back to the pool. Thus, once the sand gets really dirty, you can easily replace this at a very inexpensive price.
Cartridge Pool Filters are also considered the economically low maintenance type of filter. This is because water passes via a filter which has the capacity to capture debris. These water filters are similar to the ones under the sink. Unlike sand filters, cartridge filters have more space. Several types would start at around 100 square feet. The ones being sold are usually much bigger than 300 square feet. This means, they won’t clog up that easily.
In general, there are two cartridge filter types of. The initial case would pertain to the elements of the filter that are quite inexpensive to have replaced. In this case, there is a tendency that the quality is not the good that it doesn’t last that long. However, the filters that possess expensive elements can last for more than 5 years. Anyhow, amidst the differences of the two, both cases still project that cartridge filters are basically designed to actually run at an even lower pressure as compared to sand. This enables a lesser “back-pressure” towards the pump. This allows you to get more turnover and flow for a pump-sized equivalent.
With this type of pool filter, it needs to be cleaned even once per season. You can accomplish this, without requiring touching them by just having them hosed off. When it comes to filtering particle sizes, cartridge is more effective than sand.
Lastly, DE or Diatomaceous Earth Pool Filter System is also regarded as the “water polisher”. This Diatomaceous Earth is actually tiny diatoms’ fossilized exoskeletons. They are being used for coating “grid” at the housing of the filter. In order to remove debris, they would act like tiny sieves. These are actually very small that they can filter even 5 micron type of articles. The most common size for this would be approximately 60 up to 70 square feet.
When the pressure of the filter rises, this filter will be back washed similar to the sand filter. Subsequent to this, it will become “recharged” with a lot of DE powder. It will then be poured onto a lurry and right into the so-called skimmer. With this, the filter grids are being coated. It is indicated that as compared to cartridge, DE filters actually run during higher pressures which leads to flow loss and inefficiency.