Cartridges are for Video Games and went obsolete 20 years ago!
What filter should you get? Ask yourself these questions:
- Would you like your water as clean as possible?
- Would you like to not have to disassemble your filter?
- Would you like the easiest way to clean your filter?
The answer to these questions is DE (Diatomaceous Earth) Pool Filters and why we recommend them. Honestly we cannot figure out why any other filters are installed other than for initial cost or to generate repeat purchasing of cartridges. In DE Pool Filters, The DE powder is mixed into the filter and coats a filter “grid”, which then collects particles when your pool water is run through the filter. This powder is much finer than sand or cartridge media. Therefore, a DE pool filter can filter out the smallest particles, down to 2-5 microns. Sand filters get somewhere between 20-100 microns and cartridges capture 10-15 microns. That means that DE filters provide up to 50X TIMES more filtration than sand and 7.5X TIMES more filtration than a cartridge. For us, the choice is simple.
- DE (Diatomaceous Earth) filters 2-5 microns
- Glass Media (in a Sand Filter) will filter 5-10 microns
- Cartridges filter 10-15 microns
- Sand filters about 20-100 microns
Maintaining a DE filter is just a simple backwash procedure outlined here. DE filter powder is also very inexpensive so they pay for themselves in a very short amount of time compared to cartridges. We carry Pentair D.E. and Pro-Grid Filters from Hayward. You will see a water quality difference if you choose this type of filter and have had a cartridge or sand filter on your pool. The water will be clearer and some even describe it as being polished!
Glass Media in a Sand Filter
If you have a sand filter and do not want to replace your filter, Glass Filter Media is a great option. We still like DE better, but Glass will filter down to roughly 5-10 microns.
Sand media needs to be changed out every 3-5 years depending on the water and debris load that is going through the filter. Glass media lasts about 2-3 times as long as sand filter media.
When you do switch to a DE filter
Because a new DE filter will remove so much more debris from your water, you may need to strip and clean it in the first few weeks. It can clog and cause some high pressure in your system quickly when you first make the switch because it is doing it’s job removing all the things your other filter did not!
Every filter needs disassembled and stripped and cleaned eventually. Unlike a cartridge filter which you could be doing weekly, a DE filter should typically only need this once or twice each season. We also provide this service as well.