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Filtration is very important for the health of
your pool and is the most important step involved in
cleaning your pool. On residential pools, there are three primary types of
filters. They are the sand filter, the cartridge filter and the
diatomaceous earth (DE) filter. There are pros and cons to each
filter and it’s important that you know which filter you have so it
can be maintained properly.
Sand Filters are the cheapest and probably
the simplest to clean. However, as far as filtration is concerned,
they are the least efficient. Filtration is measured in microns,
which is the size of debris that can pass through the filtration
system. A typical sand filter is approximately 40 microns, which is
pretty good. Ironically, the more debris caught in the filter, the
better it will filter. Eventually, of course, you will need to clean
the filter or your will damage your system. To clean a sand filter,
you must backwash your system. Do not attempt to do this unless you
know exactly what you are doing, otherwise, you may damage your pump
or other components.
Cartridge filters are comprised of a large
container that houses a filter that resembles an air filter in a
semi-truck. These filters are pretty efficient, able to filter
particle as small as 20 microns. However, cleaning is more time
consuming. To clean this filter, you must remove the cartridge and
spray it off with a hose. If the filter is especially dirty or is
saturated with lotions/chemicals, it may require a more thorough
cleaning. Soaking the filter in special chemicals over night may be
necessary.
Diatomaceous earth filters (DE) are
probably the best on the market. They are also the most expensive.
They can usually filter anywhere from 3 – 7 microns. The older style
DE filters are ‘finger type’ that had long narrow fingers that the
water passes through and the newer (more efficient) filter is called a
vertical grid. The DE filters work by coating a grid with
Diatomaceous earth (usually injecting into the system from the pool’s
skimmer). The DE product attaches to the grid creating a powerful
filtration media. To clean this filter, you can backwash the system
and then replace the appropriate amount of DE back into the system.
Sometimes it’s also necessary to clean the grid. |
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