What is it, what does it do and how do I use it? Part 4: Filter

There are different types of pool filters, each having its own advantages and disadvantages. I’ve found that filter ‘popularity’ is usually based on region. For example, the popular filter in Florida seems to be D.E. where in Canada the popular filter is sand. My preference is cartridge. They all do a great job at keeping our pool water clean and clear so lets discuss the difference. First off, filters remove insoluble materials from our pool water. This provides clean and clear water in our swimming pools. Anything smaller than 40 microns is outside our range of vision so we are talking about some really small stuff! Sand filters remove down to 20 microns, Cartridge filters down to 15 microns and DE filters down to 4 microns. This begs the question ‘why arent we all using DE?’. Well, these filters are much harder to use than the other filter systems since you have to properly add the DE powder for proper results. You also should be using breathing gear when adding and backwashing. Sand filters are the popular systems for residential pools: good filtration, easy to use and very low maintenance. Since they filter below our limit of vision, they provide good quality water. Both DE and sand filters must be cleaned by backwashing which makes them expensive to operate. When you backwash, you are using the swimming pool water to clean the filter. You bought the water, paid for the chemicals that are in it, paid to heat that water for use and after backwashing you have to pay for more water, more chemicals and more heat! EXPENSIVE. The last filter on the list is a cartridge system. These filter a bit better than sand but not as well as DE but that is ok since its well below our limit of vision. I like and use a cartridge system for my pool. Living in the country on a well, water is not always abundant (we had a dry summer this year and wells in my area were running dry!). This is where a cartridge system wins the prize. they are not cleaned with the pool water so no balancing is needed after the process. You simply remove the element, hose off the large debris, degrease and re-install them! This provides an efficient use of water and less waste.

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