Sand Vs. Cartridge Filter Systems

[tnt69]

I'm getting ready to buy an above ground pool & see most have sand filter systems. One of the pools we like the most has a Cartridge filter system by Waterway. Is one system preferred over the other & why? The pool is a 21x43 ft. 54" tall.

[Watermom]

Hi tnt69 and welcome to the Pool Forum! Sand filters are by far the easiest to maintain. All it takes is a couple of turns of the handle on the multiport valve to backwash and 2 minutes later you are done. They don't filter quite as small of particles, but they certainly do an adequate job. I have a sand filter and I don't think my water could be any clearer.

DE filters do have the best filtration, but every time you backwash this type of filter, you have to add more DE. And, occasionally you have to disassemble the thing and really clean it well, something you never have to do with a sand filter.

Cartridges also filter well but are a real pain in the you-know-what to clean. It is a messy job.

I might also add that many of us with sand filters have a little trick to help them filter about as well as a DE filter. We add just a small amount of DE to the filter and it helps it catch smaller particles.

There have been many previous threads discussing types of filters. Use the search feature in my signature below. It is much better than the search feature on the forum's software. You will have to log out to be able to see the result threads but once your registration is complete, that will no longer be necessary.

Hope this helps some.