I agree with these recommendations almost 100%!

I have to disagree with one item, cartridge filters. As I have often stated I am a fan and have one on my own pool. The Pentair Clean and Clear are excellent. The trick with a cart filter is to make sure you oversize it for the size of your pool so your mean time between cleanings is at least monthly or longer,otherwise you will be cleaning it weekly and that is not a pleasant chore.

Then again, I do not believe in backwashing a DE filter but in breaking it down when it needs cleaning and that is more work than a cart any day. The problem with backwashing is you never really know how much DE you have washed out and it is way too easy to over or under charge the filter. Overcharged filters cause DE to bridge the DE can become rock hard when you finally break the filter down, making the grids difficult to clean to say the least. Undercharged filters cause the grids to foul, necessitating breaking down the filter to clean the grids.

There are also "bump" DE filters which I have never understood. You "bump" the dirt covered DE off the filter so the dirt and DE can mix then RECOAT THE FINGERS WITH DIRTY DE?! You are now filtering with a mixture of dirt and DE. What am I missing here? If you want a clean filter you have to break it down, no?