New guy question Waterway vs Hayward

[mstng]

1hp superpump with bearing problems and sand filter 15 years old. Local store sells waterway systems and I am thinking of changing it all for cartridge filter. 20,000 gallon pool. Appreciate everyone's opinion.

[CarlD]

There are those who love their carts---and those who hate it! Cleaning the cartridge is like picking crabs. If you know the tricks it's pretty easy. If you don't it will drive you insane.

15 years out of a SuperPump before it needed bearings is pretty good! Has a sand filter been a problem for you?

[mas985]

For your size pool, I wouldn't get anything smaller than 325 sq-ft so you only need to clean it once a year.

[mstng]

Appreciate the responses. The pool is in Florida where It is screened in. No large debris but very fine particles like pollen and dirt that do not filter well. Rain over the screen also adds fine particles. I had a 1HP 2 speed hayward but the lower speed didn't do the job. The pump is 3 years old but I failed to run it when we had a recent freeze, thuis bearing squeal. I have to vacuum to waste often and waste a bit of water doing that. Curious if a cartridge will be easier and if the waterway brand has a decent reputation. I can get a 2hp dual speed and the filter for around 500.00 and may be better than buying a new pump and changing sand. The sand filter casing is also 15 years old. I know this may be a stretch and may think otherwise eventually but i am not turned off by the difficulty in cleaning the filter. Thanks for the help

[CarlD]

You might try some cheaper fixes first. One of the GREAT ways to control pollen is a simple skimmer sock. Frequently, in the spring, it will build up so thickly it looks like yellow spackle--you know, dry wall compound! The sock can be rinsed out and reused for up to a month and are pretty cheap. Gets dust, too, before it gets to your filter. They cost, roughly 4-6 for $10--that's good for 4-6 months!

You can also add a little DE to your filter, just enough (through the skimmer) to make the pressure increase by one pound...but in a sand filter, not a cart.

Why are you changing sand? Unless your sand is gummed up or you have to replace a lateral, you should never need to replace your sand. No reason a working sand filter can't run for 20 or 30 years.

[mstng]

Wow... I appreciate that insight. Didn't realize that the sand shouldn't be an issue. I do indeed know the spring pollen and it does build up thick. Never heard of a skimmer sock. Pardon my ignorance but what is DE?

I still have to invest another 300 plus for a pump. and with pump and filter at 500 it sounds tempting. But I am now thinking about another hayward, DE and a sock

Thanks again

[Watermom]

DE is diatomaceous earth which is the ground up fossilized remains of diatoms, tiny aquatic organisms. It is used as the filter media in DE filters among other uses. You can get it at a pool store and maybe at Lowe's or Home Depot, etc.

This thread may be helpful. (Until your registration is complete, you'll probably need to do a cut and paste and paste it in the URL of your browser window AFTER you log out to be able to get to it.)

http://www.poolforum.com/pf2/showthr...to-sand-filter

[CarlD]

A Skimmer Sock is just that: A stretchy "sock" that goes in your skimmer. "Skimmer Sock" is a brand, like "Band-Aid" but there are several brands. They are cheap and effective.

[PoolDoc]

Mstng,

You hurt yourself, by not giving your location. I just processed your registration, and if the geo-location IP info is correct, you are in the Pensacola area.

I don't like cartridge filters generally; I've seen them used on commercial pools and I have NEVER seen that work out well. Mark (mas985) has one on his home pool in California, and does like them.

But we both agree that they work much better on the west coast and in arid areas then they do in south-east with leaves, debris and thunderstorms. Unless your pool is screened or in the middle of a 500' x 500' parking lot, if you are in Florida, you probably do NOT want a cartridge filter.

DE filters can work well, but . . . they don't do algae! Live algae stops them up almost instantly. Sand filters are much more forgiving.