newbie here.....filter is toast.....which filter should we get?

[cathicool]

Long story short.....we bought a house 8 months ago with a large inground "L" shaped pool. 18x42 with 18x20 L, so approx. 47,000 gals (it's multilevel). We knew we were going to convert the pool to saltwater this year, but replacing the liner and pump were surprises to us. but we contracted with a pool company and are waiting for the liner to come in.

turns out the filter (and the oil heater!) is also not working. so we need a new filter. apparently the Hayward multiport is ok. the current filter is a Hayward DE- 4800. the pool company suggests going with a Hayward quad cartridge filter for easier maintenance (C7030) or if I want to stay with DE, the Hayward 7220. I asked about the Pentair quad DE 100, but the pool company is "pro-Hayward" and said they aren't familiar with Pentair products- they could get it, but strongly suggest we stick with Hayward. the pump will be a Hayward tristar VS and the salt system will be Hayward PL-4 Plus with 2 salt cells (40k gallons each).

we had a pool at our last house- semi-inground, 16k gallons that had a Hayward DE perflex filter. so I have some idea on the backwashing with the DE.

which filter is the best choice?
we will go heaterless this swim season......

thanks! need to make my decision ASAP!

[PoolDoc]

By all reports I've heard, the Perflex is not a bad filter, but finicky to work on. I think some of the newer filters are easier.

Both filters you are looking at are 'over-sized' for your pool, which is a VERY good thing, and they are roughly equivalent in capacity. Here's some comparison data.

Cartridge => Hayward C7030 725 Square Feet SwimClear Reusable Cartridge Filter @ Amazon
Hayward CX591XRE Replacement Cartridge @ Amazon
Hayward product page

PRO:
+ very little water used to clean
+ very little debris (just dirty water)
+ moderately good filtration.
+ will work with algae in the pool.
+ cycling pump on/off has no effect on filtration

CON
- subject to pleat collapse if the filter is allowed to get dirty (3 psi pressure increase)
- expensive routine replacement cartridges ($250+ for C7030)
- more expensive filter, than equivalent DE filter.
- cleaning is a 'you get FILTHY' process.
- works best with light loads and few swimmers (not much lotion, etc.)


DE => Hayward Pro-Grid Vertical DE7220 DE Filter @ Amazon
Hayward product page


PRO
+ excellent filtration; clears water faster than any other filter.
+ more tolerant of over-pressure (under-cleaning!) than cartridge
+ lower maintenance cost ($50 DE filter powder / year)
+ filter costs less than cartridge system
+ works well with high dirt / high swimmer load, including parties
+ removes bacteria and algae spores from water.

CON
- backwashing discharges dirty water + DE in 200+ gallons of water.
- live algae stops filter up almost instantly.
- multiport valve needed for easy operation.
- annual disassembly and internal cleaning needed.

[cathicool]

thank you!! I am thinking I will go with the DE filter. Unfortunately, the pool company I have a contract with to replace the liner (loop-loc brand) and install the SWG and the slide and a new pump (written on the contract as a Tristar VS, but can upgrade it to the Ecostar VS for +$200) is charging me $75 less for the DE filter vs. the cartridge filter. I really do not want to add a 2nd pool company into the mix to do the filter install.

The C7030 looks like it uses 8 cartridges, so that is really one of the biggest things that is making me think I will just do the DE 7220. The previous setup was a DE (4800) filter and it had a multiport that is still in good condition, so I will be using it and not have to purchase one at this moment.

Do you think I am fine with the tristar vs or upgrade to the ecostar vs for +$200?

thank you!!!!

[JimK]

I vote for DE.

I've been using a Hayward Pro Grid 6020 for my 20k gal pool for over 10 years and have been very happy with it's performance. Normally I can go all summer on a single charge, so annual DE costs are next to nothing. In the fall I take it apart and give it a thorough cleaning, not exactly fun but not a big deal IMO.

[PoolDoc]

Thanks for the input, Jim. Hands on information is always valuable. I wouldn't have anticipated being able to run all summer on a single DE charge.

[cathicool]

wow! All summer JimK? That's great! I am going to go with the DE. I've had it before and I like the clarity of the water.....and after reading PoolDocs input and seeing a few youtube videos, the cartridge filter seems like it will be a big PITA to me. Sometimes the bear you know.......

so last question.....
Do you think I am fine with the tristar vs or upgrade to the ecostar vs for +$200?


thank you all for such valuable help!

[PoolDoc]

Mark (mas985) might know, but I don't and couldn't find any useful info on the Ecostar vs the Tristar. The only clear difference I found was that the controller on the Ecostar could be rotated.

[JimK]

Thanks for the input, Jim. Hands on information is always valuable. I wouldn't have anticipated being able to run all summer on a single DE charge.

I think there's a few things that contribute to going so long on a single charge. First, keeping up with pool maintenance so it doesn't get so dirty and you avoid algae. Also, with only two of us here, bather load is low. I think most significantly was getting an oversized filter (the dealer recommend this and I'm glad he did!).

[mas985]

Do you think I am fine with the tristar vs or upgrade to the ecostar vs for +$200?

The EcoStar is a bit more efficient than the TriStar (~15%). Other than that, they are fairly similar.

[cathicool]

so now the multiport has to be replaced as well if I do DE- (for an additional $200)! my multiport only is for 1.5" piping as is all the pool piping. the new filter (DE or cartridge) and new tristar pump are both 2" piping. the pool company said they sell 90% cartridge, 10% DE filters and the cartridge filters today are excellent.

ugh....my head is spinning.