DE in a sand filter???

[Rangeball]

Every recommendation I've ever read said keep adding until you hit a 1 psi increase.

[CarlD]

Ok, OK, OK!!
I OFFICIALLY APOLOGIZE!

Al (Poconos) gets NO credit at all for the DE-in-the-Sand-Filter trick!

(even though he has been the Apostle for it! )

[faithfulfrank]

I added some more, and it is now 1 psi higher.
Now, I wait for the transition from clear and clean to sparkling!

Frank D.

[drband]

DE in my sand filter really works great... I just added about 1 cup total today and my pool cleared from slightly hazy to sparkling in 3-4 hours. (I had already shocked and cleaned it up... there was just some fine stuff suspended in the water that the sand filter would not catch.) I'm sold on this "trick." Thanks for all the posts, questions, and info.

[AndieP]

I went to Lowes today to get some DE for our filter and all they had was a 25pound bag....it was cheap $13... but now I'm wondering how well it keeps. Will it keep through the winter until next summer since I'm sure I won't use even 1/4 of it the rest of this summer? How should it be stored? Should I take it back and keep searching for a small size?

[drband]

Should keep indefinitely... just keep it dry so it won't clump up.

[gerri]

DE is actually little microscopic skeletons so it's good basically forever.

[gwrace1]

Zeolite seems to be the new 'miracle product' for pools. It has been used in aquarium filtration for years, primarily for it's ammonia scavaging ablility. In aquariums it has not proven to be a better mechanical filter than sand.

Carl, the trick with DE in a sand filter has been around for a long time. I first heard about it about 20 years ago from my neighbor with a pool (I didn't own a pool back then). He learned it from his pool service guy!

It's funny how whenever someone posts information about a product that is somewhat out of the norm the naysayers come out in great numbers. I'm speaking from actual experience in using the product.

Do the research & look at the test results. I think you will find that indeed Zeolite does provide equal to or better filtration properties than DE. It's less maint and is easier on the envionrment.

I have large aquariums but your talking about two completely different environments with different pump and filter equipment exposed to different elements under different conditions. Lets compare apples to apples.

All I can tell you is I've had no iron staining, algea or any other water treatment issues. I love my almost maint free pool.