Sand Filter or Cartridge?? Which is better?

[waterbear]

I'm surprised no has mentioned one of the other favorites in this never-ending debate: Sand filter with zeolite filter medium. The ease of maintening a sand filter with a filtering capability that's better than a cartridge and maybe even better than DE. Can't be beat, right?
If you really believe all the manufacturer's hype then PLEASE come into the pool store where I work part time and let me sell you some dual action Pace 3" tri-chlor that will keep algae from your pool and make your life simpler along with some sodium hydrogen carbonate for adjusting your TA ...it's better for your pool than baking soda! (those comments ARE 'tounge in cheek'!)
(Patiently awaiting post describing arduous zeolite "renewal" procedure that must be performed annually but that no one who actually has this system seems to worry about.)

Zeolite is great for ammonia scavaging and will probably help to keep choramines down (if you are not using a SWG) but I don't believe it's filtering abiltiy is going to be much better than sand. Yes, it is porous like DE and the pores have a small micron size but the grains are about the same as sand; and water (and the dirt in it) is going to take the 'path of least resistance' which means it will go around the zeolite grains and not through it. DE on the other hand, has a very tiny particle size and when the slurry of DE and water coats the grid, even though the coating is not that thick it is made of of layers and layers of DE the path of least resistance will be throught the porous DE which is what makes it such an excellent filter medium. Even if the water passed around the DE grain it is so tiny that the space between grains is extremely small also.
Actually,I have read through Zeobrites regeneration instructions on their website and they are really no worse than sand cleaning or cartridge soaking (which many cartridge and sand owners don't worry about either!) and is probably only a yearly procedure also. The biggest difference between zeolite and sand its that while sand is only a mechanical filter medium, zeolite is both a mechanical AND chemical filter medium. People have been using it in fresh water aquariums for years now for these very reasons.

[huskerfan]

I love my DE filter! Ya it takes an extra 5 minutes to mix the DE powder with the water... but you'll save much more time by not having to backwash as often. I don't believe in "bumping" it either, it's doing it's job, if the guage reads it needs cleaned, clean it.

I'm a little confused - everyone's trying to get DE filtering quality out of your sand and cartrige filters, why not just use a DE filter?? Our local pool stores totally hate and advised against using a DE filter in our state as we have a high iron issue in our water. I can honestly say that that is even more reason to use a DE filter too! There are a few local people struggling to get the iron filtered out of their pools with their sand filters that the local pool store advised them to get, and have rustish brown water while mine is crystal clear. Take care to not inhale DE by all means, but I'd much rather add my DE powder than my muratic acid!

All boils down to personal preference- a crystal clear pool is a crystal clear pool no matter which way it's achieved!

[huskerfan]

By cleaning it - I mean backwashing it. I think it's overkill to tear it down and clean it each time to me.

[matt4x4]

Poconos has the right idea - he was the reason I started messing around with DE last year.
Zeolite, zeobrite or zeo anything IS a little better than sand because of the shape of the particles, however, it is not as good as DE, I have zeosomething in mine, but also use DE to "micro filter" and the difference is like night and day!
Before I started adding DE, I could vac my pool all day without backwashing, however, I did notice that after about 25% of the pool was vac'd, you could see the fine dirt pushing back in the return (we have nothing but clay - so the dust in our area is VERY fine).
Once I added DE, after 25% of the pool, I barely had any flow left on the return, so I only do about 10% of the pool at a time if it's really dirty now.
I basically discovered and tested all this during last year's spring cleanup.
Being in the country, I can't vac to waste because we do not have an endless water source, so I have to filter and backwash.
And backwashing with DE really shows just how much dirt the DE collects for you - just amazing, and a really cheap additive to any sand filter.

[Billd60]

Should sand be replaced? My pool store tells me it should be, but it seems a little crazy to me. Can the sand develop open channels which hinder the filtering? My filter is acting a little funky and small amount of sand is making it's way back into the pool.

[roxy]

Carl,
Can you please give me some info on the "skimmer socks", this is the first I have heard of them.
Thanks.

[CarlD]

I see a lot of pool stores have "skimmer socks", or the same thing by another name. They are a filtering bag with an elastic edge that goes into your skimmer basket like a coffee filter goes into a Mr. Coffee, and hooks over the edge. It catches lots of fine stuff that normally would flow thru to the filter itself. You pull it out and rinse it when it gets dirty, replace it when it's worn out. You get 3 to 5 in a package for about $5.

That's it!

[ivyleager]

I tried out a skimmer sock yesterday and was amazed at the goop it did indeed catch, and only after about 3 hours. I will continue to use it, as well as possibly adding some DE to my sand filter.

CaryB

[roxy]

Thanks....I will look for them.

[gordyjamz]

Ok here's my opinion so far reguarding sand. If you don't minda slight haze to your water, I suppose its ok. I'm looking to buy a cartridge. Why you ask, I'll tell ya. We bought our house last year with this pool already here. after two weeks the filter was leaking from the backwash pipe. Needed a new spider gasket. Only 12 bucks at the pool store. OK So I put a new one in, worked fine for the rest of the season. This year it was fine till a few days ago. Guess what its leaking again. It's a hayward swimpro. The guy who sold me the house said he just replaced the sand the year prior(2004). Everyone says the sand should be good for up to 6 years? Well I don't know what to believe. water's hazy. I must say I think i fell for something, because common sense told me " how can water be filtered from sand?" I am still a rather new pool owner who is getting well experienced with addressing problems with algae, filters. etc. And my experience so far is telling me to get rid of the sand filter. Sounds like cartridge is a WHOLE lot easier to maintain. Who can argue with hosing off a filter once a month(10 minutes?), buying a new filter cart. every, what 2 years? versus backwashing, leaking, repairs and such. I may stay away from Hayward too considering the problems with their product. One question I do have for cartridge owners is what size do I get? I have an AG pool 4 1/2 ft, 27 ft diameter round. Hayward 1 1/2 hp pump, 70GPM. Do you also recommend a certain brand other than hayward?