Swimming Pool Water Filtering

Checking your filter

There is a very easy way to determine whether the filter needs attention: Check the flow of water from the retun jets. If the return flow is strong and steady, the filter is fine. If the return flow is weak and sluggish, it's time to tend to the filter. Filters are equipped with pressure gauges, but these gauges are notoriously innaccurate. As a very general rule of thumb, a rise in pressure of 8 to 10 pounds above normal operating pressure indicates that the filter requires service.

Diatomaceous Earth (DE) filters use a powder called diatomaceous earth to strain out impurities. Diatomaceous Earth is a fine powder, made from the pulverized fossils of aquatic plants. This product is very inexpensive, and readily available at home and garden centers. Each time you backwash a DE filter, you flush both accumulated dirt and debris and spent DE from the filter cannister. FRESH DE MUST BE ADDED AFTER EACH BACKWASHING! Failure to replaenish the cannister with fresh DE can cause severe damage to the internal elements of the filter.

There is a simple formula to figure out how much DE should be added to your filter. First, determine the size of your filter. Filter size is determined by the square feet of filtration area inside the filter cannister. This number is found on a specifications plate on the front of the cannister. (Most filters carry a filtration area of 36, 48, 60, or 72 square feet.) Using a one-pound coffee can, add one can of DE for every 5 square feet of filtration area. It's OK to round off to the nearest multiple of 5; the filter won't mind a tiny bit of extra DE, and after all, this is your swimming pool, not the SATs. A 48 square foot filter requires 10 cans of DE. A 36 square foot filter will function effectively on 7 cans.

Even with regular backwashing, DE filters get grimy with time. It's a good idea to have your filter dismantled and cleaned at least once a year. This affords an opportunity to check internal elements for wear, and to ensure that the filter is working at peak efficiency.

For those of you with cartridge filters, you can improve your filtering efficiency up to 50% by adding 2 coffee cans worth of Diatomaceous Earth to your filter. This is accomplished by adding the DE through the skimmer with the pump on, and stirring it in the skimmer until it is totally dissolved. Each time you hose down the filter cartridges, you'll have to replenish the DE. Even with DE coating the cartridges, it's perfectly safe to hose down the filter elements on your lawn. DE is safe for grass and plants, and as a valuable side benefit, it is an extremely effective snail killer!

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Sand Filters:

The outside of this type of filter is usually made out of fiberglass or stainless steel, and it is partially filled with silica sand. As water circulates from the pool through the filter, water enters at the top and percolates downward, leaving most of the oils, debris, and other impurities trapped in the sand, thus allowing clean water to return to the pool.

The filter is usually backwashed once per week, a process which reverses the flow of water through the filter. This lifts most of the contaminants from the sand and washes them out the backwash line, along with a volume of water. Eventually the filter becomes overburdened from minerals in the water and from the volume of debris (dirt, dead algae and bacteria, etc.) remaining in the sand, causing the sand to be hard and compacted. This reduces water flow throughout the system, and can cause cloudy water, poor heater operation, and increased wear and tear on the pump. Approximately every 3 to 5 years the old sand will need to be removed, and new sand added. If the pool is painted, the sand may need to be changed annually.

The efficiency of the sand filter, as measured by the largest-sized particle that can pass through it without being caught, is 40-50 microns. (A micron is a millionth of a meter.) In the past, more sand filters have been installed in some areas because of the supposed "ease of use" for the pool owner, but drawbacks of the sand filter include:

• Longer hours of operation are required to properly filter the pool water
• Filtration efficiency (compared to other types of filters) is inferior, especially in hot climates
• Higher chlorine levels are usually required on pools with sand filters to help reduce the risk of the pool water turning green
• Because of frequent high-flow backwashing, this type of filter wastes more water
• Since homeowners rarely see the inside of the filter, and since the sand usually lasts for years, maintenance on sand filters is frequently neglected

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Cartridge Filters:

Cartridge filters come in various sizes and shapes. Most of the filter canisters (or tanks) are stainless steel, but some are made of a hard plastic or fiberglass. There may be as few as one or as many as fifteen or more cartridge elements inside a cartridge filter. The cartridge elements are cylindrical, and made of a paper-like fiber. As the water passes through the elements, impurities are collected on the element material. Cartridges remove smaller debris from the water than sand; its micron rating is about 20 microns. This filter is cleaned about once a week by removing the elements from the canister and hosing it off using a high pressure nozzle.

Drawbacks for the cartridge filter include:

• Most cartridge filters are for smaller pools and spas containing approximately 12,000 gallons of water or less
• There is no mechanical method for backwashing these filters - it must be done by manually disassembling the filter and hosing it off weekly
• The cartridge elements need to be replaced as they become old and worn: about every 2 years, which can be expensive, depending on the size, style and brand of cartridge
• Pools with cartridge filters tend to develop high dissolved solids levels (TDS) faster than sand or D.E. filters, because there is no water removal via backwashing.

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D.E. Filters:

(Diatomaceons Earth) Filter

The majority of D.E. filters are made of stainless steel, with a few being made of fiberglass. The elements inside consist of a series of plastic grids covered with a cheesecloth-like fabric. A white powder, known as D.E., is added through the skimmer and mixes with the water as it heads toward the filter. As the water passes through the filter, the D.E. powder coats the outside of the elements. This coating traps microscopic impurities which cannot be trapped by sand or cartridge filters, and therefore provides better water clarity in the pool. The efficiency rating of a D.E. filter is about 3 microns. This means you can filter anywhere from 15% to 50% less per day, which results in reduced electric bills, and extended motor life.

Especially in drought areas, D.E. filters are most commonly recommended and installed because of the lower water requirements for cleaning (compared to the sand filter).

Drawbacks for the D.E. Filter:

• To clean this type of filter, the filter must be taken apart in order to hose the elements off with water. Each time you backwash, or clean the grids, you need to re-charge the filter by adding two to four pounds ofthe D.E. powder (which is very inexpensive) through the skimmer. However, since modern D.E. filters can go as long as 6 months to a year between cleanings, this is not much of a drawback! Older D.E. filters are usually cleaned quarterly.

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If you pose the questions at the start of this bulletin to someone who doesn't regularly maintain swimming pools, you might receive a wide range and variety of answers. But if you ask a trained service technician who services pools daily, and who is responsible for the cleanliness of your pool and the clarity of the water, you will consistently hear the same answer: D.E. filters (Diatomaceous Earth) are the best! If your filter is working fine, there is obviously no need to replace it, but if you are faced with the need to install a new filter or replace an old one, please consider the following points:

• All three types of filters are used within the pool industry. The warmer the pool water becomes, the more efficient the filter needs to be. Sand and cartridge filters work best in cooler climates, but in the western states, where pool water temperatures often reach the 90's, they aren't nearly as effective as D.E. filters.
• The cost differences between the sand and D.E. filters are minimal, with cartridge filters being the least expensive. If you are looking for dollar value without headaches, the D.E. filter will give you that and more!
• A D.E. filter requires less time and effort to maintain in optimum working condition. Although most problems experienced by sand and cartridge filter owners are caused by improper maintenance, even a perfectly maintained cartridge or sand filter cannot match the efficiency ofa D.E. filter.
• As measured by the size of particle it can remove, a D.E. filter is 7 times more efficient than a cartridge filter, and 15 times more efficient than a sand filter.
• A D.E. filter is the best choice for those who must keep the pool clean and clear, for those who swim in the water, and for those who enjoy the look of sparkling, crystal clear water in their backyard pool.

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