A sand pool filter is the most popular form of pool filtration and the most widely used among pool owners and professionals. This is due mainly because of their versatility and ease of use. They use sand to filter dirt and debris from your pool and reduces particulate down to 40 microns in size. Although not as efficient as de filters or cartridge filters they do a decent job of filtering while being affordable and low maintenance.
Sand water filters are ideal for home swimming pools as well as pools that get used more frequently, such as a public pool in an apartment or a community centre pool. They are more practical in a heavily used pool because of the easy maintenance and longevity of the sand. Once the sand is backwashed it is almost as good as new and this process can be done several times.
A sand pool filter is ideal for salt water pool systems - the salt content of the water can actually increase the longevity of the filter sand. Another option is to use a product called zeosand instead of regular sand to improve filtration.
With average use of your pool, you will need to run a backwash every week or two when your pool begins to show signs of cloudiness or murkiness. Another indicator is if the pressure rises to 5 – 10 lbs above normal, this is an indicative that there is too much debris obstructing the flow of water through the filter. If a backwash is required more frequent that normal - usually less than a week, you should consider changing the sand.
Changing the sand is relatively simple and can be done without the help of a professional. If you use your pool on a regular basis your sand should last between 3 - 5 years. If you are a do-it-yourself type of person be sure to check out our pool sand filter maintenance page that will walk you through step by step how to clean and change the sand.
A sand filter is the most cost effective and easy to use filter available on the market. The affordability of sand and the low cost to maintain are two of the main advantages. The main downside is the lower quality of filtration but most swimming pool owners are more than satisfied with the filtration provided by a sand filter. If filtration quality is important you could consider zeolite filter media (zeosand) as a replacement for regular sand. You can achieve DE quality filtration by simply replacing your sand with zeosand using your existing sand filter.
A sand pool filter will get the job done. They are simple in design and because of that they tend to last a long time and rarely need to be repaired. A great choice for most pool owners and you won't be disappointed.
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