I do this every year at the opening of my pool and I'm always amazed at how much junk comes out from the previous season, despite the fact that I use skimmer basket socks and clean out my pump strainer basket every few days, and even after I backwash for about 10 hours straight at the end of the season to bring my vinyl liner pool water level down below the return jets to winterize it. I never thought of using the backwash mode, except I think I'm going to have to stick to garden hose mode because of the fact that I do this prior to opening my pool, as the water is still icky and the system is not primed, up and running at that point. Maybe I should do this at the end of the season...hmmmm.
you prolly dont care but if you're bored like me during the covid times then you can watch all of the latest movies on instaflixxer. I've been binge watching with my brother for the last few months :)
I just changed the sand in my filter yesterday. All 500lbs of it, one scoop at a time. It probably took me about an hour. Then I pulled the filter housing out into my backyard, hosed it out, put it back and filled it back up. Altogether, an afternoon’s work. My advice is, don’t remove the drain cap on the bottom. Almost nothing will come out of it and I ended up damaging a thread trying to remove the inner threaded screen. So I had to make a thicker gasket for the cap and use heavy duty Teflon tape on the threads to get it to reseal. The old sand was NASTY, so replace ALL of it! It looks like a daunting project, but it’s really pretty easy. Sand filters are also VERY low maintenance compared to cartridge or DE filters. Just my 2¢ worth…
Genius video. The other way is to use a hose to do it but takes way longer, this way is a great idea! What psi do you run the pump at while doing this? I assume not the full 3400rpm. I wish you'd explain the vacuum tip some more... Do you just hookup a shop vac to the elbow? Do you turn the backwash on when vacuuming it out? And the DE in a sand filter is a rarely known tip that makes an amazing difference.
I have struggled with mustard algae for years and nothing catches it. Do you think the D.E. directly into the sand filter this will work. Can your put algaecide or shock directly into the sand.
If the water coming out of my sand filter flows downhill a bit and washes over my electric pentair whisperflo pool pump, will I get shocked when I put my hand down into the sand filter like you did in this video?
SPS, i thought the sand filter works better if its more dirty? I mean, some people tend to backwash it daily or every other day...it allows better water flow, yes, but based on my own experience (our sand filter and friends' sand filters) they work better, they filter better if they are more dirty. Sure there is a limit to it, so i am not saying it "never" needs backwash, but isn't this kind of cleaning lessen effectiveness?
So that is diatomaceous earth. If you add a couple pounds to your sand filter it will help the filter catch smaller particles. Careful though, it comes at the expense of a reduced filtration rate (less water circulates) and doing this too often can be hard on the pump, plumbing, and filter. To get rid of it out of your filter, just backwash.
@@SwimmingPoolAZ-SPS Oh okay. Sounds like something one adds with me sand. Can I maybe skip the DE and rather do 70% spillover? Leave water somewhat cloudy which means it retains some old fine particles
Fuck "Vince". I backwash my filter onto my lawn with no waste hose routinely and, if anything, that part of the lawn grows faster and more fuller. If pool water had a negative effect on grass, everyone with an above-ground pool would have a big ring of dead grass around their pool where splash-out occurs.
I don’t know about residential pools but I did maintenance at a hotel for 9+ years and there was a “spider valve” with a back wash and rinse option along with others.
Why doesn't back washing do a good enough job ? I have a 1.5 hp pump going into a 28" filter. It seems as though its a pretty violent action. My filter is in a garage so I cant use your method .
Since you don't add much, when you backwash and rinse the sand filter, most of it will be washed out. I wouldn't do it every week. It helps when the sand is old and just needs a little help filtering to catch smaller microns and to assist in keeping the water clear.
Or you could just replace your sand and to vacuum to waste put a three way valve in between the pump and filter so you can divert it to drain. Much easier
Replacing sand is expensive to hire it done, and not an easy job if you do it yourself. 300 lbs of sand is not easy to dispose of, or having to carry that and pour it into such a small hole. It's much easier to just pop the lid off the sand filter and you can even use a garden hose. It takes up to 45 minutes to swish around your hand in there with a garden hose. I've even used a small kitchen strainer to get more lumps of junk out. People on pool care forums have reported that they have never had to replace their sand for over 15 years if an annual deep cleaning like this has been done. The theory that the sand particles become rounded and don't filter well over time have been debunked too.
@@maubunky1 it’s quite easy with a Venturi tool and garden hose. If you backwash regularly and rinse after it and try not to vacuum up a lot of heavy dusty residue into the filter it lasts 15 years anyway. I always vacuum to waste if it’s very dusty. If you need to pull filter apart to do all that sucking sand out is another 15 minutes. Also most sand filters come With a waste line or you can put in a valve. This video made no sense at all.
this is great! is it ever really necessary to replace all of the sand? I've read that a full replacement is recommended every 5 years, but the manual for my pentair filter says to just remove the top layer of sand if necessary and then do a chemical cleaning on the rest and replace what was removed. I'm about to replace it all just to be safe but I'm starting to realize that's a waste of money, and probably something that's only recommended by the type of pool guys who like to recommend unnecessary work to increase their bill! I prob should have just used your tip or followed the manual...
It's a good idea to replace all of the sand at least every five years. The reason is because the sand starts off coarse and full of sharp edges that capture the debris . Years of operation agitate the sand grinding it against itself until the sharp edges become smooth and unable to capture smaller particles.
Sand is cheap. Buy it at Lowes or Home Depot. Quickrete Pool Sand 50 lb bag is 12 bucks. Mine took 275lbs or 5 1/2 bags and 50lbs pebble rocks If you don't replace it all you end up replacing it more often. You have it open might as well do a complete job.
@@Patrick_B687-3 of course it smooths out, the sand particles are rubbing against each other constantly as the water churns them. How do you think pebbles get smooth in a river or in a rock tumbler? That's why there's a specific sand you use for these and not just beach sand or something.
baseballboy77073 I actually did it. I sanded down the old piece out and cleaned it primed it and used the max pvc glue and slip in the pipe. used a two clamps to hold it down for two days. I put everything back and it's holding up great :-)
I got a question for you. So I have an intext Pool and sand filter pump. I just noticed today that with it in the filter position it’s not pushing out any more water it’s not doing anything. But it works and every other setting. What could be the problem?
If the pump moves water on every setting except filter, I’d start with your Multisport valve. Open that up and make sure that the gaskets are all still properly seated. It’s highly likely the problem is there.
KB MILLER DE = Diatamaceous Earth. It's used for DE filters as a filter medium. But can help with catching smaller particles in sand filters when added to a clean filter.
sand should have a too small area surface to get lifted, that is the entire concept of purposed filter sand, sand dust and grime does not have enough mass and too big surface to stay down, you could loose sand that is as fine as dust, but that, you want out anyway
I use a garden hose on full blast jetting right into the sand and not one bit of sand floats out the top, just hair, leaves, seeds and bugs that I'm surprised ever got past the filter socks and strainer basket. I'm going to try using the backwash mode at the end of this season and see if I lose any sand...I highly doubt it, but you never know. It takes me 45 minutes with a garden hose. And I have to wipe the rough fiberglass interior walls repeatedly with my hand because stuff clings on the fibers there on the inside of the top dome shape. I'll bet backwash mode will have me done in 5 minutes.
My problem is that my sand filter is located inside a “pool house” or an enclosed wooden building so I can’t let it flood over the top. Any suggestions for this?
If you have a variable speed pump, you can set the speed or GPM so it JUUUUUST backwashes but doesn’t over flow. That way you can churn the sand and have it still go out of the backwash without making a mess. Takes longer but it works. The other thing you can do is use a garden hose while it’s in backwash mode and it’ll do the same, then churn the sand, put the lid on, backwash with the pump, turn it off, repeat the process a few times then you’re good.
The next time you change your sand you may want to consider moving your filter into a heavy duty tub with a drainage tube going out of the pool house or into a drain. I did this just as Peace of mind in case the filter decided to leak but it works for overflow cleaning as well.
Question my sand filter has been sitting for a few years. Would u recommend doing away with the sand and refilling? Or trying to clean it. Above ground pool. I have drained the pool fully
Yeah, do that to get the big stuff out, then do like a 1% bleach solution and let it sit for a few hours to kill anything living in the filter. Flush that out and let the hose run to dilute what’s left so it doesn’t harm the plants/grass. Once you hook it all back up, start the pool on backwash to flush out any last little bit of stuff then run a 10 second rinse cycle before filtering.
Steve Johnson make sure you buy filter sand. After getting sand out make sure you fill the tank with water before adding sand and cover the stand pipe hole with duct tape. It's also ideal to have an extra hand to hold that pipe in its right position.
Use a small fountain pump and run the discharge hose to waste pipe . Balance water flow in from garden hose to outflow of fountain pump. Get help to regulate flow in and out . Takes abit longerr but its but less water in shed .Beats changing sand ever year .
+Fugazi, you'd be amazed at how much dirt a filter retains AFTER backwashing. This isn't something you want to be doing weekly but it's a good idea once a year.
Russian Bot #19538532 exactly , too much work to get it clean ,waste of water and chemicals when backwashing and rinsing. A VS pump and a 400 sqft cartridge filter , once a year cleaning.
@@TheSavage3.6 No sir. Sand filters are the least effect filter type. Also, cartridge filters, if sized appropriately, don't require a "complete overhaul" ever year. They require you to shut down the pump, pull the cartridges out, hose them off, and put them back in about twice a year. I can't speak about DE filters, I don't know much about them as I've never considered one for my pool. The only thing I know about DE filters is that DE is easily the most effective filter media.
Lenon Kitchens My pool started out with a cartridge filter, and it was horrible and required a new filter part each year of ownership. I upgraded to a sand filter in 2015 and haven’t had any issues and clean it atleast 1 time each month
@@TheSavage3.6 Why? Was the filter getting holes in it or something? That sounds about right for a sand filter if you have a clean pool, but the smallest size particle a sand filter can remove is 20 microns, while a cartridge filter can filter out particles as small as 10 microns. When you said "works better", I assumed you were talking about better filtering. Also, sounds like it's about, or will be soon, time to change your sand. Talk to me after you do that. ;) I'd rather wash out a cartridge filter 12 times a year than change sand a single time.
Upvoted just for the face backwash
I just did this and it was genius.
I do this every year at the opening of my pool and I'm always amazed at how much junk comes out from the previous season, despite the fact that I use skimmer basket socks and clean out my pump strainer basket every few days, and even after I backwash for about 10 hours straight at the end of the season to bring my vinyl liner pool water level down below the return jets to winterize it. I never thought of using the backwash mode, except I think I'm going to have to stick to garden hose mode because of the fact that I do this prior to opening my pool, as the water is still icky and the system is not primed, up and running at that point. Maybe I should do this at the end of the season...hmmmm.
Short, sweet & to the point... You good egg.
you prolly dont care but if you're bored like me during the covid times then you can watch all of the latest movies on instaflixxer. I've been binge watching with my brother for the last few months :)
@@lochlanseth9092 Spamming streaming scams on UA-cam is no life. Get outside, get some sun & live!
@Lochlan Seth yea, I've been using InstaFlixxer for since december myself :D
a little too short. Some more explanation would be nice.
Oh man, I'm scared for the day it's time to change the sand, never thought it'd be so grimy. Good video!
You need to change the sand Every 3yrs
@@gregdevore3054 3 to5 years
PinkCosmoCrafts shop vac it out... My opinion
0:45 BINGO!! my friend. You are the genius pool guy revealing that magic trick for my 1st ... way overdue sand filter cleanout. U rok brah!
It really works and save more on filtersand.Thats the best way to keep it clean.
Acabo de verte en este video bajo una nueva luz. Das los mejores tips.
I just changed the sand in my filter yesterday. All 500lbs of it, one scoop at a time. It probably took me about an hour. Then I pulled the filter housing out into my backyard, hosed it out, put it back and filled it back up. Altogether, an afternoon’s work. My advice is, don’t remove the drain cap on the bottom. Almost nothing will come out of it and I ended up damaging a thread trying to remove the inner threaded screen. So I had to make a thicker gasket for the cap and use heavy duty Teflon tape on the threads to get it to reseal. The old sand was NASTY, so replace ALL of it! It looks like a daunting project, but it’s really pretty easy. Sand filters are also VERY low maintenance compared to cartridge or DE filters. Just my 2¢ worth…
Do you have a video on how to change the rubber washer rings on the sand filter? Thanks
Is ee you can do it with a push pull, I don't see how you can clean out sand with multiport valve??
Genius video. The other way is to use a hose to do it but takes way longer, this way is a great idea! What psi do you run the pump at while doing this? I assume not the full 3400rpm. I wish you'd explain the vacuum tip some more... Do you just hookup a shop vac to the elbow? Do you turn the backwash on when vacuuming it out? And the DE in a sand filter is a rarely known tip that makes an amazing difference.
Allen ii
I have struggled with mustard algae for years and nothing catches it. Do you think the D.E. directly into the sand filter this will work. Can your put algaecide or shock directly into the sand.
If the water coming out of my sand filter flows downhill a bit and washes over my electric pentair whisperflo pool pump, will I get shocked when I put my hand down into the sand filter like you did in this video?
SPS, i thought the sand filter works better if its more dirty? I mean, some people tend to backwash it daily or every other day...it allows better water flow, yes, but based on my own experience (our sand filter and friends' sand filters) they work better, they filter better if they are more dirty. Sure there is a limit to it, so i am not saying it "never" needs backwash, but isn't this kind of cleaning lessen effectiveness?
Thanks for the pool filter hacks.
What is that white powder that you add to brighten up the water?
We may use different chems here in South Africa. 😁
So that is diatomaceous earth. If you add a couple pounds to your sand filter it will help the filter catch smaller particles. Careful though, it comes at the expense of a reduced filtration rate (less water circulates) and doing this too often can be hard on the pump, plumbing, and filter. To get rid of it out of your filter, just backwash.
@@SwimmingPoolAZ-SPS
Oh okay. Sounds like something one adds with me sand. Can I maybe skip the DE and rather do 70% spillover? Leave water somewhat cloudy which means it retains some old fine particles
@@SwimmingPoolAZ-SPS And if you add too much, it'll look like it snowed in your pool! By too much I mean more than a quarter of a cup.
Fuck "Vince". I backwash my filter onto my lawn with no waste hose routinely and, if anything, that part of the lawn grows faster and more fuller. If pool water had a negative effect on grass, everyone with an above-ground pool would have a big ring of dead grass around their pool where splash-out occurs.
MY FILER/PUMP ARE INSIDE A FULLY FINISHED POOL SHED (CONCRETE FLOOR AND SHEETROCK WALLS. I DONT WANT TO FLOOD IT. OTHER METHODS?
I don’t know about residential pools but I did maintenance at a hotel for 9+ years and there was a “spider valve” with a back wash and rinse option along with others.
It's called a mutiport. I been working at pool company for 25yrs
Multi ports are awesome and we do have them on a fair amount of residential pools.
Why doesn't back washing do a good enough job ? I have a 1.5 hp pump going into a 28" filter. It seems as though its a pretty violent action. My filter is in a garage so I cant use your method .
Thank You I am going to try this!
Ya say ya can add d e right to the sand filter thru the skimmer ?? I like that idea. But how often. Is there a long term accumulative affect ??
Since you don't add much, when you backwash and rinse the sand filter, most of it will be washed out. I wouldn't do it every week. It helps when the sand is old and just needs a little help filtering to catch smaller microns and to assist in keeping the water clear.
Or you could just replace your sand and to vacuum to waste put a three way valve in between the pump and filter so you can divert it to drain. Much easier
Replacing sand is expensive to hire it done, and not an easy job if you do it yourself. 300 lbs of sand is not easy to dispose of, or having to carry that and pour it into such a small hole. It's much easier to just pop the lid off the sand filter and you can even use a garden hose. It takes up to 45 minutes to swish around your hand in there with a garden hose. I've even used a small kitchen strainer to get more lumps of junk out. People on pool care forums have reported that they have never had to replace their sand for over 15 years if an annual deep cleaning like this has been done. The theory that the sand particles become rounded and don't filter well over time have been debunked too.
@@maubunky1 it’s quite easy with a Venturi tool and garden hose. If you backwash regularly and rinse after it and try not to vacuum up a lot of heavy dusty residue into the filter it lasts 15 years anyway. I always vacuum to waste if it’s very dusty. If you need to pull filter apart to do all that sucking sand out is another 15 minutes. Also most sand filters come
With a waste line or you can put in a valve. This video made no sense at all.
So cool
Do I add the D.E. to the skimmers or toss it into the filter?
If your ever in Bali give me buzz
If you live near the water I might have to just make a special trip!
this is great! is it ever really necessary to replace all of the sand? I've read that a full replacement is recommended every 5 years, but the manual for my pentair filter says to just remove the top layer of sand if necessary and then do a chemical cleaning on the rest and replace what was removed. I'm about to replace it all just to be safe but I'm starting to realize that's a waste of money, and probably something that's only recommended by the type of pool guys who like to recommend unnecessary work to increase their bill! I prob should have just used your tip or followed the manual...
It's a good idea to replace all of the sand at least every five years. The reason is because the sand starts off coarse and full of sharp edges that capture the debris . Years of operation agitate the sand grinding it against itself until the sharp edges become smooth and unable to capture smaller particles.
Sand is cheap. Buy it at Lowes or Home Depot. Quickrete Pool Sand 50 lb bag is 12 bucks. Mine took 275lbs or 5 1/2 bags and 50lbs pebble rocks If you don't replace it all you end up replacing it more often. You have it open might as well do a complete job.
@@flcal5153 Bull. Show me a microscope comparison of “new” versus old sand filter sand, and I’ll eat my words.
@@nathanwalklin Think about it. Where does this new sand come from where it hasn’t been worn out? This is a myth.
@@Patrick_B687-3 of course it smooths out, the sand particles are rubbing against each other constantly as the water churns them. How do you think pebbles get smooth in a river or in a rock tumbler? That's why there's a specific sand you use for these and not just beach sand or something.
Intriguing.
Way pool Al was cloudy
hey great video! what brand of filter was this
How to used the robot cleaner l want to know
my lateral pipe is busted. can I just replace it with pvc pipe and use the pc cement to place it back in the center?
baseballboy77073 I actually did it. I sanded down the old piece out and cleaned it primed it and used the max pvc glue and slip in the pipe. used a two clamps to hold it down for two days. I put everything back and it's holding up great :-)
Is there a way to temporally fix/rig the laterals until I can get new ones? Swim Party tomorrow
how to do this if it has a gear on top?
Hello sir. Do you service Avondale area as well?
I got a question for you.
So I have an intext Pool and sand filter pump. I just noticed today that with it in the filter position it’s not pushing out any more water it’s not doing anything. But it works and every other setting. What could be the problem?
If the pump moves water on every setting except filter, I’d start with your Multisport valve. Open that up and make sure that the gaskets are all still properly seated. It’s highly likely the problem is there.
what is the DE you said to add??? cool video by the way thanks for making it
KB MILLER DE = Diatamaceous Earth. It's used for DE filters as a filter medium. But can help with catching smaller particles in sand filters when added to a clean filter.
Also, do you lose a lot of sand that way and need to add more back? Seems like you would.
sand should have a too small area surface to get lifted, that is the entire concept of purposed filter sand, sand dust and grime does not have enough mass and too big surface to stay down, you could loose sand that is as fine as dust, but that, you want out anyway
I use a garden hose on full blast jetting right into the sand and not one bit of sand floats out the top, just hair, leaves, seeds and bugs that I'm surprised ever got past the filter socks and strainer basket. I'm going to try using the backwash mode at the end of this season and see if I lose any sand...I highly doubt it, but you never know. It takes me 45 minutes with a garden hose. And I have to wipe the rough fiberglass interior walls repeatedly with my hand because stuff clings on the fibers there on the inside of the top dome shape. I'll bet backwash mode will have me done in 5 minutes.
Also, aren’t you going to get sand inside the tube that’s in the middle of the filter that you’re not supposed to get sand in lol
Can it be any D.E. or does it have to be a pool brand D.E.?
Food grade DE might be a bit too fine and impede flow too much. It’s worth a try though if you watch it close since it can just be backwashes out.
Thank you for sharing! Sure do appreciate you
My problem is that my sand filter is located inside a “pool house” or an enclosed wooden building so I can’t let it flood over the top. Any suggestions for this?
If you have a variable speed pump, you can set the speed or GPM so it JUUUUUST backwashes but doesn’t over flow. That way you can churn the sand and have it still go out of the backwash without making a mess. Takes longer but it works. The other thing you can do is use a garden hose while it’s in backwash mode and it’ll do the same, then churn the sand, put the lid on, backwash with the pump, turn it off, repeat the process a few times then you’re good.
The next time you change your sand you may want to consider moving your filter into a heavy duty tub with a drainage tube going out of the pool house or into a drain. I did this just as Peace of mind in case the filter decided to leak but it works for overflow cleaning as well.
switch to glass media instead of sand. they say it's supposed to last forever and never need changed.
Question my sand filter has been sitting for a few years. Would u recommend doing away with the sand and refilling? Or trying to clean it. Above ground pool. I have drained the pool fully
I’d give the sand a good cleaning! Heck all your O rings and gaskets as well and you should be good to go.
@@SwimmingPoolAZ-SPS so just flush with like a water hose stirring the sand around to clean and that should do it?
Yeah, do that to get the big stuff out, then do like a 1% bleach solution and let it sit for a few hours to kill anything living in the filter. Flush that out and let the hose run to dilute what’s left so it doesn’t harm the plants/grass. Once you hook it all back up, start the pool on backwash to flush out any last little bit of stuff then run a 10 second rinse cycle before filtering.
Should I change sand if I have brown algae..all did dry acid treatment
And came rt back after doing backwash
What type of valve do you have? How’s your water chemistry?
Going to change the sand in my filter (250lb), any suggestions on what to do with the old sand?
Steve Johnson make sure you buy filter sand. After getting sand out make sure you fill the tank with water before adding sand and cover the stand pipe hole with duct tape. It's also ideal to have an extra hand to hold that pipe in its right position.
???
kevin crusen I just change the sand in my filter. Have any ideas what to do with the stand yet?
Feed it out a few lbs at a time with the trash, bury it, but avoid spreading it out. Silica dust is a health hazard.
yeah, go buy a DE or cartridge filter and you won't ever have to deal with sand again.
What if I’m not in the phenox area
Are you in Vegas?
How often should one do this to their sand filter?
It’;s a good idea to do it about once a year.
U RAWK! 🤟
Do you need to replace the sand
In Arizona where pools run year around we do sand changes about every 5-7 years.
Its a pain in the ass removing old sand with the laterals in the way
👍
What the hell is a coupler
Dumb question: DE? Diatomaceous earth?
you need to do "backwash" and after that "rinse"
Einar K many sand filters here in AZ only have a push/pull valve so no rinse option.
What about the gas.
Kinda wishing my filter wasn’t in a pool shed right about now 😲
Yeah, we have a few of those...they’re well protected from the sun and elements but trying to work on them......
Use a small fountain pump and run the discharge hose to waste pipe . Balance water flow in from garden hose to outflow of fountain pump. Get help to regulate flow in and out . Takes abit longerr but its but less water in shed .Beats changing sand ever year .
Muni Venkatesh Shree Lakshmi Enterprises
Water and waste water Treatment Solution
You need your license revoked
If I bw my filter like that the water would hit two pumps. I don't think so.
it wouldn't matter if the water hit the pumps, they are built to withstand the elements, but this does seem to be a weird way to clean it out.
What do you do when it rains?
+Fugazi, you'd be amazed at how much dirt a filter retains AFTER backwashing. This isn't something you want to be doing weekly but it's a good idea once a year.
SWITCH THE SAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAANNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDD
I have glass in my poolfilter
Are you happy with glass ? 330 AU bucks for me just to buy the glass!
How do we contact you im in az
602-456-5545
I've got a better solution...install a DE or cartridge filter. problem solved
Russian Bot #19538532 exactly , too much work to get it clean ,waste of water and chemicals when backwashing and rinsing. A VS pump and a 400 sqft cartridge filter , once a year cleaning.
W Sand filters work better though. and don’t require a complete overhaul every year.
@@TheSavage3.6 No sir. Sand filters are the least effect filter type. Also, cartridge filters, if sized appropriately, don't require a "complete overhaul" ever year. They require you to shut down the pump, pull the cartridges out, hose them off, and put them back in about twice a year. I can't speak about DE filters, I don't know much about them as I've never considered one for my pool. The only thing I know about DE filters is that DE is easily the most effective filter media.
Lenon Kitchens My pool started out with a cartridge filter, and it was horrible and required a new filter part each year of ownership. I upgraded to a sand filter in 2015 and haven’t had any issues and clean it atleast 1 time each month
@@TheSavage3.6 Why? Was the filter getting holes in it or something?
That sounds about right for a sand filter if you have a clean pool, but the smallest size particle a sand filter can remove is 20 microns, while a cartridge filter can filter out particles as small as 10 microns. When you said "works better", I assumed you were talking about better filtering.
Also, sounds like it's about, or will be soon, time to change your sand. Talk to me after you do that. ;) I'd rather wash out a cartridge filter 12 times a year than change sand a single time.
;)
I thought “hack” referred to computers. This word has morphed into being overused for clickbait.