Cartridge Pool filter Myths
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- Опубліковано 30 січ 2024
- Cartridge filters are your top choice for a pool filter. If you plan on replacing your current filter, sizing your new filter takes time. But it is straightforward. Here are some things to go by.
The first thing to note is that going with the largest filter size for your pool will pay off in almost every case. If you have a 20,000-gallon pool, you can get away with a 100 sq. ft. cartridge filter, but you will be cleaning it every month, and you may have water quality issues. Many pools in Florida work with these single cartridge filters, and they are indeed rated for that size pool, but I wouldn’t recommend such a small filter. That same pool with a 420 sq. ft. cartridge filter will take six months between cleaning, and you will have zero water quality issues and great flow. Water quality issues would be cloudy water, algae, and the like.
Here is an excellent example of this from my pool route. A customer had a 25,000-gallon pool with a 36 sq ft D.E. filter. We upgraded his D.E. filter with a 420 sq. ft. cartridge filter. The flow had increased so dramatically that we had to divert half of the return flow to the attached spa, so the pool wasn’t like swimming in the ocean! The flow increased markedly, and all my issues with the pool disappeared overnight. So, upgrading to a larger filter can move the needle if your pool is experiencing water quality issues.
How would you get a good size comparison between the three filter types? It would help if you worked off a ballpark figure since they all filter the water differently. Here is the best guess chart for you:
36 sq. ft. D.E. Filter equals a 200 sq. ft. Cartridge Filter and a 150-200 lbs. Sand Filter
48 sq. ft. D.E. Filter equals a 320 sq. ft. Cartridge Filter and a 250-300 lbs. Sand filter
60 sq. ft. D.E. Filter equals a 420 sq. ft. Cartridge Filter and a 350-400 lbs. Sand Filter
100 sq. ft. Quad D.E. Filter equals a 520 sq. ft. Cartridge Filter and 450-500 lbs. Sand Filter
Since a D.E. Filter uses Diatomaceous Earth (D.E.), the filtration area is tiny but highly effective. D.E. Filters can filter down to 3-5 microns, making it the best filtration as far as microns go. A Cartridge Filter can filter to just 15-20 microns, and a Sand Filter can filter down to 30-40 microns. So, if you compare filters by how well they filter down, D. E. is the winner. If you are looking at the sheer filtration area, the Cartridge Filter is the clear winner. With filtration areas of over 500 sq. ft., nothing compares to it. But since it uses a cloth to filter, even though the surface area is more significant, it doesn’t filter as efficiently as a D.E. Filter.
For ease of use, a Sand Filter can’t be beaten. All you need to do when it gets dirty is backwash it and change the sand every few years. But you don’t need to take it apart and clean it every few months or recharge it every time you backwash it. The sand there stays there, and you couldn’t ask for a more accessible filter to maintain. If you are looking mainly for ease of use, a Sand Filter should be your first choice.
Each filter type has its good points and its drawbacks. There is no perfect choice, but you will be better off using the most oversized filter for your pool based on the gallons of water. The larger filter allows for a better flow rate, filtration, and water quality. Although the upfront cost may be higher, it will pay for itself over time and with fewer chemicals to maintain your pool. Consider the time you will save cleaning the filter with a larger filter and the energy cost, as you can run the pool less with a larger filter. Finally, with a larger filter, you can balance the chemistry and use less shock and algaecide over the years. So, a larger filter is a win-win across the board.
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The beauty of cartridge filters is their simplicity. Just a thorough rinsing whenever the pressure gets high. Then no maintenance for the next several months. There’s nothing easier than that. Pool is perfectly clear regardless of filter type so I’ll go with the lowest maintenance and cost
My pool is equipped with D.E. quad 60 sq/ft and multiport valve, during off season I throw in a set of 4 cartridges 320 sq/ft, they hold very well during the winds, however if the pool is packed with dirt I manually vacuum it to a waste, otherwise I let the sweeper take over. Right before summer I throw back the D.E. cartridges for more efficient filtration.
I was so impressed with cartridge filters I built my own for my pond. Interesting listen. Always find some information in your videos that carry over between ponds and pools. Anything more than 10 micron filtration seems a little obsessive to me.
What about Dr. Dryden's activate glass filter media in a sand filter? On paper it sounds like the best...DE clarity with zero maintenance
Thanks for the podcast, tired of my Pentair FNS 60 and dealing with DE and grid leaks. I like the size and look of the Aquastar. My pool is 25000 gallons and I'm in San Fernando Valley in Los Angeles. I see that Aquastar is in Ventura which is only about 70 miles away. Do you still think this filter is a good upgrade?
Yes, it will replace the 60 sq ft DE filter fine. The larger one.
Hi David, have you tried Optimum filters? Prices for filters have gone up tremendously. My last purchase for 4 Pleatco 420 was $170.00 now it’s $360.00
I find the lower-priced ones to be decent. I've used Filbur, and they are fine.
@@SPL I found Excel XLS-718 4 Pack for $165. Hope they are just as good as my Pleatco were. Thx
Im a pool pro, I find those Amazon cheapy filter to be a waste of time and money. The water flow is horrible, and you will need to wash/clean them very very often. You might be able to get away with them if you have a very dust/leaves/debris free area around the pool, but I will only install Pleatco, Pentair Hayward or Filbur cartridges.
@@darinferreira4448 , have you used Excel filters before? They seem pretty close to the same materials and design of the Pleatco.
@@darinferreira4448 have you ever use the Excel filters? They seem to use the same material and design as the Pleatco.
Would you say that taking the CPO would equip you with all the tools you would need to launch your own pool route? My problem is I know nothing about repairs and from what i understand that's a big profit margin in the industry.
😊 The CPO will give you basic pool knowledge and water care information great for weekly cleaning. It will not give you repair information on equipment.
It's best to work for a company while learning the trade. About 30% of people who jump right in cold don't make it very long. None of it is "rocket science" but there is a LOT you'll need to know. Rookie mistakes can really cost you.
No 😢
Why not run a Sand filter, and add a stage of DE or Cartridge AFTER it? This way the DE or Cart will last much much longer before needing to clean or change. Sort of like the Ausi thing you add in front. If sand is easiest and cheapest, what the heck are we doing?...Just use a nice size sand, and then add a finer cleaner after it..DONE!
That makes sense. You would need the space, of course.
Why not make a DE filter the same shape as the Cartridge filter membranes? Or just better quality materials in a DE grid.... There is no advantage of cartridge if they just applied the shape to the grid membrane. They should also make a chamber that cleans DE, and you can recycle it. The industry has to get less greedy and make more long term solutions and promotions of pools, as more and more people end up closing their pools and growing their own organic greens food...Which is a good thing, but not so much for enjoying hot weathers, but even that has been taking a hit from climate changers. So..Maybe pools are just something not expected to have? IDK? The DE grids, IF made better, they can last 5+ years or more, if they improve, and a sack of DE is $9-20 tops. You can even use some cheap perlite. Also, DE filter grids is only replace if it is leaking. If it takes long for a cartridge filter...Forget it! it would be the only reason I could see. DE filter is easy to deal with, other than the one I have the 72sq ft stainless tank with the long grids.
You make some good points about being able to clean DE filters and recycle the DE. I would like to see a self cleaning DE filter. The DE filter shaped as a cartridge already exists. Its made by Pentair and its called "Quad DE". They are horrible in my opinion especially if you have dirt and debris nearby, they clog up very very quickly. They are however the easiest to clean, but they have the smallest filter capacity of all. Cannot go wrong with the correct size paper cartidge filters.