Pool Filters

Swimming pool filtration is crucial, and that should never be underestimated. The reasons for it are all too clear – clean water is not only nice to look at, but is important to prevent health hazards as well.

Pool filters when chosen and done appropriately can help balance the chemicals in the swimming pool. Majority of the elements which float on the water are sourced out from animals and plants. These elements serve as food for the algae and bacteria present in the water. Thus, it is necessary that these should be taken so that a clean and safe water condition can be maintained.

Since pool filters have the most complicated and important task in your swimming pool, it is imperative that the correct pool filter is chosen. Also, swimming pool filters are supposed to work non-stop in order to filter as much impurities as necessary to come up with the purest water. Hence, the pool filter you choose should be able to withstand such arduous responsibility and should be capable of taking out even the most minute materials in the water.

People are usually confused about the different pool filters available, and there are varied opinions about them as well. There are actually three major swimming pool filters to consider: sand, cartridge, and diatomaceous earth or DE. It has been observed that different parts of the United States seem to have varied pool filter preferences.

Sand filters, are sometimes referred to as bullet-proof filters. This type makes use of a sand filtering medium that resembles huge balls containing pool-grade sand. Water is made to flow into the bed of sand filter and is removed along with the dirt, through a number of lateral tubes. The principle behind sand pool filters is that the water is pressed towards the bed of sand. The dirty water flows towards the top, while the clean goes out at the bottom.

Cartridge filters have existed for quite awhile already and are popular in several places in the country. This type of pool filters involves a tank that contains three to four cylindrical filtering mediums. Each of the cartridges consists of a fabric that serves to entrap tiny dirt particles until the filter is cleaned. The cartridges are capable of catching dirt particles as tiny as 5 microns, and needs less maintenance. You can even simply hose them off sometimes within the swim season. Other times though, cartridges have to be soaked in a solution. For worse conditions, you may need to replace some or all of them. Cartridge filters are more expensive than the sand filters, but they are cheaper than the diatomaceous earth type.

The third type of pool filters is known as diatomaceous filter. This type has been proven to filter out the tiniest dirt particles in the water. DE filters are the most costly among the three types, but they are capable of taking out materials equivalent to 3 microns. The DE filter tank looks a bit like that of the cartridge filter. However, its grids are filled with diatomaceous earth. DE, which is powder-like, is the one that catches and traps the dirt.
Pool filter cleaning is varied according to the type of pool filter being used. But as a general rule, your pool filter is most likely in need of a good cleaning when its temperature has risen to around 10 psi. So, keep in mind that when the pressure is lower, the better the circulation of the pool is.

There are a lot of different views regarding the choice of pool filters. Since there are a lot to consider like pool size, pool filter efficiency, ease of use and maintenance, and costs, choosing the best one can be a challenge. But with enough knowledge on the various types, selecting the right one is rather simple.