Pool Forum?

[drewstar]

All:  Thanks again for all the info.  In the last 15 yrs, I have never tested the CYA in the pool.  I always heard that backwashing and partial fall draining would keep stabilizer where it needs to be.

Amazing what you can learn here.

Me and you both.  

[GoBlue]

After reading a lot of threads on poolforum.com, I ordered a Hayward Perflex EC65A filter.  The more I read, the more I saw that DE filter owners didn't regret their choice. Now, on to rehab the rest of the pool.
 

Thanks again.

[hotubinn]

I personally hate my DE filter!  Changing over to a sand filter with zeobrite instead of sand- less back washing and filters down to 3 microns.  

[tony]

Changing over to a sand filter with zeobrite instead of sand- less back washing and filters down to 3 microns.  

I think this is the route I would go if I wasn't happy with my filter.  There also seems to be issues with disposing of old DE.

[Bonibelle]

Tony, what is the problem with old DE? I flush mine into the ground and it seems to disapear after a rain. Is that a bad thing?
My neighbors switched to sand and after watching them backwash and haul 50 bags of sand, I will stick with my DE. Especially since I have never had problems with it and I have the routine down to an art.

[drewstar]

Tony, what is the problem with old DE? I flush mine into the ground and it seems to disapear after a rain. Is that a bad thing?
My neighbors switched to sand and after watching them backwash and haul 50 bags of sand, I will stick with my DE. Especially since I have never had problems with it and I have the routine down to an art.

50 bags of sand? Wha?  No way.  


My above ground pool (10K gallon) takes 2-4 bags. (they are 50 lbs each) at a cost of $8.50 (I just checked the prices with my local dealer).  It last 5-7 years.  

 The largest comercial sand filters I've seen take 700 pounds of sand, (which would be 15 bags). Most above ground pools take 150-200lbs of sand.

 


Sand is the easisest of the all the mediums to use, and very affordable.

DE is more efficent at trapping particulate matter, but requires more maintinece.  How much DE do you use each year? how much does it cost?

[Dr. Spa™ Ret.]

50 bags of sand...............50# bags of sand........BAH, what's the difference.



Drew, the difference is a TYPO  

[drewstar]

50 bags of sand...............50# bags of sand........BAH, what's the difference.



Drew, the difference is a TYPO  

that's a pretty significant typo (and that's comming from the king of typos).

Plus, Bonnie NEVER makes a typo.   :-/

 

[tony]

Tony, what is the problem with old DE? I flush mine into the ground and it seems to disapear after a rain. Is that a bad thing?
My neighbors switched to sand and after watching them backwash and haul 50 bags of sand, I will stick with my DE. Especially since I have never had problems with it and I have the routine down to an art.

DE is classified as hazardous waste in some localities thus disposal becomes an issue in those localities (only when you get caught).  Supposedly this is increasing, how much so I don't know so it may never be an issue where you live.  Just something to be aware of.  I do know that DE filters do the best job of filtering, followed by cartridges and then sand.  Sand filters with new mediums such as zeobrite come close to DE filtration.  Then there are also folks who add a little DE to their sand filters to increase efficiency.

[Bonibelle]

Tony, I looked up DE on line and I couldn't find anything like that. It looks like a natural substance that has multiple uses. As I said, once it rains, my DE is asorbed into the grass and you can't even tell it was there. Now I have to know why it would be considered hazardous waste because I am dumping it out near my well... :-/

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diatomaceous_earth

[Vinny]

I was "warned" about DE on Doc's site a few years ago and now use a product called Aqual Pearl that mimicks DE but doesn't have the hazardous material (which I think is silica).

It's funny, DE has been around for years, apparently has been used for various reasons in the garden and is now a hazardous material ... I guess it's the next asbestos.

Dropping it onto the soil and letting it be absorbed (mixed) into the soil seems like not a big deal to me but I guess it harmed someone somewhere ... but other things go untouched!

[Bonibelle]

Drew...take a look at my neighbors pool and tell me if it needs
50 bags of sand..I, of course, mean to fill it in!!

[Vinny]

I personally hate my DE filter!  Changing over to a sand filter with zeobrite instead of sand- less back washing and filters down to 3 microns.  

How often do you need to backwash? I do it about once a month and it takes about 15 minutes. This year I have a lot of "stuff" in the water  when I opened and I already changed the DE once and will probably change it again this weekend but I am anticipating only once a month after that.

[Pathfinder]

Has anyone here know of anyone that has switched the sand filter to glass media  

I have switched 3 friends for a trial and so far no problems with water clarity and backwash times have greatly improved.

[Vinny]

Drew...take a look at my neighbors pool and tell me if it needs
50 bags of sand..I, of course, mean to fill it in!!

I think this is a case for a DE filter. Yes it will clog up but it will clean it up faster than a sand filter. One of the reasons I went for DE was a story that a friend told me about their neighbors pool. The water was poor and the neighbor was trying to clean it up with a sand filter for days ... my friend lent him her DE filter and it cleared up in 24 hours. I sometimes wish I could hook it up to my spa ...