Pool Filtration
Quality pool filtration is vital to having beautiful, crystal-clear water. Pool filters are an integral part of your pool’s filtration system; they keep your pool clean by trapping dirt and debris and releasing clean water back into the pool. Using the right pool filter for your pool keeps your water healthy and safe to swim in.
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Waterco CC-150 Swimming Pool Cartridge Filter with 5-Year Limited WarrantyAll Filters
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Waterco CC150 Trimline Filter - Or, thinking about upgrading your system?
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Waterco Fulflo Tri-Cartridge Filter - 400SF - Comparable Option:
Two-Stage Filter System - Or, thinking about upgrading your system?
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Picking Your Pool Filter
Pool filters come in many different types and sizes. Choosing the right filter for your pool will ensure that your water is getting cleaned thoroughly and efficiently. Here’s what you should look for:
The 3 Major Pool Filter Types
Before you choose a filter for your pool, it’s important you know about each of the 3 major types. Each filter type has its own set of advantages and drawbacks. Let’s briefly go over them:
Cartridge Filters
This filter type offers a balance of performance, ease of maintenance, and cost. Water passes through cartridges, which are pleated tubes that provide fine water filtration and typically last a few years. You clean the cartridges by simply hosing them off.
Pros
- Cartridges can capture debris as low as 5-10 microns
- Easy to install and clean
- Affordable
- Most Energy Efficient
Cons
- When cleaning cartridge, it typically can take 10-20 minutes to hose off.
- A more “hands-on” cleaning process than other filters.
- Internal cartridges must eventually be replaced after years of wear-and-tear.
Sand Filters
This filter type offers the easiest maintenance, but coarser filtration. They operate by pushing water through a large amount of sand. The filter is cleaned by simply turning a valve in a process known as backwashing, where particles are pushed to the top of the sand and out a waste pipe (this can use significant amounts of water).
Pros
- Very easy to clean
- Affordable
- Long lasting
Cons
- Lower performance filtration compared, capturing debris as large as 20-30 microns.
- Can use as much as 250-1000 gallons of water when backwashing.
- Difficult to replace the large amount of sand after a number of years
DE Filters
This type of filter offers the finest filtration, with a little added complexity and cost. It operates by passing water through “grids” coated in a powder called diatomaceous earth.
Pros
- Extremely fine filtration, capturing debris as small as 3-6 microns.
- Long lasting if maintained properly
- Easy to replace DE powder
Cons
- Usually most expensive filter type
- Filter cleaning requires both backwashing and disassembly to hose off grids
- DE powder must be replaced after every cleaning
One more consideration is a Cyclonic Pre-Filter. Pre-filters drastically reduce filter maintenance by capturing up to 80% of the dirt and debris that would otherwise fill up your main filter. It does this with no moving parts or filter media, and collects the dirt in a clear chamber that cleans out in mere moments - using only 2-4 gallons of water! A prefilter is one of the latest advancements for a minimal-maintenance pool.
Take some time to understand the pros and cons of each filter type to determine which will best suit your pool filtration needs. Not sure how to decide which is best for you? Give us a call at 866-766-5243 for any and all questions you have about pool filters. We’re happy to help!
Discount Salt Pool - POOL FILTRATION
Our goal at Discount Salt Pool is to offer the highest quality pool filters and salt pool products on the market. Over the course of two decades in this industry, we’ve learned a lot about pools, poolcare, and how to keep pools healthy, beautiful, and crystal-clear. Having a clear pool starts at choosing the right filter!
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For over 20 years, we've been in business helping pool owners in all fifty states enjoy the pleasure and the economy of saltwater swimming pools. Discount Salt Pool offers expert advice based on decades of experience, friendly and knowledgeable customer support, and manufacturer-direct pricing on the best salt pool systems available.