Pool owners - what say you?

[4WD]

Have had an in ground pool for years - but 2nd DE filter - suitable sized Hayward DE is on it’s last leg and I’m sick of the powder + backwash + complicated Multi position valve. Anyone running cartridges? Looks like the largest single cartridge unit will work with my pool gallons and GPM of current pump - easy to clean …
Less money too with the Hayward DE unit gone $$$$ lately …

What say you?

 

[UncleDave]

Have had an in ground pool for years - but 2nd DE filter - suitable sized Hayward DE is on it’s last leg and I’m sick of the powder + backwash + complicated Multi position valve. Anyone running cartridges? Looks like the largest single cartridge unit will work with my pool gallons and GPM of current pump - easy to clean …
Less money too with the Hayward DE gone $$$$ lately …

What say you?

I have a better solution.

A Sand filter filled with Zeo type material.

You get de clarity and sand filter ease of maintenance.

Go to a pool with a nice lite system and look through both into the water at night. A cartridge filter simply never cleans the water thoroughly.

 

[henni]

Large cartridge filter and a Robotic Pool Cleaner.
Hardly ever have anything to wash as the robot picks it up

 

[RDMgr]

Cartridge filters are not as effective as DE filters. DE filters give great clarity that you probably won't achieve with cartridges. When I ran sand or cartridge filters I always used a precoat of DE. This gave great clarity but backwashing of the sand or cleaning of the cartridges was necessary. In that respect backwashing was the quickest and simplest process.

 

[Ausfahrt]

I don't have a pool anymore but I had one for 20+ years in Florida before I retired to Vermont. My pool had a DE filter and I switched it out to a cartridge type shortly before we sold the place and I should have made the switch years earlier. The cartridge needs to be replaced every 2-3 years but other than that it's a lot easier and much less hassle.

 

[Oey12]

Large cartridge filter and a Robotic Pool Cleaner.
Hardly ever have anything to wash as the robot picks it up

What he said^^

With filter socks…much much easier to maintain than when I had a DE filter.

 

[UncleDave]

Cartridge filters are not as effective as DE filters. DE filters give great clarity that you probably won't achieve with cartridges. When I ran sand or cartridge filters I always used a precoat of DE. This gave great clarity but backwashing of the sand or cleaning of the cartridges was necessary. In that respect backwashing was the quickest and simplest process.

The DE prewash in sand still doesnt work as well as Zeo, is an extra step, and now incurs an additional consumable you have to buy store and handle & now the backflush contaminates everything with DE powder.

 

[UncleDave]

Large cartridge filter and a Robotic Pool Cleaner.
Hardly ever have anything to wash as the robot picks it up

I love pool robots of all types.
Huge improvement on maintenance.

After trying them all I went back to a super simple mat type cleaner.

 

[Just a civilian pilot]

I don't have a pool anymore but I had one for 20+ years in Florida before I retired to Vermont. My pool had a DE filter and I switched it out to a cartridge type shortly before we sold the place and I should have made the switch years earlier. The cartridge needs to be replaced every 2-3 years but other than that it's a lot easier and much less hassle.

I thought peopled only retired in the opposite direction to escape the colder weather.

Personally, I cannot stand humidity so retiring down south is not for me unless just for the winter.

 

[UncleDave]

I thought peopled only retired in the opposite direction to escape the colder weather.

Personally, I cannot stand humidity so retiring down south is not for me unless just for the winter.

Growing up in the midwest I yearned to escape the humidity but found Parker Arizona went too far in the opposite direction.
Often the hottest driest place in the country I couldn't deal with 110+ and zero humidity for months at a time.

 

[Just a civilian pilot]

2


Growing up in the midwest I yearned to escape the humidity but found Parker Arizona went too far in the opposite direction.
Often the hottest driest place in the country I couldn't deal with 110+ and zero humidity for months at a time.

Yeah, the heat is dry, but deadly in SW USA.

I can handle it more than humidity but it’s just as extreme.

Early morning Florida with temperature and dewpoint close , despite not as hot as the afternoon, is unpleasant to me.

I can see why pools would be very popular in Florida.

 

[Cropduster172]

Have. significantly oversized DE filter with a new Hayward Super Pump. The pool is at our beach house in Cape May County NJ. I have the push/pull valve for backwashing...and never use it. Clean the grids every Fall at closing and add about 4-5lbs. of DE when we open in April. Use one of those cordless robots from Amazon. The water is crystal clear for the entire season. Skimmer socks every month or so... especially when the pollen comes in May /June.

 

[Gyro Gearloose]

A 1 size oversize sand filter enhanced with 1-2 cups of DE powder poured into the skimmer after backwash can deliver very clear water.

 

[GMBoy]

I don't think it's too much to back flush a DE every once in awhile and cleaning the filter panels 1-2x a year is not much trouble for the level of pure clean filtration you get. But then again I haven't owned a pool in 10 years - but miss my in ground pool we had and I don't remember maintenance being that much trouble. Maybe the years have made me forget lol

 

[nickaluch]

Hayward cartridge filter and robot vacuum pool crystal clear but always had cartridges so I don't know any different

 

[4WD]

I love pool robots of all types.
Huge improvement on maintenance.

After trying them all I went back to a super simple mat type cleaner.

Yeah, the old school Kreepy works good in my pool - kidney shaped with a deep end …

 

[Cropduster172]

I love pool robots of all types.
Huge improvement on maintenance.

After trying them all I went back to a super simple mat type cleaner.

I used the Polaris 360 in our pool for years. Replaced it with a newer version of the 360. I came to hate it. It was maintenance intensive. Bearings, tires, floats, bags, hoses, swivels... something always needed replacement. And disassembly and reassembly was no simple task.
It did do a great job. Bought one of those Chinese made cordless LiOn battery ones from Amazon for <$300. Works great and requires almost zero maintenance. Finishing up 2 years with it now. I get 1-2 more years and it owes me nothing.

 

[mr_boring]

As a former pool owner, I say fill that thing up with dirt and plant a vegetable garden in it.

 

[nickaluch]

As a former pool owner, I say fill that thing up with dirt and plant a vegetable garden in it.

 

[RhondaHonda]

I have a Sta-Rite System 3 twin cartridge filter. I think it’s 450 sq ft of media. They may have been bought by Pentair now. The cartridges are on their 8th season with no signs of needing replacement. I keep thinking I’ll need to replace them but they keep on going. My dog swims all the time and I have 3 kids and trees around. I clean the cartridges at the end of the season, in November, and don’t clean them again til the next November.

My water is super clear with the cartridges and I use a pool robot once a week in the pool. Highly recommended.