Pool filters

Click here to see our selection of Pool filters.

Pool filters are a required part of any kind of pool, but filters cannot be explained without also mentioning pool pumps. The pump pushes water from the pool into the filter, which uses one of three porous materials to cleanse the water of algae, dirt, and bacteria particles. The pump then re-circulates the clean water back into the pool.

Each pool will have different manufacturing specifications to determine which combination of pump and filter is the most effective for any given situation. However, there is one good rule of thumb: the greater the filter area, the better the filtering.

There are three main methods of filtering pool water:
• Sand – These operate by accepting pool water into a series of chambers bedded with sand. The top layer of sand traps the particles, and the cleansed water exits out the bottom of the sand layer.

When the sand becomes clogged with debris from the pool, pressure builds up in the filter and there will be a loss of flow due to the increased pressure on the filter. The process to clear out the used sand is manually performed on a weekly basis. It is called "back flushing". Simply put, run the filter in reverse and dump the waste water.

Typically, sand for pool filters is specially graded to catch particles in the 20-100 micron range. This is considered a bit low by industry standards.

• Cartridge – Cartridge filters are the low-maintenance and least expensive way to filter a pool. One cartridge filter will usually last an entire pool season. They are made with the same material used to make the filters beneath the sink. These filters have a notably larger filter area than their sand counterparts.

Most cartridges begin at the 100-foot size, but the most popular size sold is in the 300-foot range. They also run at a lower pressure than sand filters, so there is less demand on the pump and no issue with the flow volume.

Cartridge filters are also easily cleaned using a regular garden hose with a spray attachment. Simply pull the filter out of its housing and spray off the gook – usually only a couple of times per pool season.

Particle-wise, the cartridge filter performs in the mid-range between sand and DE filters.

• Ditomaceous Earth (D.E.) – This is a pool filter that uses a naturally occurring material to really make pool water brilliantly sparkle. D.E. has a sand-like quality to it, but works much harder. D.E. achieves the best micron filtration rating – that means it cleans pool water the best by being able to filter even the smallest particles.

D.E. actually looks more like powder than sand. Under a microscope, the powder appears to be a bunch of microscopic sponges. This is how the powder works as a filter – pool water is drawn through the powder and “cakes” onto the gridded support structure. D.E is actually composed of the microscopic skeletons of ancient, sub aquatic organisms.

The inexpensive powder is available anywhere pool filters are sold.

Virginia Graeme
Baker Pool and Spa
Safety Act

See our products that
comply with this important
legislation for all
public pools and spas.

ezine Article Expert We accept all major credit cards