A swimming pool filter is necessary to remove dirt and debris from the water in your pool, leaving it a sparkling clean place for you to enjoy. A swimming pool sand filter is a perfect choice as it will not only clean your swimming pool but it is durable, long lasting, and inexpensive to purchase.
With so many swimming pool options to choose from, it is no wonder consumers easily become confused and frustrated. To make this process easier you need to understand all above ground and in ground swimming pools can be made to function with one of three types of filters: sand, cartridge, or Diatomaceous Earth known as D.E. The sand filter is an excellent choice, with many great features.
Swimming pool sand filters work by the water being pushed up through layers of filter sand then removed through tubes at the other end. Only the top one inch of sand in this type of filter is actually used to remove dirt and debris from the water as it passes through the filter. This process allows dirty water to come into the filter with clean water leaving it.
Swimming pool sand filter cleaning is much easier than the process for cleaning the other two types of filters. You can tell your sand filter needs to be cleaned when the water flow coming out of the filter decreases. When this happens simply run the filter in reverse then dump the waste water. This process is called backwashing. Wait for the process to finish completely. Once it has, switch to the rinse mode. During the rinse mode, sand will be repacked into the filter. For most types of swimming pools, swimming pool sand filter cleaning needs to be done once every two weeks.
For those wanting to reduce the amount of time it takes to clean the sand filter, consider installing a backwash valve. It may be necessary to completely remove the sand after a prolonged length of time. Every seven years is recommended, sooner if your filter is not working as well as it previously had. Calcium deposits from the water are often to blame for the sand losing its efficiency over time.
Replacing the sand in a swimming pool filter is a simple process. Place a tarp or plastic under the filter drain. Once you have removed the assembly turn the pump on. As the water pumps through the filter it will remove most of the sand out of the drain hole. The sand is very inexpensive to purchase. Make sure you use pool graded silica sand only. One of the draw backs about using a sand filter is it can allow the very small particles to process through the filtering system.
Above ground pool sand filter stores are available online as well as many pool retailers. Consider shopping discount and pool supply wholesalers to save money. Swimming pool sand filter sales are a great time to stock up on replacement parts and sand for when you need it.
Try these tips to improve the efficency of your pool sand filter