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Filter Media
Whether you have recently purchased a new property with a pool or you’ve just had one installed, owning a pool can be a little confusing to start with.
Once you wrap your head around how to balance your swimming pool’s water chemistry, it’s time to start thinking about your swimming pool filter.
Here at 1st Direct Pools, we understand how all of this information can be a little overwhelming. If you are ever in need of advice, please feel free to contact a member of our team or browse through our blog which is full of information.
Filter media refers to the cleaning materials inside your pool’s filter tank - it traps dirt particles that are suspended within the pool water. Filter media can come in several variants, such as:
- sand - glass - fibres - powder
Filter media is an essential part of your swimming pool’s maintenance. The pump draws the water through the filter media which purifies it before dispensing it back into the pool.
Filter media are used for an array of other bodies of water, such as ponds. These shouldn’t be interchanged; it’s important to ensure your filter media is designed for a swimming pool and fits its specification.
Pool filters generally work in the same way, but depending on your swimming pool’s filter media, the media will work slightly differently.
A pool filter cleans the water using a pump to push it through a tight space, only allowing clean water to pass through.
Within the filter, the water will pass through the canister containing the filter media. The water particles will pass through the media with ease, whereas larger particles such as debris will become trapped.
There are various types of filter media that you can use to clean your pool but these are not interchangeable. Filter media is unique to each filter; for example, you cannot swap sand for glass or cartridges for DE filter media.
Filter Media’s ability to filter out debris is measured in microns (micrometres). One micron is equivalent to one-millionth of a metre. To put this into perspective, a grain of salt is 100 microns, a single human hair is around 50 microns thick and a white blood cell is 25 microns.
Sand is one of the more popular choices in terms of pool filter media. Its durability and simplicity in maintenance have made it a constant for pool owners over the years, with filters like the Lacron sand filter being a go-to option for many.
The filter media works by lodging solid particles within the top 6 inches across the sand bed. As more dirt is lodged within the sand, it can then become more capable of trapping finer particles.
An effective sand filter media will need the grains to be the same size, generally 0.4–0.6 millimetres. Sand filter media can filter down to about 30 microns.
Sand media will generally need to be changed every 3-5 years, however, this will depend on the water and amount of debris that regularly flushes through the filter.
The benefits of using sand media include:
- Sand can last up to 7 years.- Replacement sand is relatively cheap.- Sand filters are easy to maintain.- Sand filters are commonly used and easily serviced.
Glass filter media has a slight negative charge so it can trap very fine particles, similar to a microfibre cloth. When the water is backwashed, the charge will then release the particles.
This filter media can filter down to 5 microns, which is finer than cartridge and sand filters.
Glass filter media will strain through the entire depth of the media, allowing for a larger contaminant load. Because of the glass’ ability to capture more contaminants, it will only use 80% of the media required in comparison to sand.
The benefits of using glass include:
- Less backwashing will be required in comparison to a sand filter, saving a 23% average of the pools general water usage.- Glass media is made from recycled glass.- Glass filter media will last an average of 7-15 years.
A cartridge filter uses a single layer of spun polyester that is pleated and attached to a cylindrical core. Its large filtration area allows the fabric to filter out 10 micron particles, which is much finer when compared to sand.
Cartridges are usually inexpensive and energy-efficient. They require low maintenance and oversight, which is perfect for first-time pool owners. The cartridges will often cut energy costs as they utilise low pump pressure, which will also prolong the lifespan of your pump.
The benefits of using a cartridge include:
- A cartridge filter will last around 2-4 years- They only require cleaning twice a year- No backwashing is needed- Cuts energy costs- Prolongs the pump’s lifespan
DE stands for diatomaceous earth, which is the name of the sedimentary rock used to filter the water. Diatomaceous earth is composed of fossilised remains of microscopic algae-like organisms, called diatoms or otherwise referred to as ‘water polishers’.
A DE filter is composed of several grids that hold DE powder within them. The grids are capable of filtering down to 3 microns, leaving your pool crystal clear. The grids will need replacing every 2-3 years.
The DE grids have a cloth-covered plastic frame. Most will assume that the cloth is what filters the pool, but it’s actually the tightly packed DE inside the grids. The polypropylene cloth is only there to hold the DE in place.
The DE on the grids is referred to as a ‘filter cake’, which the water travels through and is filtered clean.
Some DE filters can be backwashed, whereas others cannot. When purchasing a DE you should check whether or not you can backwash your filter.
Some areas will only allow for DE filter media to be disposed of in the bin. You can be fined if the spent DE is discharged to waste.
The benefits of using DE include:
- Filters down to 4 microns, which is lower than any other available media- Requires less pumping power, which saves money and the lifespan of the pump
Naturally, the filter media will heavily depend on the type of pool filter you already own. However, if you are unsure of what filter to purchase, you might want to first consider the following:
- Your swimming pool’s pump size- Your swimming pool’s filter size
Pool pumps and filters go hand in hand. The filter will not be able to do its job without the pump pushing water through it. The pump and filter size will also heavily rely on the size of your swimming pool.
Filters are measured in gallons per minute (GPM). The filter’s flow rate must be at least the same GPM as the pump. It can sometimes be best to sway toward a slightly larger pool filter to ensure it can handle the power of the pool’s pump.
When selecting the best filter media for your pool, you should consider:
- Maintenance- Cost- Energy efficiency- Effectiveness- Budget
The filter media that requires the lowest maintenance would be sand, but it might also be worth considering cartridge filters, as these are also incredibly easy to maintain and have a more effective filtration system.
In the long term, glass is an affordable filter media as it is more durable than sand. However, sand is the cheaper option to purchase.
The most energy-efficient filter media available are cartridge filters because they do not require a backwash valve, which would add more resistance to the water flow.
The deepest clean is from a DE Filter because they can capture particles the size of 3 microns, the general size of bacteria.
We hope that this article has provided a helpful guide to swimming pool filter media. If you would like to find out more about swimming pools, you can contact a member of our team, or browse through our blog. Our store also provides a great range of swimming pool equipment such as filters and pool pumps!
