Sand Filter or Cartridge?? Which is better?

[huskerfan]

I love my DE filter! Ya it takes an extra 5 minutes to mix the DE powder with the water... but you'll save much more time by not having to backwash as often. I don't believe in "bumping" it either, it's doing it's job, if the guage reads it needs cleaned, clean it.

I'm a little confused - everyone's trying to get DE filtering quality out of your sand and cartrige filters, why not just use a DE filter?? Our local pool stores totally hate and advised against using a DE filter in our state as we have a high iron issue in our water. I can honestly say that that is even more reason to use a DE filter too! There are a few local people struggling to get the iron filtered out of their pools with their sand filters that the local pool store advised them to get, and have rustish brown water while mine is crystal clear. Take care to not inhale DE by all means, but I'd much rather add my DE powder than my muratic acid!

All boils down to personal preference- a crystal clear pool is a crystal clear pool no matter which way it's achieved!

[huskerfan]

By cleaning it - I mean backwashing it. I think it's overkill to tear it down and clean it each time to me.

[matt4x4]

Poconos has the right idea - he was the reason I started messing around with DE last year.
Zeolite, zeobrite or zeo anything IS a little better than sand because of the shape of the particles, however, it is not as good as DE, I have zeosomething in mine, but also use DE to "micro filter" and the difference is like night and day!
Before I started adding DE, I could vac my pool all day without backwashing, however, I did notice that after about 25% of the pool was vac'd, you could see the fine dirt pushing back in the return (we have nothing but clay - so the dust in our area is VERY fine).
Once I added DE, after 25% of the pool, I barely had any flow left on the return, so I only do about 10% of the pool at a time if it's really dirty now.
I basically discovered and tested all this during last year's spring cleanup.
Being in the country, I can't vac to waste because we do not have an endless water source, so I have to filter and backwash.
And backwashing with DE really shows just how much dirt the DE collects for you - just amazing, and a really cheap additive to any sand filter.

[Billd60]

Should sand be replaced? My pool store tells me it should be, but it seems a little crazy to me. Can the sand develop open channels which hinder the filtering? My filter is acting a little funky and small amount of sand is making it's way back into the pool.