Pool Filters, Equipment

Mother nature has provided the best filter aid, sand and gravel. The older filters of this kind were huge and placed in an underground pit or in a equipment building. They were obtrusive and ugly, but they worked well. To keep a filter clean, back washing was necessary. One would simply reverse the flow of the water through the filter and deposit the dirt in a dry well, a cesspool like unit buried in the ground. The diatomaceous earth filter was introduced, it was much smaller in size, but still needed backwashing. The filter grids inside were coated with D.E. and the dirt would adhere to these grids and filter the water well. Every year, the filter had to be taken apart and the grids were cleaned separately by a hose with good water pressure and a brush. The filter tanks were stainless steal but later fiber glass was used. Then came the cartridge filter. With the cartridge filter there was no need for a dry well, thus cutting down on the cost of pool construction. One would simply disassemble the filter and hose off the cartridges. There are still sand and gravel filters and D.E. filters, but the cartridge filter took over the industry. They filter the water well and every couple of years the cartridges were replaced. The filter is a necessary product for a clean and sparkling pool. I found the D.E. filter was the best, but it is your choice.