Buying a new (old) house that has a pool. My current pool has a cartridge filter. It works fine and I am in the habit of cleaning it every few months. The new house has a DE filter. I don't know anything about it. I'm contemplating getting a new filter because the current one is old and probably on it's last leg.

What are you experiences with different filter types?

The DE filter has replaceable cartridges (grids) in it. As long as the body is OK, you can replace the cartridges pretty easy and restore it to like new performance. From there, I backwash and recharge when the pressure gets up and do a full tear down once a year.

I have never had the cartridge type, so I don't know how they compare. The fact that they are both pretty common makes me think there is not a significant difference. I am sure they both have their pluses and minuses.

We have had a pool w/a DE filter for 20 years. Just replaced w/a new one last year. Works like a charm. Just backwash periodically & open it once a year to gently clean the grids.

Yep just bought one last year, back wash about once per month and add de, then open up once a year and clean grids, for me probably twice because of high debri

Works well

I had a pool with a DE filter for about 10 years, new house the pool guy put in a cartridge filter which I've had for 2 years. I like the DE filter a lot more. It did a better job of filtering and backwashing the DE filter is a lot less work than pulling out the cartridges and washing them. I also hear the cartridges cost a lot more to replace than the DE grids.

I've always been told that DE filters better than a cartridge, as far as the fine particles.

Our cartridge housing leaked shortly after we bought our house, so I switched to DE

DE is superior in long-term cost, hassle, and water quality.

Cartridge is "more green". That is its only advantage.

We work on and install hundreds of filters per year. The only time I will recommend a cartridge over DE is if the environment is the customers primary consideration.

MPython43 said:

---

DE is superior in long-term cost, hassle, and water quality.

Cartridge is "more green". That is its only advantage.

We work on and install hundreds of filters per year. The only time I will recommend a cartridge over DE is if the environment is the customers primary consideration.

---

Thanks.

Are you a pool guy? Where are you located? I'm going to need to upgrade my pump and filter at some point and always prefer to use the TexAgs connection.

txjeepguy79@ gmail

MPython43 said:

---

DE is superior in long-term cost, hassle, and water quality.

Cartridge is "more green". That is its only advantage.

We work on and install hundreds of filters per year. The only time I will recommend a cartridge over DE is if the environment is the customers primary consideration.

---

I would like to see that argument. DE is a naturally occurring rock.

Depending on how often you replace filters or clean them with harsh chemicals, I would have a hard time believing they were "more green"

Probably related to the volume of water waste and backwashing vs hosing out the cartridge filters.

We are located in Austin.

www.patriotpoolandspa.com

Cartridge is more "green" since you eliminate backwash cycles, therefore saving significant amounts of wastewater. You can also run variable speed pumps much more slowly than a DE filter, while still achieving effective filtration, which saves electricity.

DE filters are the best kind. Then cartridge, then sand.

MPython43 said:

---

We are located in Austin.

www.patriotpoolandspa.com

Cartridge is more "green" since you eliminate backwash cycles, therefore saving significant amounts of wastewater. You can also run variable speed pumps much more slowly than a DE filter, while still achieving effective filtration, which saves electricity.

---

This is the one reason I've stuck with my cartridge filter set-up. I installed a variable speed pump last year and like the fact that I can run whatever speeds I want.

On that note, here's a question (and sorry to derail). I run my variable speed pump overnight at the lowest speed and then run at high speed for only a few hours during the hottest time of the day. I've found ZERO algae, chlorine levels are good (saltwater pool) and I haven't had anything come up from my own testing or monthly testing at Leslie's or Dolphin.

My back of the envelope calc tells me I get the pool water turned over twice (if I remember correctly) per day. Is there any downside to essentially running a variable speed pump 24 hours like this? I'm essentially running the pump at the highest speed only a few hours a day. I don't appear to have any issues.