Best Media For Sand Filter?

[jaideeguy]

Years ago, when I built my Pool and sand filter I made the mistake of buying what they called graded crushed quartz sand as a media, but in reality, it was just graded river sand that has little filtration value because it is worn smooth and rounded. I then tried a combination of layered zeolite and sand and it did function well for the last 3 years, but now time to change it again.

In the meantime, there was a supplier of crushed graded recycled glass that claimed to be the absolute best media ever, , but the price was as if it was crushed diamonds.

Anything new out there or has the cost of recycled glass dropped?/

[Naam]

i'm very happy with zeolite in my sand filter plus using 2-3 times a year a couple of pounds D.E. for 6-8 pumping hours and then backwash.

[jaideeguy]

i'm very happy with zeolite in my sand filter plus using 2-3 times a year a couple of pounds D.E. for 6-8 pumping hours and then backwash.

hi Dr....

I was just googling about Zeolite sand, which they say is now the best on the market.....filtering down to 2-5 microns, same as DE filter. Any idea what the prices are now?? and is yours sand or granules??

[geoffphuket]

I'm using powdered glass which cost about 1,700 Baht for a 25Kg bag. Not bad considering it lasts several times longer than sand and doesn't need back-washing so often. Probably the only issue is that it's extremely hazardous to handle whilst dry, and extreme care must be taken not to inhale the dust when filling the filter.

[jaideeguy]

1,700thb/bag for glass dust?? I think/hope that the zeolite is quite a bit cheaper and wonder what the capacity of my lacron filter that measures 30 inches outside diameter and approx 28 inches high [not counting the stand]??

[jbrain]

1,700thb/bag for glass dust?? I think/hope that the zeolite is quite a bit cheaper and wonder what the capacity of my lacron filter that measures 30 inches outside diameter and approx 28 inches high [not counting the stand]??

Earlier this year I paid 800 Bht for a 25 Kg zeolite in East Pattaya

[Naam]

i'm very happy with zeolite in my sand filter plus using 2-3 times a year a couple of pounds D.E. for 6-8 pumping hours and then backwash.

hi Dr....

I was just googling about Zeolite sand, which they say is now the best on the market.....filtering down to 2-5 microns, same as DE filter. Any idea what the prices are now?? and is yours sand or granules??

the Zeolite i bought are granules which look like sand, paid something like 2,500 Baht for 25kg. made a mistake to add it to the filter without "washing" the dust off. it took days till the dust was filtered out of the pool water with the help of DE. without DE nothing happened = evidence DE beats Zeolite in micro filtering capacity.

[Naam]

1,700thb/bag for glass dust?? I think/hope that the zeolite is quite a bit cheaper and wonder what the capacity of my lacron filter that measures 30 inches outside diameter and approx 28 inches high [not counting the stand]??

Earlier this year I paid 800 Bht for a 25 Kg zeolite in East Pattaya

lucky you! what shop?

[jbrain]

1,700thb/bag for glass dust?? I think/hope that the zeolite is quite a bit cheaper and wonder what the capacity of my lacron filter that measures 30 inches outside diameter and approx 28 inches high [not counting the stand]??

Earlier this year I paid 800 Bht for a 25 Kg zeolite in East Pattaya

lucky you! what shop?

Because you questioned my honesty i looked up the bill and it wasn't 800 Bht but 700 instead....................................The bad news is that that the bags were only 15 Kg as I have a bill for 12 bags

Shop is the pool shop in Nong Palai.

[jbrain]

1,700thb/bag for glass dust?? I think/hope that the zeolite is quite a bit cheaper and wonder what the capacity of my lacron filter that measures 30 inches outside diameter and approx 28 inches high [not counting the stand]??

My filter is a Hayward 31" top mount filter and it requires 227 Kg sand,for Zeolite which is lighter this translates to 180 Kg.

Edit: Just noticed in the spec of my filter that it is 48" high, so probably your filter will require about 2/3 of the amount mine requires.

Edited November 21, 2012 by jbrain

[Naam]

1,700thb/bag for glass dust?? I think/hope that the zeolite is quite a bit cheaper and wonder what the capacity of my lacron filter that measures 30 inches outside diameter and approx 28 inches high [not counting the stand]??

Earlier this year I paid 800 Bht for a 25 Kg zeolite in East Pattaya

lucky you! what shop?

Because you questioned my honesty i looked up the bill and it wasn't 800 Bht but 700 instead....................................The bad news is that that the bags were only 15 Kg as I have a bill for 12 bags

Shop is the pool shop in Nong Palai.

my sincere apologies! i had no idea that asking for a shop which sells Zeolite at a modest price means "questioning honesty".

[jaideeguy]

I think he was just joking with you Naam...

Anyway, back to topic. I have since found that my 30 inch lacron filter takes 200 k of sand media and somewhere read that the zeolite is lighter and takes up more volume. Maybe I could get away with132 kilos?? I'll find out the price in Chiang Mai today......hopefully @ 700/15kilo, or less?

[jbrain]

I think he was just joking with you Naam...

Anyway, back to topic. I have since found that my 30 inch lacron filter takes 200 k of sand media and somewhere read that the zeolite is lighter and takes up more volume. Maybe I could get away with132 kilos?? I'll find out the price in Chiang Mai today......hopefully @ 700/15kilo, or less?

I think the conversion is done 3/4 kg zeolite vor every 1 kg sand.

I would also be surprised if the your filter, if your dimensions in the OP are correct, holds 200 kg sand.As I said my filter is 31" by 48" and holds 227Kg of sand.

Keep in mind that the media should take less than the total volume of the filter.

[jaideeguy]

I'm getting some conflicting numbers here....

the "Lacron' website says the capacity of my filter is 200kilos for [sand] media, then I just googled the Zeobrite website and they say a 30 inch diameter tank holds 600lbs of sand that would be reduced by 50% with Zeolite= 300lbs and that the Zeobrite can be reduced even further by mixing with sand and pea gravel at the rate of 150lbs pea gravel, 450lbs sand and 250lbs Zeobrite......bringing the price down considerably. The PDF chart can be viewed at http://www.zeobrite.com/PDF/InstallationGuide.pdf

note the media is quoted in lbs and kilios.........

Seems to make sense and save money to go with the manufacturer's guide??

BTW, the price of the Zeobrite here in CM is 950thb/15kilo bag, but she offered me a discount to 850thb when she noticed my wincing.

[Naam]

Seems to make sense and save money to go with the manufacturer's guide??

i didn't go with any manufacturer's guide because i had no guide and used whatever little experience my 30+ years of owning pools was available. have no idea what the total contents of my sand filter is. took out some sand and mixed ~15kg of Zeolite with the sand. pool water is crystal clear.

having said so i have to mention that my pool is enclosed, meaning none of the usual leaves, dirt or air impurities in my water.

[jbrain]

I'm getting some conflicting numbers here....

the "Lacron' website says the capacity of my filter is 200kilos for [sand] media, then I just googled the Zeobrite website and they say a 30 inch diameter tank holds 600lbs of sand that would be reduced by 50% with Zeolite= 300lbs and that the Zeobrite can be reduced even further by mixing with sand and pea gravel at the rate of 150lbs pea gravel, 450lbs sand and 250lbs Zeobrite......bringing the price down considerably. The PDF chart can be viewed at http://www.zeobrite....lationGuide.pdf

note the media is quoted in lbs and kilios.........

Seems to make sense and save money to go with the manufacturer's guide??

BTW, the price of the Zeobrite here in CM is 950thb/15kilo bag, but she offered me a discount to 850thb when she noticed my wincing.

To my knowledge volume is calculated radius x depth, so a 30" filter can have any possible volume depending on the depth, and for that matter the amount of media will required will be different.

If your filter is indeed a Lacron and you have the type number you will probably find exact spec on their website.

Sand has 75% of the volume for the same weight in Zelbrite. So if your filter requires 200 Kg sand, it will need 150 Kg of zelbrite.

http://www.zelbrite.com/faq.htm

[Naam]

Sand has 75% of the volume for the same weight in Zelbrite. So if your filter requires 200 Kg sand, it will need 150 Kg of zelbrite.

based on the assumption that Zeolite/Zelbrite filtering capacity is much higher than sand why should the same volume be used?

[Naam]

How well does Zelbrite filter

Tests carried out by an Australian water quality centre prove that Zelbrite filters out dirt particles down to 2 microns. This compares with sand at 15 microns and diatomaceous earth (DE) at around 5 microns.

http://www.zelbrite.com/faq.htm

complete rubbish!

[jaideeguy]

How well does Zelbrite filter

Tests carried out by an Australian water quality centre prove that Zelbrite filters out dirt particles down to 2 microns. This compares with sand at 15 microns and diatomaceous earth (DE) at around 5 microns.

http://www.zelbrite.com/faq.htm

complete rubbish!

But in an earlier post Naam, you state that your 'happy' with the performance of zeolite in your pool. agree that tests performed by the manufacturer should be taken with a grain of salt.

I've decided to go with 10 bags of Zeolite and haven't decided if I should add a little pea gravel or sand yet.

I would call my pool semi covered, as I have 80% shade cloth covering most of the pool and get very few leaves.

[Naam]

How well does Zelbrite filter

Tests carried out by an Australian water quality centre prove that Zelbrite filters out dirt particles down to 2 microns. This compares with sand at 15 microns and diatomaceous earth (DE) at around 5 microns.

http://www.zelbrite.com/faq.htm

complete rubbish!

But in an earlier post Naam, you state that your 'happy' with the performance of zeolite in your pool. agree that tests performed by the manufacturer should be taken with a grain of salt.

I've decided to go with 10 bags of Zeolite and haven't decided if I should add a little pea gravel or sand yet.

I would call my pool semi covered, as I have 80% shade cloth covering most of the pool and get very few leaves.

i am happy with the performance of Zeolite but the claim that DE filters out only 5µ compared to the 2µ Zeolite is rubbish. that's why i highlighted that part of text only.

p.s. i wonder what the pea gravel is supposed to do that you are planning to add. making the filter heavier that thieves can't carry it away?

[jbrain]

How well does Zelbrite filter

Tests carried out by an Australian water quality centre prove that Zelbrite filters out dirt particles down to 2 microns. This compares with sand at 15 microns and diatomaceous earth (DE) at around 5 microns.

http://www.zelbrite.com/faq.htm

complete rubbish!

But in an earlier post Naam, you state that your 'happy' with the performance of zeolite in your pool. agree that tests performed by the manufacturer should be taken with a grain of salt.

I've decided to go with 10 bags of Zeolite and haven't decided if I should add a little pea gravel or sand yet.

I would call my pool semi covered, as I have 80% shade cloth covering most of the pool and get very few leaves.

i am happy with the performance of Zeolite but the claim that DE filters out only 5µ compared to the 2µ Zeolite is rubbish. that's why i highlighted that part of text only.

p.s. i wonder what the pea gravel is supposed to do that you are planning to add. making the filter heavier that thieves can't carry it away?

A small amount of Pea gravel is recommended for most kinds of water filters, as it prevents clogging up the water distribution pipes at the bottom of the filter.

In the link Jaideeguy provided is also stated that it is used to prevent a certain kind of bacteria growing below the media.

[Naam]

A small amount of Pea gravel is recommended for most kinds of water filters, as it prevents clogging up the water distribution pipes at the bottom of the filter.

In the link Jaideeguy provided is also stated that it is used to prevent a certain kind of bacteria growing below the media.

if pea gravel prevents the growth of whatever bacteriae then five "Hail Mary" a month might do the same. bacteria prevention is normally the job of various water sanitation chemicals and/or additional gadgets like UV, Ozone et al.

[jbrain]

A small amount of Pea gravel is recommended for most kinds of water filters, as it prevents clogging up the water distribution pipes at the bottom of the filter.

In the link Jaideeguy provided is also stated that it is used to prevent a certain kind of bacteria growing below the media.

if pea gravel prevents the growth of whatever bacteriae then five "Hail Mary" a month might do the same. bacteria prevention is normally the job of various water sanitation chemicals and/or additional gadgets like UV, Ozone et al.

Thank you for your comment, we all know that you are the richest most knowledgable forum expert who knows everything about every subject brought up on his board. Better than any member on this forum or in this case multinational companies who's core business is water filtration.

I actually wonder why anyone still bothers replying to a thread once you get involved.Oh I see, I'm the only one wasting my time since others seem to have learned their lesson already.Goodbye.

p.s. : I can imagine you spend a large part of your day in front of a mirror continiously saying those magic words.

[jaideeguy]

Come on guys.....please chill out and let me 'filter' the info provided by both of you.

Thanks for that....

[Naam]

A small amount of Pea gravel is recommended for most kinds of water filters, as it prevents clogging up the water distribution pipes at the bottom of the filter.

In the link Jaideeguy provided is also stated that it is used to prevent a certain kind of bacteria growing below the media.

if pea gravel prevents the growth of whatever bacteriae then five "Hail Mary" a month might do the same. bacteria prevention is normally the job of various water sanitation chemicals and/or additional gadgets like UV, Ozone et al.

Thank you for your comment, we all know that you are the richest most knowledgable forum expert who knows everything about every subject brought up on his board. Better than any member on this forum or in this case multinational companies who's core business is water filtration.

I actually wonder why anyone still bothers replying to a thread once you get involved.Oh I see, I'm the only one wasting my time since others seem to have learned their lesson already.Goodbye.

p.s. : I can imagine you spend a large part of your day in front of a mirror continiously saying those magic words.

only people with inferiority complexes resort to personal insults, lies and wild assumptions when their input is questioned with logical conclusions.

and only suckers believe that a company that markets a product at a profit is not wildly exaggerating the positive attributes of that product.

[Naam]

Come on guys.....please chill out and let me 'filter' the info provided by both of you.

Thanks for that....

JDG,

you mean that a rebuttal is not justified if attacked by a clown without any reasons? it started already with "you questioned my honesty.."

[jbrain]

Come on guys.....please chill out and let me 'filter' the info provided by both of you.

Thanks for that....

JDG,

you mean that a rebuttal is not justified if attacked by a clown without any reasons? it started already with "you questioned my honesty.."

Yes indeed, because your reply came over as, and I'm sure it was intended that way, saying i'm a liar because nobody can buy Zeolite cheaper than the almighty Naam.

If it wasn't meant that way, then it's time you pay some attention to your posting style and maybe correct it in the future, because my comment wasn't intended as an insult but merely as an expression of my observations on your super arrogant posting style in each and every thread.

In the past you have experienced more posts on this board inline with my comments, but maybe mine was a bit straight to the forehead.

And I agree, you're obvious the last one on this board with an inferiority complex.

[Naam]

And I agree, you're obvious the last one on this board with an inferiority complex.

that goes without saying.

[jaideeguy]

Err, excuse me guys .Back on topic again.....I have been googling zeobrite for the last few days and came on this discussion that may save me money and agrivation with Zeobrite.... http://x.havuz.org/viewtopic.php?f=35&t=8415

the three page discussion is mostly negative for Zeobrite and most problems were solved with good, cheap simple sand.

[Naam]

Err, excuse me guys .Back on topic again.....I have been googling zeobrite for the last few days and came on this discussion that may save me money and agrivation with Zeobrite.... http://x.havuz.org/v...php?f=35&t=8415

the three page discussion is mostly negative for Zeobrite and most problems were solved with good, cheap simple sand.

does that mean you are questioning the honesty of Zeo-whatever?