Pool Filters, What To Use

[stevehaigh]

hi all,

what pool filter do you all recommend? i know sand filter seems to be the most common but cartridge sounds like a lot less work to maintain and does a better job. see

http://www.poolspa.co.th/equip_Different.html

what do you all think?

thx steve

[monty]

As far as i know, the only thing used in Thailand is regular sand.

As stated in the link, the only disadvantage is the loss of water during the backwash cycle...

What is getting popular in Thailand are the saltwater chlorine generators.

It's a small peace of equipment to include (about 2 hours worth of work) and then you add salt to the swimmingpool, about just under the level you would taste it.

From there on the equipment will always generate the exact chlorine level during the filter cycle.

No addition of chemicals are needed anymore, no checking of water etc...

Because of the very stable level of chlorine in the pool there will be almost no algae to remove for the filter, greatly extending periods between backwashing...

[stevehaigh]

As far as i know, the only thing used in Thailand is regular sand.

As stated in the link, the only disadvantage is the loss of water during the backwash cycle...

What is getting popular in Thailand are the saltwater chlorine generators.

It's a small peace of equipment to include (about 2 hours worth of work) and then you add salt to the swimmingpool, about just under the level you would taste it.

From there on the equipment will always generate the exact chlorine level during the filter cycle.

No addition of chemicals are needed anymore, no checking of water etc...

Because of the very stable level of chlorine in the pool there will be almost no algae to remove for the filter, greatly extending periods between backwashing...

interesting. i have read good things about UV ozone also.

poolspa in bkk does sell cartridge and DE filters however, i'll go ask them more about it.

thx

[george]

Poolshop Thailand in Hua Hin sells good filters and salt water chlorinators from Australia:

http://www.poolshopthailand.com

[elkangorito]

There are many incorrect assumptions about swimming pools & the filtration thereof. I will try to shed some light on the subject.

Filters.

The purpose of a pool filter is to PRIMARILY prevent the dead bodies of bacteria from re-entering the pool. These dead bodies act as food for other living bacteria.

The SECONDARY purpose is to remove other solids from the pool.

Many people opt for the common 'spherical' shaped sand filters as they are cheap & readily available. They have 2 inherent problems;

1. Because of their shape, 'bio scum' builds up at the 'equator' of the filter. This scum can help to cause bacteria to flourish if the pool is not disinfected correctly. As a result, ear, eye & mouth infections can become prevalent. The 'bio scum' can only be removed by stripping the filter, cleaning out the scum & replacing the old sand with new sand. With this type of filter, this procedure is recommended annually.

2. Again because of their shape, the full volume of sand is not used for filtration. They are inefficient.

Don't forget to 'backwash' your filter for at least 5 minutes EVERY DAY.

The better style of filter is one of a cylindrical shape. It is long & thin so the water has to pass through a longer distance of sand, thus better filtering. Bio scum will not easily form in these filters due to the filter shape. These filters are very efficient but more expensive.

Filter Media.

Cartridge filter media is good but restricts the water flow as the filter becomes more clogged. This restricted water flow will have a detrimental affect on the rate of pool disinfection. So, cartridge filters need to be constantly cleaned, at least every 72 hours of operation.

Sand is also a good filter medium as it has a two-fold action...as well as restricting solids etc, the sharp edges on the sand help to kill certain bacteria that chemical disinfectants have no affect upon.

But be careful...normal silica sand is not very good at doing this. The only sand that has a proven 'kill' factor is Quartz sand...very long & very sharp edges.

Disinfection.

Chlorine is widely used but least understood. Whether you add the chlorine to your pool by hand or whether it is ionised into solution by electrolysis & Salt, makes no difference.

What must be understood is this;

1. The ability for chlorine to disinfect (kill) in water, drastically decreases when the water temperature approaches & exceeds 28 degrees Celsius. Therefore, monitor your pool water temperature...especially if you live in Thailand.

2. Chlorine is an ineffective disinfectant in solutions that have a pH of greater than 8.0.

3. 'Free chlorine' is the measure of the available chlorine that can actively disinfect. The minimum level for a domestic pool should be about 2.0 ppm (parts per million) & the maximum should not exceed 5.0 ppm. Skin, eye & mucous membrane irritations can ocur at levels as low as 3.0 ppm.

4. If your pool has the correct pH, water temperature & free chlorine levels, you SHOULD NOT be able to smell any chlorine. If you can smell chlorine, in actual fact, you are not smelling chlorine. What you are smelling is Chloramines, which is the result of Free chlorine reacting with ammonia that is excuded by humans. Chloramines have absolutely no disinfection power whatsoever. If you smell chlorine, it's time to get out of your pool & test the water again.

Pumps

As an absolute minimum requirement, your pump should be sized so that it is capable of pumping the complete volume of pool water in no more than 2 hours. The bigger pump, the better. The less the 'turn around' time, the better the disinfection rate will be. The pump should be running at least 12 out of every every 24 hours.

Testing.

Test the pool water after;

1. There have been strong winds.

2. There has been rain.

3. There have been a large number of people in the pool. Generally, a pool needs at least 8 hours to recover from any of these things.

If you are concerned with the health of your pool users, these guidelines are helpful.

[Nawtilus]

Anyone know about swim jets and setup equipment required and cost here in Los and where to get ??

[stevehaigh]

thanks for the detailed information. i didn't realize this thing was going to be so much work. cleaning the filter and running the pump sounds like more work than i planned.

what if i cover the pool, will that help? i don't expect to use it that often.

steve

There are many incorrect assumptions about swimming pools & the filtration thereof. I will try to shed some light on the subject.

Filters.

The purpose of a pool filter is to PRIMARILY prevent the dead bodies of bacteria from re-entering the pool. These dead bodies act as food for other living bacteria.

The SECONDARY purpose is to remove other solids from the pool.

Many people opt for the common 'spherical' shaped sand filters as they are cheap & readily available. They have 2 inherent problems;

1. Because of their shape, 'bio scum' builds up at the 'equator' of the filter. This scum can help to cause bacteria to flourish if the pool is not disinfected correctly. As a result, ear, eye & mouth infections can become prevalent. The 'bio scum' can only be removed by stripping the filter, cleaning out the scum & replacing the old sand with new sand. With this type of filter, this procedure is recommended annually.

2. Again because of their shape, the full volume of sand is not used for filtration. They are inefficient.

Don't forget to 'backwash' your filter for at least 5 minutes EVERY DAY.

The better style of filter is one of a cylindrical shape. It is long & thin so the water has to pass through a longer distance of sand, thus better filtering. Bio scum will not easily form in these filters due to the filter shape. These filters are very efficient but more expensive.

Filter Media.

Cartridge filter media is good but restricts the water flow as the filter becomes more clogged. This restricted water flow will have a detrimental affect on the rate of pool disinfection. So, cartridge filters need to be constantly cleaned, at least every 72 hours of operation.

Sand is also a good filter medium as it has a two-fold action...as well as restricting solids etc, the sharp edges on the sand help to kill certain bacteria that chemical disinfectants have no affect upon.

But be careful...normal silica sand is not very good at doing this. The only sand that has a proven 'kill' factor is Quartz sand...very long & very sharp edges.

Disinfection.

Chlorine is widely used but least understood. Whether you add the chlorine to your pool by hand or whether it is ionised into solution by electrolysis & Salt, makes no difference.

What must be understood is this;

1. The ability for chlorine to disinfect (kill) in water, drastically decreases when the water temperature approaches & exceeds 28 degrees Celsius. Therefore, monitor your pool water temperature...especially if you live in Thailand.

2. Chlorine is an ineffective disinfectant in solutions that have a pH of greater than 8.0.

3. 'Free chlorine' is the measure of the available chlorine that can actively disinfect. The minimum level for a domestic pool should be about 2.0 ppm (parts per million) & the maximum should not exceed 5.0 ppm. Skin, eye & mucous membrane irritations can ocur at levels as low as 3.0 ppm.

4. If your pool has the correct pH, water temperature & free chlorine levels, you SHOULD NOT be able to smell any chlorine. If you can smell chlorine, in actual fact, you are not smelling chlorine. What you are smelling is Chloramines, which is the result of Free chlorine reacting with ammonia that is excuded by humans. Chloramines have absolutely no disinfection power whatsoever. If you smell chlorine, it's time to get out of your pool & test the water again.

Pumps

As an absolute minimum requirement, your pump should be sized so that it is capable of pumping the complete volume of pool water in no more than 2 hours. The bigger pump, the better. The less the 'turn around' time, the better the disinfection rate will be. The pump should be running at least 12 out of every every 24 hours.

Testing.

Test the pool water after;

1. There have been strong winds.

2. There has been rain.

3. There have been a large number of people in the pool. Generally, a pool needs at least 8 hours to recover from any of these things.

If you are concerned with the health of your pool users, these guidelines are helpful.

[The Skipper]

There are many incorrect assumptions about swimming pools & the filtration thereof. I will try to shed some light on the subject.

Filters.

The purpose of a pool filter is to PRIMARILY prevent the dead bodies of bacteria from re-entering the pool. These dead bodies act as food for other living bacteria.

The SECONDARY purpose is to remove other solids from the pool.

Many people opt for the common 'spherical' shaped sand filters as they are cheap & readily available. They have 2 inherent problems;

1. Because of their shape, 'bio scum' builds up at the 'equator' of the filter. This scum can help to cause bacteria to flourish if the pool is not disinfected correctly. As a result, ear, eye & mouth infections can become prevalent. The 'bio scum' can only be removed by stripping the filter, cleaning out the scum & replacing the old sand with new sand. With this type of filter, this procedure is recommended annually.

2. Again because of their shape, the full volume of sand is not used for filtration. They are inefficient.

Don't forget to 'backwash' your filter for at least 5 minutes EVERY DAY.

The better style of filter is one of a cylindrical shape. It is long & thin so the water has to pass through a longer distance of sand, thus better filtering. Bio scum will not easily form in these filters due to the filter shape. These filters are very efficient but more expensive.

Filter Media.

Cartridge filter media is good but restricts the water flow as the filter becomes more clogged. This restricted water flow will have a detrimental affect on the rate of pool disinfection. So, cartridge filters need to be constantly cleaned, at least every 72 hours of operation.

Sand is also a good filter medium as it has a two-fold action...as well as restricting solids etc, the sharp edges on the sand help to kill certain bacteria that chemical disinfectants have no affect upon.

But be careful...normal silica sand is not very good at doing this. The only sand that has a proven 'kill' factor is Quartz sand...very long & very sharp edges.

Disinfection.

Chlorine is widely used but least understood. Whether you add the chlorine to your pool by hand or whether it is ionised into solution by electrolysis & Salt, makes no difference.

What must be understood is this;

1. The ability for chlorine to disinfect (kill) in water, drastically decreases when the water temperature approaches & exceeds 28 degrees Celsius. Therefore, monitor your pool water temperature...especially if you live in Thailand.

2. Chlorine is an ineffective disinfectant in solutions that have a pH of greater than 8.0.

3. 'Free chlorine' is the measure of the available chlorine that can actively disinfect. The minimum level for a domestic pool should be about 2.0 ppm (parts per million) & the maximum should not exceed 5.0 ppm. Skin, eye & mucous membrane irritations can ocur at levels as low as 3.0 ppm.

4. If your pool has the correct pH, water temperature & free chlorine levels, you SHOULD NOT be able to smell any chlorine. If you can smell chlorine, in actual fact, you are not smelling chlorine. What you are smelling is Chloramines, which is the result of Free chlorine reacting with ammonia that is excuded by humans. Chloramines have absolutely no disinfection power whatsoever. If you smell chlorine, it's time to get out of your pool & test the water again.

Pumps

As an absolute minimum requirement, your pump should be sized so that it is capable of pumping the complete volume of pool water in no more than 2 hours. The bigger pump, the better. The less the 'turn around' time, the better the disinfection rate will be. The pump should be running at least 12 out of every every 24 hours.

Testing.

Test the pool water after;

1. There have been strong winds.

2. There has been rain.

3. There have been a large number of people in the pool. Generally, a pool needs at least 8 hours to recover from any of these things.

If you are concerned with the health of your pool users, these guidelines are helpful.

The sand sounds unreliable, the cartridge needs too much service.

So what's the latest on DE Filters?

[elkangorito]

Quartz sand filters are very good & reliable. DE is not always available & is more expensive & may require a higher replacement frequency.

One must realise that in owning a pool, lots of 'elbow grease' is always required, no matter what system is used, if you want a truly trouble free pool. Don't listen to people who say, "I've been using blah blah blah for x number of years, & I haven't had a problem YET". The key word here is YET. How many times would you want to have anybody catch serious gastro-intestinal or encephilitic diseases? Yes, gastro-intestinal diseases & encephilitis are commonly spread by incorrectly 'disinfected' & maintained pools.

Covering a pool will help to keep debris out (leaves, dust etc) & therefore help to reduce filter maintenance but if it restricts UV, an increase in organisms may result.

In addition, a 'Bromine Bank' is advised if using a chlorinated pool. Bromine has good 'kill' power & lasts longer than chlorine. Basically, it picks up where chlorine leaves off. Further, a Carbon Dioxide injection system will easily & automatically control the pH so that the Chlorine/Bromine disinfection can work to the highest efficiency. An expensive system to initially install but does save on elbow grease.

The use of Ozone is not desirable due to the corrosiveness of such a system.

UV filtering needs to be VERY carefully designed for the individual installation as the type of UV globes used are very important. Also, filtration is VERY important with a UV disinfection process. In any case, a Bromine Bank is always prescribed with the use of a UV disinfection system.

[stevehaigh]

Covering a pool will help to keep debris out (leaves, dust etc) & therefore help to reduce filter maintenance but if it restricts UV, an increase in organisms may result.

i thought UV was a bad thing for pools, destroying the clorine. so overall, do you think a cover is a good idea or a bad idea and if using one, would you recomment a clear or opaic (sp?) material.

I've decided to go with a Poolrite surechlor salt water cell from poolshopthailand.com with a sand filter. hope that does the trick.

thanks, steve

[elkangorito]

Covering a pool will help to keep debris out (leaves, dust etc) & therefore help to reduce filter maintenance but if it restricts UV, an increase in organisms may result.

i thought UV was a bad thing for pools, destroying the clorine. so overall, do you think a cover is a good idea or a bad idea and if using one, would you recomment a clear or opaic (sp?) material.

I've decided to go with a Poolrite surechlor salt water cell from poolshopthailand.com with a sand filter. hope that does the trick.

thanks, steve

Hi Steve.

Most pools exist mostly uncovered for most of their life so chlorine delapidation is an expected & integrated part of the 'pool maintenance' equation. On the other hand, covering pool will not allow the normal escape of gases held in solution. This can have an effect upon pH & therefore, disinfection. Consequently, covering a pool for long periods of time (weeks) may mean a very hard slog back to the required chemical balance of the pool. Remember, covering a pool does NOT relieve the responsibility of daily testing.

I hope that you are using Quartz sand in your filter. This sand is not yellow/brown like silica sand. It is mostly clear/white.

If you follow the minimum guidelines that I presented in my original post, you stand a very good chance of having a trouble free pool. I am not familiar with brand names (Poolrite surechlor) ...specifications are much more important.