filter media - sand or Zelbrite, and where from @ a fair price

[Phil_ne_uk]

I’m hoping someone can answer a couple of questions please.

 

We just arrived in Pattaya as it’s been 2 years since we were here. The Thai guy who takes care of our pool told my wife yesterday that after the flood water went into our pool a year ago, that the sand in the filter doesn’t/wont work properly and the sand needs replacing.

 

Now home & pool quoted 3200B for the sand, “O” ring and labour. Since reading up on this forum about Zelbrite, I emailed H&P to ask for a breakdown of the price and if that was for sand or Zelbrite. Also which brand would they use.

 

I gave up waiting for a reply so my wife phoned them to ask them to reply but they told her they don’t supply/stock Zelbrite and the sand had no brand name.

 

So I’m a bit concerned in case they are about to send their workers out to Pattaya beach to dig some up for the job!

 

After an online chat with a pool company up north I was advised the following for my filter which is marked 125KG

 

3 x 50kg bags of sand 1,530bht + 1,500bht shipping to the door with Thai parcels

 

 

6 x 15kg bags of Zelbrite 5,370bht + 900bht shipping to the door delivery

 

 

They also said that Sand lasts 5-6yrs & Zelbrite good for a round 8-10yrs

 

 

 

H & P put a sticker on my filter showing the dates when the sand was last done which was in 2012 & another sticker saying it should be replaced in 2013, so basically they suggest changing it every year, so I’m not really believing what they say.

 

So basically, can anyone make a suggestion on what’s best to use and if they can recommend anyone/company to do the job please?

 

Also how often should the filter media be replaced?

 

Thanks in anticipation guys.

[sappersrest]

Go for the sand, it does not seem a bad deal .

Crushed glass is a good alternative.

High rate filters really need to have the sand changed every couple of years, but this depends on use and local conditions.

 

[SantiSuk]

Loads of users swear by Zelbtrite. None of them who have written about it here in other sources I've read say that they have used good quality pool sand and tried them both and found that Zelbrite is really worth the extra money - and why.

 

Personally I've used sand and been very happy with it - can't quite see what extra I would get out of Zelbrite. I also replace it every 2 years (myself - it's not difficult!).

 

Happy to be persuaded otherwise by other uses who have used both.

 

[Phil_ne_uk]

42 minutes ago, sappersrest said:

Go for the sand, it does not seem a bad deal .

Crushed glass is a good alternative.

High rate filters really need to have the sand changed every couple of years, but this depends on use and local conditions.

 

Thanks for your reply. Home & pool say their sand has no brand name. is this safe to use and the correct sand?

 

Has anyone used H&P for replacing the sand?

 

Also is 3250B for the sand, “O” ring and labour a fair price from H&P?

[SantiSuk]

OP- Take a look at:

 

http://swimmingpoolsthailand.com/en/45-filter-media

 

Seems a lot cheaper than your previous quote, given the free delivery. I find this supplier, it's online shop and it's installation people, reliable - they are also a sponsor on Thai Visa I believe. I purchased this sand at my last fill in August this year (together with a complete re-kitting of my pool room equipment by them) and it is definitely not beach sand, which tends to be a lot finer in consistency I think. SPT's sand seems as effective as the last sand I had in from another Bangkok pool company - that lasted a couple of years before telltale signs emerged (grounds of fine sand appearing around the pool bottom outlets on a noticeably quicker/more regular basis).

 

I suspect that they will not however be able to install the sand at any economical price as they are mostly based in North Eastern Thailand and although the task is straightforward and probably takes no more than a couple of hours they would have a kilometre charge. Nonetheless it's worth ringing them - maybe they have some connection with a local installer or maybe they happen to have one of their own installation teams in Pattaya in the next couple of weeks or so.

 

You could also call into the Thepprasit Road pool shop in Jomtien (about 200m from the ocean end if I recall correctly). Their online shop shows them selling some recycled glass media at some expense, but maybe they also sell pool filter sand and maybe sell installation services. I have no experience of them other than sticking the odd but of chemie in my SUV on my way back from an annual family visit to Jomtien. http://thailandswimmingpoolshop.com/Chemicals_c_37.html.
 

I doubt that your O-ring (top lid of the filter presumably) actually needs replacing if it is only a couple of years old and if you can access some silicone grease (at a dive shop - pool shops in Thailand seem to think Vaseline is OK which it is definitely not). Pool professionals are probably tut-tutting at this point so if you can get one easily then buy a new one out of an abundance of caution!

[Phil_ne_uk]

1 hour ago, SantiSuk said:

OP- Take a look at:

 

http://swimmingpoolsthailand.com/en/45-filter-media

 

Seems a lot cheaper than your previous quote, given the free delivery. I find this supplier, it's online shop and it's installation people, reliable - they are also a sponsor on Thai Visa I believe. I purchased this sand at my last fill in August this year (together with a complete re-kitting of my pool room equipment by them) and it is definitely not beach sand, which tends to be a lot finer in consistency I think. SPT's sand seems as effective as the last sand I had in from another Bangkok pool company - that lasted a couple of years before telltale signs emerged (grounds of fine sand appearing around the pool bottom outlets on a noticeably quicker/more regular basis).

 

I suspect that they will not however be able to install the sand at any economical price as they are mostly based in North Eastern Thailand and although the task is straightforward and probably takes no more than a couple of hours they would have a kilometre charge. Nonetheless it's worth ringing them - maybe they have some connection with a local installer or maybe they happen to have one of their own installation teams in Pattaya in the next couple of weeks or so.

 

You could also call into the Thepprasit Road pool shop in Jomtien (about 200m from the ocean end if I recall correctly). Their online shop shows them selling some recycled glass media at some expense, but maybe they also sell pool filter sand and maybe sell installation services. I have no experience of them other than sticking the odd but of chemie in my SUV on my way back from an annual family visit to Jomtien. http://thailandswimmingpoolshop.com/Chemicals_c_37.html.
 

I doubt that your O-ring (top lid of the filter presumably) actually needs replacing if it is only a couple of years old and if you can access some silicone grease (at a dive shop - pool shops in Thailand seem to think Vaseline is OK which it is definitely not). Pool professionals are probably tut-tutting at this point so if you can get one easily then buy a new one out of an abundance of caution!

Thank you for the useful information