What Is A Sand Swimming Pool Filter

Not all sand is created equal and if you are going to replace your old media with sand silica sand is the way you need to go.

What is a sand swimming pool filter.

Silica sand is the oldest of the filtering medias. If you have a swimming pool filter then the likelihood is that it is a sand filter. Number 20 silica sand will filter down to 20 microns. This pool filter sand also features a tan color.

Because play sand also known as sandbox sand is less expensive than pool sand pool owners are often tempted to try using it in the pool filter. A pool sand filter is a popular choice for both home and commercial swimming pool owners. The flow is reversed and all of the debris is blown out. They are usually two to four feet in diameter and look like a big ball.

As the name suggests a sand filter uses sand to filter the impurities out of the water. Pool filter sand is a properly graded and dried sand. Sand filters use specially designed pool filter sand that removes the dirt and debris as water pushes through the media. This roughness is what makes the sand efficient at filtering out the particles of dirt in your water.

Filter sand has been ground to a size of 45 to 55 mm in diameter and is very rough when new. As this roughness is smoothed out as stones in a stream wear smooth over time your filter s efficiency goes down. The cleaned water then flows back into the pool out through the bottom end of the filter. As you can see from our chart above it will take care of most suspended solids in the pool water.

These are the most commonly used and top rated pool filters. These filters are generally cheaper than cartridge based alternatives and have lower overall maintenance costs. Just as the name suggests they contain sand while there s a drain pipe at the bottom of the tank. Unlike a de filter nothing more is required than simply turning the valve to backwash and that s it.

In a sand filter back washing occurs once water flows out through the waste line instead of back into the pool cleaning the filter. Water enters the tank through an inlet at the top and gravity pulls it downward removing impurities that get lodged in the sand. Very easy to backwash. Sand is put in the filter vessel and the water is forced under pressure through the bed of sand.

Many swimming pool filters use sand to trap unwanted debris and keep it out of the pool water. A sand filter is basically a large tank filled with pool grade sand which is coarser than regular play sand.