Pool Filtration Systems: Cartridge vs. Sand Filters

Having a pool is great, but the one and only thing you should pay most attention to is the water. It needs to be crystal clean and clear, and the best thing you can do to keep it like that is by using a pool filter/s. When speaking about them, the two most popular, efficient and affordable type of pool filters are sand and cartridge filters. Both of these filters have their pros and cons but their common things is that they work in unison with the pool's pump, filtering the water before it re-enters the pool. This means that both of these filters can trap debris, dirt and small particles.

Pool cartridge filters have a special fabric (usually reinforced polyester) that has the power to trap any type of dirt or debris once water passes through it. The best thing about using pool cartridge filters is that it can screen out twice as much dirt and debris than sand filters, and there is no need for taking a back-washing step. Consequently, this can help you significantly save on water and chemicals, and all these things can make the maintenance part a lot easier. To clean the cartridges all you need to do is to simply remove the filter cartridge from the system and wash it really good. Keep in mind that if there are too many debris or dirt, you might need to clean the filter more than once in one season. Regarding the cleaning part, it has been proven that cartridge filters can clean finer materials than sand and can filter particles down to 8-15 microns. Additionally, these types of filters can also cut energy costs as they use low pump pressure, and because of this, it is considered that the lifespan of the pump can be prolonged. Simply put, cartridge filters have a bigger area to filter which means that it can catch even the finest particles, making it one-of-a-kind.

Sand filters, on the other hand, are ideal for filtering an in-ground or above ground pool and their main purpose is to remove dirt and debris once water passes through it. Once done, the clean water flows back into the pool out through the waste line and not back in the pool through the bottom end of the filter. Keep in mind that once the filter gets dirtier or older, the water flow pressure through the filter will decrease which can additionally lead to increased filter pressure rate. The main downside of these filters is that back-washing will lower pool water and it has lowering filter ability than cartridge filters.