What Is A Sand Swimming Pool Filter

A sand filter is ok for a pool that gets little use and is chemically maintained at all times.

What is a sand swimming pool filter.

Pool filter sand is a properly graded and dried sand. It is designed to be used in swimming pool filtration systems. If you have a swimming pool filter then the likelihood is that it is a sand filter. This pool filter sand also features a tan color.

A sand filter is basically a large tank filled with pool grade sand which is coarser than regular play sand. Just as the name suggests they contain sand while there s a drain pipe at the bottom of the tank. As you can see from our chart above it will take care of most suspended solids in the pool water. Very easy to backwash.

Many swimming pool filters use sand to trap unwanted debris and keep it out of the pool water. Unlike a de filter nothing more is required than simply turning the valve to backwash and that s it. 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. Pool sand is a very effective filter but it s also a bit pricey.

As this roughness is smoothed out as stones in a stream wear smooth over time your filter s efficiency goes down. These filters are generally cheaper than cartridge based alternatives and have lower overall maintenance costs. Water enters the tank through an inlet at the top and gravity pulls it downward removing impurities that get lodged in the sand. They are usually two to four feet in diameter and look like a big ball.

This roughness is what makes the sand efficient at filtering out the particles of dirt in your water. The flow is reversed and all of the debris is blown out. The cleaned water then flows back into the pool out through the bottom end of the filter. Sand is put in the filter vessel and the water is forced under pressure through the bed of sand.

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. As the name suggests a sand filter uses sand to filter the impurities out of the water. Silica sand is the oldest of the filtering medias. Sand filters use specially designed pool filter sand that removes the dirt and debris as water pushes through the media.

Number 20 silica sand will filter down to 20 microns. These are the most commonly used and top rated pool filters.