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Choosing A Swimming Pool Filter
By Linda Rogers

A swimming pool filter is important in regular pool maintenance. It prevents harmful bacteria from endangering the health of anyone who swims in your pool. Simply put, a swimming pool filter guarantees that the water in your pool is always clear of dirt, algae, bacteria and other harmful particles.

When choosing a swimming pool filter, you need to consider the kind of pool you have and its size. Generally, home pools use sand swimming pool filters, DE pool filters or Cartridge filters. Sand filters are more commonly even though they require weekly cleaning because anyone can maintain the pool using sand filters. DE filters, on the other hand, can be cleaned even after six weeks.

For apartment and hotel pools, the only recommended swimming pool filter is sand filter. This is because it could be backwashed easily, without compromising the guests' enjoyment and relaxation. It also has the most affordable filter media (sand), which usually needs infrequent repairs.

Before buying a swimming pool filter, it is important to determine the size of your pool. This is important because your filter should meet the requirements of your pump and water circulation. Meaning, if you purchased an undersized swimming pool filter, there is a larger possibility that it would fill up quickly while becoming damaged from the larger pump's force.

Three Types Of Swimming Pool Filters

Once you have determined the location and size of your pool, you can now compare which kind of filter you should buy.

Sand pool filters use high-grade sand as its filter media. It works by trapping dirt and other particles when water goes into the tank. Depending on the brand and unit purchased, a sand pool filter usually traps dirt of up to 40 microns (in size). If your pool usually has smaller particles in the water, a sand filter cannot effectively trap these bacteria.

Cartridge swimming pool filters use paper-type cartridges as filter media. It is recommended for most small, aboveground pools and spas. Although it could trap harmful particles of up to 100 microns, it cannot perform as effectively as DE filters. However, this kind of swimming pool filter requires little maintenance. On the downside, it cannot be backwashed – it is cleaned by manually disassembling the filter and hosing it by hand.

DE pool filters use a kind of filter powder known as “diatomaceous earth” as filter media. Compared to sand and cartridge filters, the DE pool filters are the most effective type of swimming pool filter, regardless of brand.

While different countries hold different preferences to which the best pool filter is, factors like filter size, pool location and pool usage largely influences the best pool filter that could meet your requirements.

Author Details:
Linda Rogers writes for various websites about tanning, swimming pools and health matters such as detox.

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