Pool Sand

Do you know how a sand filter works to keep your pool clean?

When it comes to the types of pool filters you can install in your pool, there are enough choices to make your head spin!  The sand in a pool filter has been ground to about .45 to .55 mm in diameter and is very rough when you first start using it. Over time the sand loses its roughness and needs to be changed. The sand typically needs to be changed every five years; some have been known to go as long as 20 years without being changed although they may not be as efficient as they should be at that time. As the sand loses its rough texture the filter has to run more frequently to complete its cleaning task.

 

Tips on when to change your sand:

1.  Remove the old sand from the swimming pool filter and to do this you will need to pull the drain plug and let the water drain out.
2. Use a small cup to dig out the sand so you can expose the laterals and move the stand pipe out of the way.
3. Use caution when digging the sand out so you don't break the laterals of the filters' underdrain. They are fragile and are easily broken.
4. Once the sand is completely removed, clean and  examine the laterals. Most laterals will unscrew allowing for easy removal from the tank.
5. If you need to remove impacted dirt from the laterals, soak them in a mix of water and muriatic acid; rinse thoroughly.
6. Rinse out the tank and re-install the clean laterals.
7. Replace the underdrain assembly then add water until the tank is half full to cushion the laterals when you start to add the sand.
8. Add a bag of sand, making certain you level the sand in the sand bed before you add the next bag of sand. The amount of sand you need to add is determined by the manufacturer's instructions. If you can't find the instructions contact a swimming pool professional for guidance.
9. Once the proper amount of sand has been added, reassemble the filter tank and multiport valve.
10. It's important to start your filter system in the backwash mode to completely flush the dust from the sand and to allow the sand to settle completely around the laterals.

 

Because cleaning a sand filter is not something that is done with any regularity, you may find it easier to contact a swimming pool professional when the time comes to replace the sand in your filter.

 

How the sand filter system works:  A swimming pool sand filter separates backwash contaminates from the backwash water and then they're discarded separately.  The backwash filtering system has an inlet and an outlet and the filter and the backwash valve connects the pump outlet and sand filter inlet, and connects the sand filter outlet and pool return. When in the backwash position, the backwash valve connects the pump outlet and sand filter outlet, and connects the sand filter inlet and backwash filtering system inlet.

About the Author

Robbi Hess is a blogger/editor for www.poolinfosite.com where she blogs about all things pool-related.

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The Devils Pool by George Sand, Sand [Paperback] $20.62 I HAD just been looking long and sadly at Holbeins plowman, and was walking through the fields, musing on rustic life and the destiny of the husbandman. It is certainly tragic for him to spend his days and his strength delving in the jealous earth, that so reluctantly yields up her rich treasures when a morsel of coarse black bread, at the end of the days work, is the sole reward and profit to be reaped from such arduous toil. The wealth of the soil, the harvests, the fruits, the splendid cattle that grow sleek and fat in the luxuriant grass, are the property of the few, and but instruments of the drudgery and slavery of the many. The man of leisure seldom loves, for their own sake, the fields and meadows, the landscape, or the noble animals which are to be converted into gold for his use. He comes to the country for his health or for change of air, but goes back to town to spend the fruit of his vassals labor. Author: George Sand, Sand Binding Type: Paperback Number of Pages: 148 Publication Date: 2007/12/01 Language: English Dimensions: 8.50 x 5.50 x 0.34 inches

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The Devils Pool by Sand, George [Hardcover] $40.77 Uncle Ethan had a theory that a mans character could be told by the way he sat in a wagon seat. A mean man sets right plumb in the middle o the seat, as much as to say, Walk, gol darn yeh, who cares? But a man that sets in one corner o the seat, much as to say, Jump incheaper t ride n to walk, you can jest tie to. Uncle Ripley was prejudiced in favor of the stranger, therefore, before he came opposite the potato patch, where the old man was bugging his vines. Author: Sand, George Binding Type: Hardcover Number of Pages: 148 Publication Date: 2007/12/01 Language: English Dimensions: 8.50 x 5.50 x 0.50 inches

Sand Hardening Formula for Aboveground Pool Bottoms - 5 Gallon Pail $239.99 Finally! Get a smooth, rock-hard pool bottom surface, without the expense or difficulty of working with cement. The new PB111J Sand Hardening System from SB Industries is ideal for new swimming pool installations as well as renovations / upgrades to existing pools. This innovative new product gives you the hardness of cement, with the ease & value of sand! PB111J Sand Hardening System is made from an acrylic polymer, and is available in both Inground and Aboveground formulas. It is environmentally friendly, cost-effective and very easy to use -just pour into the Base-Sprayer & pull the trigger! Sprayed over a smoothed sand surface, PB111J will dramatically improvethe stability of sand, creating a tough, hard pool bottom with superior stabilization properties - and no need to work with cement!Create asmooth, rock-hard pool bottom surface, without cement!Transforms a standard sand bottom to an ultra-smooth, hard & durable surfaceSignificantly increases the stability of a sand pool bottomNever have to wet or water down sand on hot days when installinga linerKeeps sand from sliding on hot days when troweling a poolEliminates depressions & foot printsAvailable in bothInground & Aboveground formulasSimply spray over a troweled sand-surface, for a tough, even pool baseCan also be used as a mix-in application with sand, for a true "hard bottom"Easy to use, cost-effectiveEnvironmentally friendlyLaboratory & field testedWhy Choose PB111Jvs Sand or Cement?Sand is one of the easiest & least expensive waysto create a swimming pool bottom. Sand is very easy to work with & to install, and its a cost-effective choice. But sand can also pose problems during installation and after, because it has very little structural integrity or strength. For example, sand can slide during the troweling process & it needs to be wet-down if you are working with it on a hot day. Even worse, pool owners often discover too late that sand can also create footprints & depressions under your vinyl liner, after its installed. Cement on the other hand, offers maximum structural integrity but it can be both expensive and verydifficult to work with. Solve these common problems with the new PB111J System, and get a pool bottom with the integrity of cement, without the cost orhassles!Instructions for Use Simply pour the 5-gallon pail into the Base-Sprayer and pull the trigger. Apply PB111J evenly over a smoothed sand bottom with a smooth, sweeping stroke... thats it! Factors including sun, clouds, humidity and temperature can affect your installation, so be sure to read and follow the complete Instructions provided (for guidelines, see "Installation Instructions"at the top of this page). Refer to the Coverage Guide below for approximate quantity needed by pool size & type.Coverage

Sand Hardening Formula for Inground Pool Bottoms - 5 Gallon Pail $239.99 Finally! Get a smooth, rock-hard pool bottom surface, without the expense or difficulty of working with cement. The new PB111J Sand Hardening System from SB Industries is ideal for new swimming pool installations as well as renovations / upgrades to existing pools. This innovative new product gives you the hardness of cement, with the ease & value of sand! PB111J Sand Hardening System is made from an acrylic polymer, and is available in both Inground and Aboveground formulas. It is environmentally friendly, cost-effective and very easy to use - just pour into the Base-Sprayer & pull the trigger! Sprayed over a smoothed sand surface, PB111J will dramatically improve the stability of sand, creating a tough, hard pool bottom with superiorstabilization properties - and no need to work with cement!Create asmooth, rock-hard pool bottom surface, without cement!Transforms a standard sand bottom to an ultra-smooth, hard & durable surfaceSignificantly increases the stability of a sand pool bottomNever have to wet or water down sand on hot days when installinga linerKeeps sand from sliding on hot days when troweling a poolEliminates depressions & foot printsAvailable in bothInground & Aboveground formulasSimply spray over a troweled sand-surface, for a tough, even pool baseCan also be used as a mix-in application with sand, for a true "hard bottom"Easy to use, cost-effectiveEnvironmentally friendlyLaboratory & field testedWhy Choose PB111Jvs Sand or Cement?Sand is one of the easiest & least expensive waysto create a swimming pool bottom. Sand is very easy to work with & to install, and its a cost-effective choice. But sand can also pose problems during installation and after, because it has very little structural integrity or strength. For example, sand can slide during the troweling process & it needs to be wet-down if you are working with it on a hot day. Even worse, pool owners often discover too late that sand can also create footprints & depressions under your vinyl liner, after its installed. Cement on the other hand, offers maximum structural integrity but it can be both expensive and verydifficult to work with. Solve these common problems with the new PB111J System, and get a pool bottom with the integrity of cement, without the cost orhassles!Instructions for Use Simply pour the 5-gallon pail into the Base-Sprayer and pull the trigger. Apply PB111J evenly over a smoothed sand bottom with a smooth, sweeping stroke... thats it! Factors including sun, clouds, humidity and temperature can affect your installation, so be sure to read and follow the complete Instructions provided (for guidelines, see "Installation Instructions"at the top of this page). Refer to the Coverage Guide below for approximate quantity needed by pool size & type.Coverage

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Jandy SFTM 22 Inch Sand Pool Filter $369.99 Jandy SFTM 22" Sand FilterJandys new SFTM Sand Filter System offers top-quality performance thats super-reliable & built to last. The new Jandy SFTM Sand Filter System features top-mount design, super-tough thermoplastic tank, quick-connect unions & a 7-position multi-port valve. Its built with a high-capacity filter bed to ensure efficient operation. And the upper distribution system provides exceptional water flow.Features top-mount design within a super-tough thermoplastic tankBuilt with quick-connect unions & a 7-position multi-port valveHigh-capacity filter bed ensures efficient operationUpper distribution system provides exceptional water flow

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Waterway Clearwater 22 Inch Sand Pool Filter $279.99 Waterway Clearwater 22" Sand Filter SystemThe new Clearwater 22" Sand Filter System from Waterway offers the ultimate in reliability, longevity &amp ease of use. It features a 6" pump tray, 7-position multi-port valve, 1½" drain port & mounting base. The molded spherical tank & internal diffuser ensure even pressure for greater strength. Includes connections fittings package.For reliability, longevity & ease of useFeatures a 6" pump tray, 7-position multi-port valve, 1½" drain port & mounting baseMolded spherical tank & internal diffuser to ensure even pressure & greater strengthIncludes connections fittings packageSand media soldseparately

ZeoSand Sand Pool Filter Media - 50 Lb $39.99 ZeoSand Filter Media - Enhances Water Clarity by Five Times Highest ammonia holding capacityReduces burning eyesReduces chloramines Highest surface areaImproves clarityFilters small particles (down to 3 microns)Natural Zeolite100%naturalHighest purityHighest qualityLowers costsReduces chemical usageFewer backwashesOne pound of ZeoSand replaces two pounds of sand because the bulk density is about half that of sand. To remove any fine particles, backwashZeoSand thoroughly prior to bringing the filter online. Since ZeoSand has a greater capacity for particulates, the time between backwashes can be increased. Salt regeneration may be needed as infrequently as once a year to remove ammonia. ZeoSand should be replaced about as often as sand.Surface AreaAn ounce of ZeoSand has the surface area of about 9,700,000 square feet (43.8 square meters/gram). Sand has the surface area of about 1,000 square feet per cubic foot (0.2 m²/g). The large surface area of ZeoSand is caused by small pores and surface irregularities that trap and hold ultra small particulates. By filtering particles down to 3 microns, ZeoSand helps achieve superior water clarity. Backwashing with water removes these small particles.Ammonia RemovalZeoSand removes the ammonia produced from the decomposition of organic materials containing urea and proteins. The ammonia is ion exchanged into the ZeoSand. A cubic foot of ZeoSand will hold about 1.5 pounds of ammoniawhile the same amount of sand will hold less than 0.1 ounces of ammonia. Removing ammonia reduces chloramines formation, thus chemicals usage is reduced. ZeoSand also removes heavy metals, mercaptans and other hazardous materials.ChloraminesAmmonia reacts with hypochlorite to reduce the hypochlorite disinfectant properties and produce the irritants mono-and dichloroamines.Chloramines are the cause of burning eyes. When chloramines are at unacceptable levels, soaking ZeoSand with a 5 to 10% salt solution and backwashing removes the trapped ammonia.Natural ZeolitesZeoSand, a natural zeolite product, is produced in the western United States. Compared to other natural filtration zeolites, ZeoSand has a higher ammonia capacity and surface area.Natural zeolites were crystallized millions of years ago by a reaction of alkaline water and volcanicash. The uniform three-dimensional honeycomb structure has an open and negatively charged framework. Exchangeable positively charged ions in the natural zeolite channels are reversibly exchanged.Click Here for ZeoFilter Sand Filter Cleaner.

Intex 1,600 Gallon 1/2 HP Sand Pool Filter Pump w/ GFCI $249.99 Intex 1,600 Gallon 1/2 HP Sand Pool Filter Pump w/ GFCI

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Above-ground Pool 3/ 4 Horsepower Sand Filter $769.17 This 3/4 Horsepower Above-ground Pool Sand Filter can clean up to ten times faster than standard cartridge filter systems. This high-powered sand filter is designed for above-ground pools and is easy to assemble and connect.Made by Game CompanyRecommended for pools up to 20,000 gallonsSeven position value settingsIncludes fittings for INTEX and all other types of above ground poolsHair and lint trapPressure gaugeSalt-water safeHolds 125-pounds of 20 silica sandFeatures one year manufacturer's warrantyDimensions: 34 inches tall x 20 inches wide x 20 inches deep

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