Are cartridge filters better for small pools?

Pool pumps, pool filters and the plumbing of
swimming pools. Sand filters, cartridge filters,
fabric filters and alternative filter media.
RicardoD

Are cartridge filters better for small pools?

Postby RicardoD » Sat 18 Aug, 2012 14:36

I have a 5,000 gal. underground pool with attached spa. The pump is a 1.5HP Hayward Super Pump and the filter is a Hayward 210T filter, which has sprung a leak toward the top of the filter. The filter also runs through a Legacy 175K BTU pool heater. I have tried patching the filter leak several times but the leak always returns within a few days. I've been told that patching never really works because of the amount of water pressure the patch has to endure. Because my pool is small, I've been recommended to switch to a cartridge filter. For my size pool, is this pump/filter combination good, or would I be better off switching to a smaller cartridge filter?


TSH Tech

Are cartridge filters better for small pools?

Postby TSH Tech » Sat 18 Aug, 2012 17:27

5,000 gallon pool WITH an attached spa?

Here's my assessment, you have a 1.5 HP pump which I am going to assume is for the spa, because that is a powerful pump, powerful enough to get the spa jet action going.

Here's what's going to happen next when you try and install a small cartridge filter with that pump; That 1.5 HP pump, which is powerful enough to create spa jet action and powerful enough to push water up to solar panels mounted on a roof of a 2-story home will absolutely crush that little cartridge filter and/or blow the filter case in a short time. Literally. A larger cartridge filter will do the job matched with your pump, but definitely not a small filter. The sand filter you have installed now, while there is nothing to crush technically(except the laterals) seems to have aged and cracked due to the enormous pressures the pump is creating every filtration cycle. This is not unusual, all filters eventually fatigue and fail.
Sand filters are nice in that you really do not have to replace anything. The sand is good for about 10 years. Cartridge filters on the other hand, any size, you will have to replace their cartridges every 4 years. That's just the nature of the beast and something to consider if you want to step into cartridge filter territory.

This is what I would suggest, and if this were my pool/spa: Go with a Sta-Rite System 3 Sand Filter with the multi-port valve. It's a small sand filter good up to a 25,000 gallon pool and it's a sturdy filter. What I mean by sturdy is that the case is very "beefed up". This filter will handle your powerful 1.5HP pump with ease and give you years of service.
~ Hope this helps

Return to “Pool Pumps, Filters, Plumbing & Piping”

Who is online at the Pool Help Forum

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 26 guests