Filtration Facts

Sand filters are large tanks that use pool filter sand to remove contaminants and debris from swimming pool water that flows through. They can remove debris as small as 20 microns, which is about a third of the size of a human hair (70 microns).

As your pool filter pump pushes water into your sand filter, it gradually passes through a thick bed of sand. The sand acts as a filter screen that traps debris and removes contaminants, preventing them from getting back into your pool. From there, clean water flows out of the sand filter and into your pool, and the process repeats itself.

Cartridge pool filters consist of a large plastic tank that houses one to four cylindrical filter cartridges. Each cartridge features a hollow tube that’s lined with a layer of folded, or pleated, cloth material. The pleated cloth design increases the surface area of the filter media, which lowers flow resistance and allows for more water to be effectively filtered at once.  Cartridge pool filters can trap and filter out particles as small as 10 microns.  

As your pool pump pushes water through your cartridge filter, it passes through a series of pleated, filter cartridges. Each tube features a layer of folded cloth that traps debris and particles as water flows through. And as clean water flow outs of the filter, dirty pool water flows in, and the cycle repeats.

Diatomaceous earth filters, or DE Filters, comprise a series of powder-coated fabric grids within a plastic tank. Diatomaceous earth is a naturally occurring sediment made from the fossilized remains of ancient microalgae. It can be crushed and processed into DE powder, which gets added to DE filter systems to improve filtration and capture a finer range of particles. The DE powder clings to the fabric grids, which increases filtration power and allows the DE filter to capture particles as small as 3 microns.

DE pool filters use a combination of fabric grids and DE powder to capture particles as they flow through the filter system. A DE pool filter cartridge works best with the help of an added layer of DE powder that lines each filter grid and helps it capture a wide range of particles as water passes through.