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Cartridge Filters Are Incompatible with Alternative Sanitizers

By: Larry Couture
 

It is estimated that 60% of new pools built in the U.S. in 2008 received some sort of alternative sanitizer in the swimming pool build contract. Unfortunately, it is also documented that nearly one half of the pools built with an alternative sanitizer also received a cartridge pool filter. The consumer driven demand for alternatives is not technically or mechanically able to overcome the cartridge filter platform which has also been endorsed by environmentally conscious cities wishing to reduce chloride levels and institute a zero backwash approach to new swimming pool building permits.

The "zero backwash" approach to the pool is appealing in the short run but ignores the long run fact that the entire swimming pool will likely require water exchange (due to high solid levels) several years before a swimming pool filtered with sand or diatomaceous earth equipment would require a drain and refill. The cartridge filter build platform has crept into markets such as Florida, Arizona, Texas and California where pools are stressed by hurricane, firestorm and dirt storm issues which will require earlier draining of the pool with the already increased solid levels. These four states represent 50% of the U.S. in-ground pool market.

Consumers in the other states should not only look at the shorter periods between full swimming pool water exchange with cartridge filtration, but the practical operating and water chemistry issues required to keep a clear, clean, debris or dirt-free swimming pool.

Filters are rated in terms of micron removal, assuming they are properly sized in relation to the swimming pool pump horsepower. The industry currently rates a diatomaceous earth (DE) filter at 2-5 micron particle removal, a sand filter with glass or zeolite media at 2-5 microns, a cartridge filter at 20-40 microns and a sand filter with conventional 20 quartz silica sand at 50 microns.

The micron ratings are most relevant when considering each swimmer exfoliates one BILLION skin and blood cells per swim.



Further with human orifices in the water, coliform bacteria, blood cells and fecal bacteria are known items brought into the swimming pool water. The problem for cartridge filtration is that each of these human by-products will accumulate in the pool water until a shock chlorination curve is achieved, turning the skin, blood or bacterial cells into vapor.

Absent the shock level chlorination 3ppm to 10ppm, the cells simply accumulate in the pool with a cartridge filter. Buyers of alternative sanitizers have invested significant dollars to avoid both the handling of the chemicals as well as the harsh oxidation associated with the halogen pool shock required to get the human cells out of the pool water when a cartridge is used.

By simply selecting a sand filter with glass or zeolite media or a diatomaceous earth filter (all rated at 2-5 microns particle removal) the new pool owner can avoid shocking their pool and enjoy a safe and pleasurable swim - without the chlorine.

Also - proper operation of the right alternative sanitizer will permit recycling of the backwash to the lawn, flower gardens or shrubbery.

And in the unlikely event the pool gets hit with a dirt storm, firestorm, thunderstorm or hurricane the pool can often be cleaned without draining it entirely - another reason cartridge filters are not the ideal platform.
 

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