LevelGroundPool.Com - Swimming Pool Sand Filter Pump

Pool Sand Filter Pump - My Observations

Upon a suggestion of a friend with a larger pool, we decided to try a sand filter for our pool. Actually, I purchased this Intex Sand filter pump before we got our new 16 ft Intex Ultra Frame pool but did not get around to giving it a try until the next summer. The Ultra Frame pool has a very nice conventional filter with built in timer, thus eliminating the need for an additional timer so we used that for the first year. But in the next season I thought I should at least give this sand system a try. Here is what I found:

• This system requires a lot more room to store than a filter pump. So if you are short on space, this might be an issue.
• Setup, although fairly simple, takes a bit more time than simply hooking up a pump. You must fill with sand, the proper sand, and provide a wood base. The sand and base are not included. Upon startup you must backwash the system. (Follow Instructions). You must then rinse for a full minute. If you do not rinse, the fine sand will be pushed into your pool!
• I found that even after rinsing to the drain for a full minute, I still got some fine sand going back into my pool! I used "pool filter sand" from Menards home store - perhaps this is the issue.My sand was size 20-40 and the instructions say to use size 20. I could rinse longer, but I would lose a lot of water from our pool! This was solved, however, when my kids did a lot of swimming to stir up the water and this fine sand was then filtered back out.
• You must take caution on setting the 6-way valve properly! You can very easily burn out the pump by using the wrong setting (see photos below). And if you pump against a closed valve there is even a chance of an explosion (according to the manual). This aspect concerns me a lot, especially if kids should tamper with this unit!
• You must back flush and rinse the system every few weeks. This takes 5 or 10 minutes, but I would much rather simply change out filters (<2 minutes) on a mosquito-filled evening when my salt system stops from low flow.
• The sand filter does not get rid of leaves - you still must skim these out. I found that I had to skim the pool just as often as before due to leaves and bugs dropping on the surface.
• With a lot of pool use by the kids stirring up the water as only kids could do, I found that much of the sand they brought in got filtered out, which is nice! I have not had to vacuum the bottom much at all. Also, the water seems cleaner otherwise.

In conclusion, this filter works nice. But it is extra work and potentially dangerous if kids tamper with it. And it is easily ruined if used incorrectly. For simplicity and safety, one might just stick to a conventional filter using Type A filters rather than this sand filter. You can clean your type A filters and reuse them if you want to save a few dollars on filter expense. Also the conventional filter takes less storage room. But, the sand filter saved me the trouble of vacuuming the bottom so I guess I am happy with it. You will have to decide what works best for you.