SWIMMING POOL FILTER SELECTION Selecting a filter for a new swimming pool or replacing an existing filter should involve five benefits or opportunities for every buyer. Technology previously available for wastewater commercial sites is now affordable and is actually lower in cost than in any five year analysis. LOCAL FACTORY REPRESENTATIVES TO SERVE AND SAVE YOU MONEY Glass Stocked United States Canada Sweden Norway                                                 Trinidad & Tabago      Barbados        St. Lucia                                             Philippines              France                   Greece Glass Stocked Belgium United Kingdom New Zealand Nicaragua PARTICLE REMOVAL There are five filtration hardware platforms available with tens of thousands of sites to draw analysis from, with each filter related in terms of GPM and thus pump/filter/flow is assumed.   Diatomaceous Earth Filters: have long been the standard for smallest particle removal at the highest cost in terms of both money and maintenance hours.  operating cost and hours of maintenance to operate a D.E. filter platform.  D.E., Perlite and Fiber Cellulose medias require a collection or separation tank in many municipal districts although Perlite proponents argue the media to be 99% silica free and should be exempt from D.E. regulatory requirements.  Perlite customers, however, are still required in many cities to separate their powder info a separation tank. Cartridge Filters: Have enjoyed a growing popularity among both pool builders and regulators under the argument that zero backwash is required.  The 40 Micron capability is diminished with each week of operation as the filtration surface loads particulate and bio-films.  Only a vaporization level of chlorine can burn off these contaminants.  Pool Builders like them because there is no need to have skilled labor or customer training at start-up and the first year (the warranty period for the pool) the cartridge works fine. In areas where hurricanes, desert dirt storms, heavy foliage, thunderstorms or wildfire residue are a concern, these filters do not allow vacuuming a pool to waste and result in complete draining of the pool more often than other filters. Typically there are 2-4 elements in the cartridge housing, with 2 year average replacement cost of $300-$600, making this platform the most expensive to operate.   Bag Filtration: Introduced in Europe over a decade ago these pillowcase style filters usually involve a two bag strategy, a 20 Micron bag when the water is less than optimal and a 6 Micron bag for fine filtration.  These bags can be washed in a laundry and can often require DAILY change out.  Failure to change a dirty bad can result in capacitor burn out in the swimming pool pump motor.  These AFM (Advanced Filtration Method) filters also present the same hurricane, dirt storm, thunderstorm and wildfire clean up, drain the pool issues as cartridge filters and exist only in a niche market to date.   Sand Filtration: Long the standard in swimming pool ownership these filters have enjoyed the ease of operation niches and conventional control of the pool when a multiport valve is present. 20 Quartz Silica machined sand with its 50 Micron removal has drawn the attention of both Zeolite and Glass proponents seeking to lower the micron capabilities while decreasing the backwash frequency. The least expensive Hardware platform for properly sized filters.   Zeolites are a volcanic stone with a micro-porous surface and various absorption capabilities.  In high Ammonia environments such as an unstable public pool or a fishpond, Zeolites can remove the odor and are unique in this benefit. This same absorption benefit however, can be a detriment in certain swimming applications.  With seven or eight Zeolites now on the market, various ion exchange issues with calcium hardness should be addressed as well as the absorption and reintroduction of phosphates into the pool via acid rain. Like D.E. and Sand filtration platforms, the aspirant Silica involved is a type II suspected or a type I know carcinogen according to the Center for Disease Control and a proper care should be used when handling TALK LIVE WITH A POOL PROFESSIONAL 1-800-466-7946 Glass media however, has been in slow sand filtration since the 1800’s and has been a standard in difficult wastewater site applications.  With its low operating cost and few incompatibility issues, the swimming pool glass filter becomes the best available filtration platform. The surface of the glass is not only harder and smoother than sand or Zeolite, it traps oxygen when water hits the glass bead making particles larger and reducing the micron rating of the sand filter from 50 Microns down to 2 Micron. Glass Pack™  is the only sterilized product on the market, machined from 100% post consumer waste recycled glass and developed for the swimming pool sand filter.  A 300lb sand filter requires a 300lb Glass Pack™, a 900lb sand filter requires a 900lb Glass Pack™, and so on.  Perhaps the greatest operating benefit is the glass media uses the entire bed depth of the filter, Versus either sand or Zeolite utilizing the top few inches only. This is accomplished in the lowest cost hardware available, the conventional Sand Filter. ·         (LINK)  A term the US EPA calls “high loading” which results in ¼ the backwash of a conventional sand filter on an in ground swimming pool.  Allowing 4 to 5 weeks between backwashing cycles and no single day pressure rise or short cycle issues. Request More Information Glass filter media (Glass Pack™) Vs. Sand or Zeolite FACT:   Glass is harder than either sand or zeolite.                                                  Individual Particle Density:      Compressive Strength = 150,000 psi   Tensile Strength         3,000,000 psi BENEFIT:  The glass will not change size or shape under flow – in every application the glass will not float in the water or other fluids the particulate exists in as with diatomite, perlite, cellulose or silica by products from sand or Zeolites. FAQ  FOR  GLASS FILTER MEDIA Q:        I have a slide valve on my sand filter will Glass Pack™ work? A:         Yes, it will perform better than the sand or Zeolite you have currently.  You should consider a backwash, rival multiport valve for $150, it will fully purge your filter and ease to change when you put the Glass Pack™ in, because it loads the entire filter bed. Q:        What does it cost and where can I get it? A:         $1 per lb of filter capacity.  It is now in-stock in 32 U.S states, 4 provinces and 4 cont. Q:        What if the glass gets in my pool isn’t that dangerous? A:         Glass Pack™ is machined to a sugar like consistency and will not damage either the pool or the people, in the unlikely event it gets in the pool.  The filter bed has a pea gravel base, similar to a fine carbon dust in a whole house filter which prevents glass from entering the pool through the laterals.   Q:        How long has this product been on the market? A:         The first filters were installed in 2004 in the U.S. and Australia.  Our Glass Pack™ is being used in thousands of customers’ pools and dozens of commercial sites nationwide. Q:        Will this product work with Bacquacil or Bioguanide sanitizers in general? A:         Yes, it is the best media available for these sites and will not require annual media change as with sand media.   OTHER ISSUES AND SUMMARY BY FILTER TYPE GREEN RANKING 1 GLASS : Uses 100% Post Consumer Waste                     Backwashes 50% Less than Zeolite 2 BAG: Requires laundry once a week 3 CARTRIDGE : Poly Vinyl Chloride Mfg Process                              Lower Water Usage w/zero backwash 4  ZEOLITE : Mining Process                        Mid Range Water Usage 5  SAND :  Mining Process                        2nd greatest Water Usage 6  DE :   Diatom Harvest and Discharge Issues                 Greatest Water Usage   ORDER NOW WITH OR WITHOUT THE FILTER   Is a registered US trademark in the US/Canada and pending in 26 other countries. WebGuy Copyright ©1994 - 2008 ECOsmarte Planet Friendly, Inc. All rights reserved.