Maintenance

How often do I need to replace the sand in my filter?

Looking at a grain of sand under a microscope it has a jagged appearance.  As water passes through the sand the ‘jagged’ edges ‘catch’ (filter) small particles and debris.  The water also wears the sand down, smoothing out the ‘jagged’ edges and diminishing the efficacy of the sands’ filtration.  For this reason it is important to continuously ‘freshen’ up the sand in the filter. 

Important note … ‘Pool Filter Sand’ is different than less expensive play sand and ‘construction sand’.  Play sand is too finely processed and does not have the ‘jagged’ edges that are essential for effective filtration.  Construction sand is full of metals and minerals that can ‘fall out’ of solution and stain pools.  Pool sand is processed and screened to achieve the correct particle size that is optimum for filtering pool water and it is ‘washed’ to rid it of the metals and minerals.