Pool Filter Sand Replacement

[capediver]

So they reckon you don't backwash at all with this stuff and I believe it is for the exact reason you mention, it will battle as it physically needs to be squeezed like a sponge. It goes for R140 per bag from eco-fiber themselves, not sure what builders charges. I would use 3 bags.

Tell me more about the glass please? Surely it is a hazard when replacing RE cutting your hands to pieces?

The glass is already finished/polished and is not as you would imagine....have it in my pool filter after years on sand....buildup of back-pressure due to blocked filter is slower, water is cleaner for longer and backwash uses less water....sand tends to clog and if you don't backwash often enough, it's a perfect incubator for green algae, you only discover the reason for persistent green water after opening your filter and finding out you been breeding the stuff in there!!!!.....the glass seems to not do this and backwash is more efficient...

Of course, I was trapped at home for almost 6 months and the pool got very close attention! And there are a number of other factors that play a part in pool health....you have to have that water in good chemical nick, having a good filter is only half the answer to a cool pool!!! Flamingos and beer also help!!!

[MudMuppet]

Has anyone moved over to http://www.ecofiber.co.za/ ?

I am having so many issues keeping my massive pool clean. Evidently my filter and pump are too small for the pool. My pool is +- 117 000L and I only have a 0.75kw pump with a 120 kg(3 bags) filter. I need to go one up to 1.1 kw pump and 160 kg(4 bags) filter. I got a quote the other day to have the pool made smaller and lets just say it is staying this big until I win the powerball. So in the mean time I am making plans to get a bigger pump and filter(these are also pricey nowadays so going to be servicing a spare 1.1kw pump my Dad has and hope it works and will either source a good 2nd hand filter or just buy a new one if need be). I have been told about this new ecofiber stuff and it is apparently better than sand, well that is according to the website and salesman but that is their job so some real word experience would help.

 

LWB, I am using Ecofiber in my pool, and it appears to work ok. I have a small pool, but with a 1.1kw motor, due to the filter being well below the pool itself.

I am trying it because i have a thatch roof and when it rains hard or hails we get a lot of bits in the pool, which does not always get purged nicely during backwash. I might add i still backwash even with the bricks in, but have not had to service the brick yet.

[Long Wheel Base]

R210 for 1kg

Sjoe quite a big price difference. I am assuming the eco-fiber direct price is incl vat. They didn't say it wasn't.

[Long Wheel Base]

The glass is already finished/polished and is not as you would imagine....have it in my pool filter after years on sand....buildup of back-pressure due to blocked filter is slower, water is cleaner for longer and backwash uses less water....sand tends to clog and if you don't backwash often enough, it's a perfect incubator for green algae, you only discover the reason for persistent green water after opening your filter and finding out you been breeding the stuff in there!!!!.....the glass seems to not do this and backwash is more efficient...

Of course, I was trapped at home for almost 6 months and the pool got very close attention! And there are a number of other factors that play a part in pool health....you have to have that water in good chemical nick, having a good filter is only half the answer to a cool pool!!! Flamingos and beer also help!!!

Summer Flamingos 2 copy.png

Ok cool thanks. So it is like small balls then? You get glass beads for sand blasting, maybe it is something similar. 

So I open my filter once to twice a year to clean it out and I almost always fine some lekker green algae.

Agreed on the chemical side, when I first bought my house I would only put chemicals when it didn't look so good. Then I got gatvol of wasting money and having a greenish pool so now I do a weekly maintenance program and it works out much cheaper.

[Long Wheel Base]

LWB, I am using Ecofiber in my pool, and it appears to work ok. I have a small pool, but with a 1.1kw motor, due to the filter being well below the pool itself.

I am trying it because i have a thatch roof and when it rains hard or hails we get a lot of bits in the pool, which does not always get purged nicely during backwash. I might add i still backwash even with the bricks in, but have not had to service the brick yet.

Awesome thanks man. How long have you had it for? What size is your filter?

I have a 0.75kw and 120 filter but I should actually have a 1.1kw with a 160 filter but I don't have zar in the budget for that at the moment. Just having the right size pump and filter will help me a lot. Mine currently runs almost 24/7. I don't have solar heating(only a bubble cover) so on days we know it will be lekker warm we switch it off in the morning and by late morning/early afternoon it is nice and warm. Otherwise it runs all the time.

[The Ouzo]

Awesome thanks man. How long have you had it for? What size is your filter?

I have a 0.75kw and 120 filter but I should actually have a 1.1kw with a 160 filter but I don't have zar in the budget for that at the moment. Just having the right size pump and filter will help me a lot. Mine currently runs almost 24/7. I don't have solar heating(only a bubble cover) so on days we know it will be lekker warm we switch it off in the morning and by late morning/early afternoon it is nice and warm. Otherwise it runs all the time.

I dont think you need to run it all the time, even with an undersized filter. Around 6 hours a day should be fine. And if you have the bubble cover on most of the time then the pool is not getting dirty, so you are really just circulating the pool to pass the water through the filter.

 

With the new pool I put a vinyl cover on, I run the pump alot less and the pool water stays perfect, I only increased the runtime a little now in summer so that the sola heating can do its thing.

 

A word of warning when you do upgrade pump / filter, dont do pump first then filter, your will blow the filter. Do them both together or do filter first then pump. I learnt the hard way.

[Ed-Zulu]

Sjoe quite a big price difference. I am assuming the eco-fiber direct price is incl vat. They didn't say it wasn't.

R260/kg in my neck of the woods

[MudMuppet]

Awesome thanks man. How long have you had it for? What size is your filter?

I have a 0.75kw and 120 filter but I should actually have a 1.1kw with a 160 filter but I don't have zar in the budget for that at the moment. Just having the right size pump and filter will help me a lot. Mine currently runs almost 24/7. I don't have solar heating(only a bubble cover) so on days we know it will be lekker warm we switch it off in the morning and by late morning/early afternoon it is nice and warm. Otherwise it runs all the time.

 

Purchased the Ecofiber blocks on a Builders special, but only replaced the sand end September, so still a ways to go for the first "service". I have a 3-bag filter, and yes it is not recommend with a 1.1kw motor, but need the pressure to be able to pump the water all the way up.  

[Long Wheel Base]

I dont think you need to run it all the time, even with an undersized filter. Around 6 hours a day should be fine. And if you have the bubble cover on most of the time then the pool is not getting dirty, so you are really just circulating the pool to pass the water through the filter.

 

With the new pool I put a vinyl cover on, I run the pump alot less and the pool water stays perfect, I only increased the runtime a little now in summer so that the sola heating can do its thing.

 

A word of warning when you do upgrade pump / filter, dont do pump first then filter, your will blow the filter. Do them both together or do filter first then pump. I learnt the hard way.

I tried running it less, It just doesn't get to everything. I have 3 problem trees, 1 in my garden and 2 in my neighbors, it seems the leaves get attracted to the pool even though the trees aren't that close.

Some pool guy did a calculation and said with the amount of litres I have and the pump size it pretty much needs to run all the time to circulate all the water through the filter. He also said don't bother changing the pump and filter now, just run it till they blow. But after seeing the price of a bigger pump and filter I am happy to do that.

[The Ouzo]

I tried running it less, It just doesn't get to everything. I have 3 problem trees, 1 in my garden and 2 in my neighbors, it seems the leaves get attracted to the pool even though the trees aren't that close.

Some pool guy did a calculation and said with the amount of litres I have and the pump size it pretty much needs to run all the time to circulate all the water through the filter. He also said don't bother changing the pump and filter now, just run it till they blow. But after seeing the price of a bigger pump and filter I am happy to do that.

what about a skimmer attachment ?

Not the one that connects to the kreepy pipe, I had one that connected to the water inlet into the pool, created a little vortex and any floating debri got sucked into it. Worked very well.

[kosmonooit]

I tried some fancy expensive 'media' in one of my clients filters a couple of years ago, what a total waste of time and money.

 

They were small round blue PVC things about 8mm high and in diameter with small channels in them. Had no comeback / refund from supplier (Waterlinx) and eventually gave up and replaced with conventional silica. I had to mod the insides of the filter, so that all needed to be replaced as well.

[kosmonooit]

what about a skimmer attachment ?

Not the one that connects to the kreepy pipe, I had one that connected to the water inlet into the pool, created a little vortex and any floating debri got sucked into it. Worked very well.

Yeah those work well - you have to keep it from swiveling up and sucking in air.

[Eddy Gordo]

These ones work well

 

[The Ouzo]

These ones work well

 

thats what I had.

[Long Wheel Base]

Yeah pool skim, got one but doesn't work with a bubble cover. It does work very well in normal conditions.

[Long Wheel Base]

Side note, I think the pool skim is a South African product. I think the idea has been patented if I'm not mistaken.