The sand that lies underneath your pool is called “mason sand”, while the sand for your filter is simply called “filter sand” or “silica sand”.
Sand filters can be used to remove most algae from a pool, but any particles that are smaller than 20 microns will pass through the average sand filter.
For your pool's base, you want sand that's very fine and free of any rocks or pebbles. This type of sand is referred to as mason sand, masonry sand, or sometimes mortar sand. While mason sand is the most popular choice, another option is concrete sand.
The best sand to put under a pool is mason sand, sometimes called mortar sand. Mason sand is the perfect size and consistency for leveling pools with no impurities or large sharp edges to damage your pool liner.
The most obvious difference when you compare these types of sand is the size of the grains. Pool filter sand has a much smaller particle size. They are no more than half a millimeter in diameter. This small size allows them to trap even very fine matter.
QUIKRETE® Filter Sand is used for swimming pool filtration systems designed for use with silica sand.
Your pump may be too large or the sand level too high in the filter. When the filter is backwashing the water flow can cause the sand to rise high enough and overflow into the standpipe, which will allow the sand back into the pool.
Too much sand and your filter will likely not run correctly or may break when reassembling. Too little sand and you will have cloudy water no matter how much your filter runs. For this reason check your filter manufacturer's specs.
Generally, you'll want to change the sand in your pool filter about once every five years. Once you've gone past five years without a change, the reliability and efficiency of your filter go down.
This product is capable of really keeping a person's swimming pool nice and clean. It comes in 50-pound bags that are easy to pour and easy to use, and they are always ready for use. This filter media does a fantastic job of filtering dead organic components and other forms of sediment out of swimming pool water.
The most common media used is sand filtration. The recommended type is No. 20 grade silica sand, with specification of 0.45 to 0.85mm (0.018 to 0.033 inches) with a Uniformity Coefficient less than 1.75. Too fine of a grade of sand will clog too quickly, and too soft of a sand will break up and also cause clogging.
A: QUIKRETE® Pool Filter Sand has a predominant size range of US Sieve Size #20-40.
Masonry sand or Play sand won't work in a pool filter, use only a high quality Pool Filter Sand. Pool Filter Sand, is specifically graded silicone quartz, . 45-. 55 mm in size, otherwise known commercially as #20 silica sand.
By far the best material to place under a swimming pool liner is Armor Shield or Gorilla Pad. These materials are breathable allowing moisture to escape and are extremely tough, keeping insects and moles from coming through and piercing the vinyl pool liner.
Using foam as a base for your above ground pool is another great option. The lightweight material provides a solid amount of support. Foam can usually be purchased at most hardware stores as interlocking tiles, so it is easy to install. I recommend using foam tiles on a concrete slab or another stable and flat surface.
As pool filter sand is considered a hazardous material, you should not simply throw the sand away in your trash can. To properly dispose of the sand, you need to call a disposal expert or take it to a disposal site.
Slow sand filtration is a rentable biological water disinfection method that is capable of reducing the amount of algae, fungi, bacteria and some viruses (e.g. TMV not) in the water. When combined with aeration, the filter can also remove calcium and iron from the water.
Replacement sand for your sand filter typically costs around $25 per 50-pound bag, and your filter may require 100 to 600 pounds or more depending on the size and model. More than likely, you'll need about 350 pounds of sand for an average-sized inground pool filter.
Changing the pool filter sand is a bit of a pain, especially in the back region, but a bag of pool filter sand costs around R90 at your local Builders Warehouse, and you should only need two bags for most pool filters.
Can You Backwash Too Much? If you backwash your pool too much i.e. time duration and/or close frequency then yes you can cause a lot of problems. Some problems that can arise from backwashing your sand pool filter too much are: Loss of water – 500+ litres of water can be lost in each backwashing cycle.
You need chemicals with a sand filter because they require sanitization, phosphate removal, pH adjustments, and alkalinity alterations.