No swimming pool is usable without a filter, but why? When the pool water is forced through a filter, the material inside of the filter traps dirt and debris before returning the filtered water back to the pool. In fact, legal requirements exist in most areas that dictate how quickly pool water must flow through the filtering system. Such guidelines are meant to ensure that the pool water is guaranteed to be clean and safe at all times.
About Diatomaceous Earth (DE)
A common favorite in the pool filter world is diatomaceous earth, a soft and crumbly sediment that forms from the fossilized remains of tiny, aquatic organisms called diatoms. This white talc-like powder is remarkable and has a number of uses—pool water filtering included!
The Workings of a DE Filter
DE filters are extremely efficient since they can trap particles as small as three microns, which is well below what the naked eye can detect. Like most pool filters, a DE filter uses a pressure gauge to indicate when the filter has become too full and needs to be backwashed.
All DE filters contain a set of fabric-coated grids arranged and spaced apart inside the filter tank, but the filter grids themselves don’t actually filter the water. Instead, DE powder is added to coat the grids and trap dirt as water passes in and out of the filter.
Benefits of a DE Filter
This is a completely natural option for filtering your pool, since the powder comes from fossilized remains. You’ll notice your pool’s water boasting unsurpassed clarity after filtered with DE, but you won’t need to backwash nearly as often, thanks to the larger filter sizes available.
While sand filters are more common, DE filters are rapidly gaining popularity for their ability to affordably clean pool water for safety and comfort.
