When do you change your filter sand?
The answer in a lot of cases might be “Never!”
As one of the leading authorities on high rate sand filtration after 40 years, we can honestly say most facilities are still operating with their original filter sand. Contrary to popular belief, sand does not wear out. The most common reason for changing filter sand is contamination. Contamination leads to breakdown of filtration properties of good silica sand. Typical examples are:
- Filter system not backwashing properly
- Poor water chemistry
- High oil build-up in the pool (lotions, sunblock, etc).
Any one of these factors, or a combination of all, can lead to poor filter performance and cloudy water conditions. After our experts have determined which factor is the problem, and then fix it, then it might be time to change the sand – to get a fresh start with your filtration system.
Remember, all sand is NOT created equal. KSI has a sieve analysis machine to verify the good from the bad, as there is a lot of non-conforming sand in the market place.
Replacing filter media sand can be expensive, time consuming, messy and cause a shut-down of your facility. So, before you do it, contact KSI for sand testing. If it’s found that you really should change-out your filter media, hopefully you only have to do it once in your career.