Add Title

Black Diamond Cartridge Filters vs Sand Filters. An Analysis.

Eastgate Pools offers both sand and cartridge filters for their above-ground pool customers. I can address both in a somewhat educated, unbiased manner. I started in the industry over fifty years ago, so I’ve learned one or two things. As such, and admittedly a little arrogantly, I state that a quality cartridge system is superior to sand systems for numerous reasons. I said, ‘quality cartridge system’. Disregard cheap cartridge filters for those small toy pools you find in Big Box Stores. Those cartridges might last a month or so before imploding, then getting replaced by another cheapie. With a Black Diamond Filter, you get a quality cartridge that usually lasts one to three years, depending on care. And unlike most other cartridges on the market that frequently collapse under pressure, Black Diamond cartridges work better. The reason is simple. Inside the pleating is what they call Chain Link webbing. It strengthens the cartridge and helps it hold its form and work more efficiently.

Okay, back to the sand vs. Black Diamond Cartridge discussion. Here are seven key reasons why I prefer the Black Diamond Cartridge system.

1. They remove much smaller particles.

In swimming pools, particles that cause cloudiness are measured in microns. A micron is not visible to the naked eye. But kill some algae and you’ll put a few zillion exploded algae cells in the water. Or stir up some dirt that accumulated on the floor and now you may not even be able to see the bottom. Sand filters remove particles in the 20-40-micron range and are inefficient removing these microscopic particles. Black Diamond cartridges remove much smaller particles only 5-10-microns in size. The advantage: A pool stays cleaner and cleans up quicker if you have an algae event. And if your water is milky from rain or a storm, the Black Diamond will get it back to normal much quicker.

2. A sand filter is never less efficient than on the first day of use.

A sand filter relies on trapped dirt to help tighten up gaps between grains of sand. Dirt actually increases the filter’s efficiency. However, when you get too much dirt inside, you must flush it out. This returns it to a less efficient state. In contrast, Black Diamond cartridges filter out those small particles from the start.

3. Speaking of cleaning…

When a sand filter gets full of trapped dirt, you must backwash it to remove the dirt inside the tank. It’s not rocket science to do this, but there are steps and drawbacks. Turn off the power and make sure you have a hose on the backwash port on the valve head. Then, turn the valve setting to ‘backwash’ and turn the power back on. A reverse flow inside will wash out the unwanted dirt. Continue backwashing for one to three minutes or until the water coming out is visibly clear. Then, shut the power off and change the valve head setting to ‘rinse’. Power up, then run it for another 30 seconds to one minute.

Again, it’s not difficult. But depending on the filter size, you may be pumping out as much as fifty to one-hundred-gallons of water. That’s a big water loss over the course of the season. It adds up every time you do this basic, necessary procedure. Plus, you’re pumping out chemicals, probably right on the ground. That’s definitely not eco-friendly.

As for the Black Diamond, it’s a simple procedure. Turn off the power and close any valves from the skimmer to the motor and from the filter back to the pool. Unscrew the filter lid and pull the cartridge out. Hose it off with your garden hose and when clean to your satisfaction, reinsert the cartridge. Put the filter lid back on, open the line valves, and turn the power back on.

4. Regarding that head valve on your sand filter.

Head valves are the number one item that frequently gets replaced with sand filters and they aren’t cheap. They may cost half as much as the filter itself. They often go bad because people take shortcuts when backwashing. Simply, they don’t turn the power off before making any setting changes. This puts massive pressure on an interior gasket that keeps water from leaking from one chamber to another. The gasket rips loose and water starts leaking out backwash or rinse ports. That gasket or gasket assembly can often be replaced, but it’s difficult and costly. Thus, many people just bite the bullet and go with a new valve.

A Black Diamond filter has no head valve. No head valve, no problem.

5. The most odious job with a sand filter is…

Changing the sand. People that live in some areas need to do this every year or two. That happens when you have an incredibly high calcium level in the water supply. The calcium builds up inside the tank and begins to harden. This basically diverts water around the sand and straight back to the pool without filtering. Fortunately, most pool owners don’t have this extreme issue. But sand does erode over time, forcing people to replace the sand. If you have performed this chore, you know it’s a big pain in the nether regions. Remove the head valve, scoop out the sand (possibly several hundred pounds), and scrape up your arm on the small hole. Make sure not to break the standpipe and remember there are breakable fingers screwed in the bottom of the standpipe. Be gentle with the tank, too. We see instances every year where someone gets most of the sand out then gets impatient. They turned the tank over to get the remaining sand out. One pool owner scuffed up the head valve tank lip and it wouldn’t seal up again. Several managed to crack their tanks. Assuming the old sand is finally gone and the tank hasn’t been wrecked or destroyed, refill with new sand and hose away any sand grit on the head valve O-ring and tank surface. Finally, turn the valve to ‘backwash’ and turn the filter back on. Check for leaks. Stop and retighten the valve if there are leaks. If not, continue the backwash procedure to rinse away any dust in the new sand. Estimated time for most sand change procedures: a couple of hours, assuming you don’t have to go buy parts you just broke.

As for installing a new Black Diamond cartridge, remove it from its wrapper and put it in the filter with power off and line valves closed. This usually takes about a minute. Or less.

6. The cost of ownership factor.

I’m talking about electricity costs here. Water pumped through sand encounters a lot of resistance. If you net 25 gallons per minute (GPM) of flow, a 28-foot above ground would get roughly two turns of water over a 24-hour period. That’s running continuously. In comparison, a Black Diamond filter pumps water more efficiently with minimal head loss. Assuming double the GPM flow rate, you only need to run the filter 12 hours to get those same two turns. In short, a Black Diamond filter removes smaller particles in half the time. This means you can run it for fewer hours (saving you money) and put less workload on the motor (lengthening its life expectancy).

7. Winterization is a piece of cake.

Most people leave their sand filter outside for the winter. They remove (hopefully) the drain plug to get the water out. Unfortunately, once it is drained, some people put the plug back in to keep from losing it. Water in the wet sand will continue to settle to the bottom and will likely lead to a big uh-oh! The water expands as it freezes and cracks the tank. Assuming the plug is not replaced, the tank will probably survive the winter. Of course, if debris or calcium trapped inside clogs the drain line, the filter may still crack. But unless you have Clark Kent, aka Superman strength, do you really want to move that filter inside? I hope you have a good chiropractor.

The Black Diamond is much easier. Shut off the power and close line valves. Remove the filter lid, the cartridge, and the drain plug. When the housing is empty, store the plug inside the tank. Stuff some bubble wrap in it as an extra precaution against freeze damage. Lastly, screw the lid back on. Your filter is winterized. Even better, take the entire system indoors for winter’s duration. It probably weighs about forty pounds, or less.

To summarize…

Pool owners should not end up hating their filtration system because it is high maintenance or inefficient. The Black Diamond filtration system has become the primary choice for those replacing an old, worn-out system. It is also the system most of our customers choose when buying a pool. It’s better technology and that just makes sense.