The main indicator of proper care for the pond is water quality. Maintain the outdoor pool in immaculate condition using filtration equipment. The most practical and affordable device is a sand filter for the pool, purifying water from harmful impurities and pollution. The filter pump will provide excellent quality of purification, the water in the pool will remain clean for a long time, which will eliminate the need to change it often.
Kinds of water filters
There are several ways to combat water pollution in outdoor pools: device waste collection, removal of debris from the surface of the reservoir with a net, cleaning the bottom with a water vacuum cleaner. But what about contamination beyond the reach of the human eye? For complete water treatment used filtration equipment.
Helpful advice! Installation of the appropriate filter for the pool is planned at the design stage of an artificial reservoir. Properly selected equipment increases the duration of the operation of the pool and reduces the cost of water disinfection.
By the principle of action, water filters are divided into mechanical, chemical and combined. The action of chemical devices is based on the use of disinfecting solutions that eliminate harmful bacteria and microorganisms. However, such compounds adversely affect human skin, which imposes restrictions on their stay in chlorinated water.
Combined products include several cleaning systems, combining mechanical and chemical elements. Such a cleaning system is considered the most effective, but rather expensive. Chemical filtration plants are bulky, and combined – expensive. The optimal solution for private ponds are mechanical filters.
Use in mechanical installations of a filtering substance, classifies them into sand, earth and cartridge.
Earth diatom filters. One of the most effective filtering devices. Purification of water occurs by passing through cartridges filled with an earthy mixture of particles of plankton. However, the high cost of such devices makes for many of their use inaccessible. In addition, the maintenance of the product (replacement and disposal) often requires the help of professionals. This is due to the fact that filling cartridges is a toxic substance.
Cartridge filters. Represent cylindrical cartridges laid in the housing of the device. The action of the cartridge filter for the pool is aimed at neutralizing particles of 5 microns. Devices are easily cleaned by treatment with special compounds or by washing with water. Used cartridges are effortlessly removed and replaced with new ones. In comparison with diatom, cartridge installations have a lower cost.
Sand filters. Such installations are the most budget of all mechanical options. It is recommended to apply them for frame and inflatable pools with a small load. Sand, a mixture of sand with particles of gravel, anthracite or carbon is used as a filler in these devices. The maintenance of the product consists in flushing with a reverse flow of water.
Sand filter is a sealed enclosure filled with sifted quartz sand. The body is made of durable plastic that can withstand the action of an aggressive environment. The pump includes a pump, a six-mode switching valve, and a pressure gauge for fixing pressure in the filter system.
Water purification occurs by passing it through quartz sand. For pool filters, fractions of 0.4-0.8 mm are used. Buy quartz sand to filter the pool can be in building outlets. Filling the container with ordinary sand will lead to failure of the installation, due to the ability to clumping. The dimensions of the body of the product are selected depending on the volume of the pool.
The operation of the installation is as follows: water is pumped into the tank with sand, passes through it and returns to the pool. Contaminants and small particles of debris remain in the layers of sand (their size is approximately 20-25 microns). It should be noted that the sand version may well act as a filter for an open-type frame pool on the summer cottage or backyard.
Determine the time of cleaning the device using the data of the pressure gauge. The higher the accumulation of dirt in the device, the more pressure is needed to pass water through it. As soon as the gauge needle reaches the critical red mark, this will be a signal to clean the product. It is necessary to turn on the mode of reverse flow of water and wash the filter.
Helpful advice! During operation, sand limestone deposits accumulate in sand filters, which can cause a decrease in their effectiveness. In view of this, it is necessary to clean the device 2-3 times a year with compositions for removing lime deposits.
The frequency of washing the filter is determined by the type of artificial reservoir, the intensity of its use, the degree of water pollution, the composition and amount of chemicals used for swimming pools. It is possible to increase the efficiency of the filtering equipment by installing a valve that performs automatic and system flushing.
The cost of sandy installations is quite acceptable. However, their disadvantage is that backwashing with contamination is a rather long process. In addition, a lot of water is used for cleaning, which increases its consumption, and, consequently, the cost of maintaining the pool. If the water supply at the site is limited, then use a sand filter for swimming pools is not at all recommended.
When you turn on the pump for a pool with a sand filter, water flows through the plums and skimmers into the pre-filter, and then passes through the quartz filler. There, it is cleaned and fed back into the basin through the inlet nozzles. After a certain time, the sand in the installation becomes contaminated and it will need to be cleaned, as the pressure gauge will notify.
Some models of sand cleaners are equipped with instruments that perform washing in automatic mode. If there is no such device, you can do the cleaning of the pool filter with your own hands. To do this, you must turn off the pump, put the valve into the flush mode and turn the pump back on for a while.
In the reverse flow mode, the water will drain the dirt that has settled on the sand down the drain. After that, the valve must be switched to ramming mode. In this case, the pump functions for about a minute, then the filtering mode is turned off and back on. Water in the pool must be filtered continuously, regardless of the time of use of the reservoir. During the day, the water must pass through the filter up to 2-3 times.
Helpful advice! Strengthening the power of pumping equipment leads to an increase in the rate of passage of water through the filter, which contributes to poor-quality cleaning. Therefore, for pools with a small load using small power pumps.
When using sand filters, you must adhere to the safety regulations:
- Transferring the six-position valve to the new mode, the pump should be turned off.
- Installation of sand filter for the pool and the pump should be done within 1 m from the pond walls.
- For proper operation of the pump, it is necessary to ensure the access of air at its location.
- Adjustment of the mode of operation of the equipment is performed when the pump is turned off.
- When moving the valve to a particular position, you must make sure that the valve lever fits exactly into the recess of the lock.
- The valve is under pressure, it is prohibited to switch.
To increase the efficiency of sand filters, their filling can consist of several layers (multilayer models). In such installations use sand of various fractions, which is stacked from a larger fraction to a smaller or several types of fillers: sand, gravel, anthracite.
When choosing a suitable sand filter, it is worth wondering what type of filler is used in it. If it is quartz sand, then its life will be approximately 3 years, after which it will need to be replaced. Glass sand will last up to 5-6 years, however, its cost will be somewhat higher. Cheap devices are filled with a layer of sand with particles of 0.5-0.8 mm.
More advanced models consist of 3-5 layers of filler of various fractions. During purification, water passes first through large particles, gradually reaching a fine filler. In expensive filters lay a layer of sorbent (for example, anthracite in granules). The particles of this filler have a pointed shape, which prevents the substance from strongly condensing. Because of this, cleaning is much faster.
By power, sand filters are divided into industrial, whose performance is over 10 m? / Hour. Medium (up to 10 m? / Hour) and low-powered with a capacity of up to 3 m? / H. The latter can be used as filters for inflatable pools at the dacha.
Companies specializing in the production of inflatable and frame pools, as a rule, produce filtration plants for them. The range of the proposed devices contributes to the selection of the optimal model directly for your type of artificial reservoir. The equipment is selected on the basis of the diameter and capacity of the pool bowl.
In order for the filter to function efficiently for the pool, it is necessary to correctly install it. Products can be submersible, mounted, floating and others. The main indicator of the proper operation of the filter is high-quality purified water.
It should be ensured that when the filter is working there is a good circulation of water in the pool. We must not allow so-called dead zones to be present in it, from where water will not flow into the installation. This will lead to stagnation and pollution of water in these places, as well as the spread of spoiled water throughout the reservoir.
In addition, water must enter the filter from the surface itself, where the concentration of debris and bacteria is highest. Reverse supply of water to the pool can be carried out in any convenient place. Take care also of unhindered access to filtering and pumping equipment, so that you can timely transfer the system to the desired mode.
Many summer residents in order to reduce the cost of maintaining the pool, collect filters on their own. Of course, the efficiency of the sand filter collected by the hands for the pool will be much lower, but, nevertheless, the pool water will be cleaned.
For self-manufacturing filter will need a plastic container (suitable barrel, canister) of approximately 60-65 liters. The neck of the selected vessel should be wide. The container is placed at some distance from the bowl of the reservoir. Next, you need to put in it the filtering filler.
As a filler, choose coarse fraction sand, since the fine one just clogs the entire system. Commonly used quartz. In addition, you can lay a layer of graphite or activated carbon. The number of layers in the filter should not be more than three. After filling the plastic container must be tightly closed.
Then, it is necessary to connect a pump equipped with a six-position valve: one end is connected to the tank, the other is attached to the drain of the sewer by means of a hose. The maintenance of the artisanal sand filter consists in regular washing of the sand from accumulated pollution.
The sequence of actions is as follows:
- turn off the pump;
- further, within 5 minutes the pump should operate in the flushing mode, while all the pollution from the filler will go down the drain;
- washed filler should be compacted;
- re-enable filtering.
You can familiarize yourself with the assembly and the procedure for connecting a home-made sand filtering device by viewing the video “Do-it-yourself filters for swimming pools”. With the help of sand filters it is possible to achieve sufficient purification of water so that your garden pool does not turn into a swamp with dirty and unpleasant water.
