A cartridge type of swimming pool filters uses paper filter elements that are pleated in order to filter out the debris and the dirt in the water that is in the swimming pool. A cartridge type of filter is the easiest of all of the types of filters to maintain and is cleaned by taking out the cartridge elements and washing them off with water that is under high pressure. If the cartridge type of filter is maintained correctly, a new filter cartridge element should last anywhere from 3 to 5 years. The cost for replacement filter cartridges may be anywhere from expensive to moderate, but they are considered the most practical choice for residential swimming pools.
The diatomaceous earth type of pool filters use diatomaceous earth powder in order to filter out debris and dirt from the swimming pool water. This diatomaceous earth powder comes premixed with water and is then slowly added through the skimmer and it will stick to the filter grids that are inside of the filter which makes up the filter medium. These types of filters are somewhat more difficult to maintain then are the cartridge type of filters. Much the same as the cartridge type of filter, you use water under high pressure to remove the used DE powder from the filter. These types of filters are the best at cleaning the swimming pool water.
The sand type of pool filter uses silica sand in order to filter out debris and dirt from water in the swimming pool. The sand type of pool filter is more difficult to maintain than the cartridge type of filter and is the worst at cleaning the swimming pool water. While the sand only needs to be replaced every 3 to 6 years, sand pool filters must be backwashed often in order for them to function efficiently.
All three types of filters can be a good selection depending on the individual circumstances and the swimming pool. The cartridge type of filter is probably the most practical selection when purchasing a new swimming pool filter as a result of them being easy to maintain. The newest type of cartridge filter can be bought in sufficiently large sizes that they reduce the cleaning requirements to twice a year at the most depending on the swimming pools size.