I currently use a Hayward sand filter and it requires 150 lbs of sand. A co-worker said there is a new product out and it weighs next to nothing. I looked it up and found it, but not sure how well it works and which exact product to get. I need to change my sand next year or the year after, I would have to look. 150 lbs of sand is hard to get rid of since I really have no place to dump it. These new things can get tossed in a garbage bag since they are so light. If it filters better and is less dense as advertised, I would imagine it would be less strain on the pump itself as well.
Has anyone used these and if so, are they better than sand?

http://www.filterballs.com/

I haven't seen that media before. I like the idea that it is back washable Vs the cartridge filters I am currently using.

The cartridge filtration I am using is cleanable but that involves removing the cartridge and rinsing the debris off of it. In the event of an algae bloom I find I can kill the algae in the pool but the algae trapped in the pleats still is green and is alive despite being deprived of light. I do use a bucket with a
chlorine and water mixture to kill it but the higher levels of chlorine required attacks the end caps.

If I wait till the cottonwoods bloom before I open the pool I have a much better but shorter season.

I look forward to other responses as I am thinking about switching to sand.

TY
K

I had cartridge before the sand filter. Sand is better I think, but way heavier. I have the system mounted on a garden cart and wheel it out for the season. It's about 200lbs all together. Filter system you can toss the filter cartridge when you get a new one. Sand you have to find a place to dump the 150lbs of sand. I don't have room in the yard anywhere and not sure how to get rid of it really.

You must have a really small yard. I would think a seed or salt spreader would get rid of it. What goes bad with the sand? The only thing I've done is add a little more in the last 20 years lost from what I assume is backwashing.

How big is your pool? I've had good success with a regular cartridge filter however my pool is not super huge.

Our yard not real small, but never thought about using a spreader to get rid of it.

Our pool is 24' around and 4' deep. We had a cartridge filter and it broke and blew the lid off. Had to get a sand filter because that's the only thing sold locally we could get that day.

When I had a sand filter and needed to change out the sand, I switched from sand to a product called Zeosand Zeosand as recommended by the local pool store. With this Zeosand, you use half the weight (100 pound of sand would require 50 pounds of Zeosand) as you would with sand. Worked maybe a bit better than regular sand.

I switched over to a DE type filter when my sand filter failed. This filter gives me better water clarity and I go much longer between backflushing than when I had a sand filter.

I would just take that sand and spread it all over the yard. If you have depressions or holes in you yard you can fill it with the sand.
As someone stated already about a cartridge filter. I would get rid of the sand filter and put in a cartridge filter . So much easier to maintain. Sand is old technology. Time to update.
Had the cartridge filter setup for my swimming pool at my old house. It was easy to clean , loved it.

I too had a Cartridge filter when I first bought my pool and could seldom get the water stable, Once I switched to sand it became much easier to keep things stable.I don't know under what type an environment (maybe indoors) a cartridge filter system would work well...just spread the sand around the yard is my vote as well.

We had a cartridge on ours when we moved here.Finally got a sand filter.The cartridge according to the pool people we use is for pretty much hot tubs and spas not pols.they ysed to use them pretty much because they were easy to get.Our hayward sand has been omn at least 6 or 7 years and all we did was add some sand./Just use the pool sand and not play sand.The cartridge we had were pricey Buy maybe one or two and you have a sand filter.yeah we washed them but they never filtered as good as sand.Rocky

I've never heard of the filter balls before. We use a DE filter and when we back flush it, the de goes away with the wastewater. Then we just add more de.