DE3060 - Replace Grids or Upgrade to Pentair Quad?

[Burrito Bandito]

Found at least 3 of my grids with some tears, and the others a
will be there soon.

Anyone having experience gong from a regular DE filter to a Pentair Quad? Is it that much easier to maintain?
Will it hook up directly to my existing slide valve, or plumbing involved?

If plumbing, I guess another $200-300 for filbur/unicellular/pleatco grids will be the way I go. Any recommendations of one brand over another?

 

[Jimrahbe]

BB,

I used to be in love with DE filters, then I tried a large cartridge filter. I will never, ever buy another DE filter again.

Dirt simple plumbing, no backwash valve to screw with or leak. No messing with DE. Low filter back pressure.

Clean the filter once or twice a year and you're done.

Let's see what Matt says about his Quad DE... Calling @JoyfulNoise

Thanks,

Jim R.

 

[JoyfulNoise]

Agree with @Jimrahbe , love my QuadDE filter but I’m going with a clean and clear cartridge filter as soon as my filter goes caput. You can “upgrade” to a QuadDE, they’re super easy to take care of better than the old style grid DE filters, but why? A cartridge filter is just as easy with no backwash plunger or multiport to leak.

Go with an oversized Clean & Clear, you’ll be happy.

 

[1poolman1]

If you use your existing backwash valve you will find that it would need to be replumbed. While the same valve was used, the internal plumbing of the filter is different. For starters, the handle would be in the "Up" position for filtration and "Down" to backwash as the ports do different things on a Quad DE. Most Quad DE installations I saw had no backwash valve. The DE cartridges were just removed and hosed off, like a regular cartridge filter, only more messy.

While they are not needed that often, the replacement DE cartridges are expensive. On a side note, standard filter cartridges of similar height will fit right into the Quad DE if you want to convert, just remove the 1" pipes that are in the manifold (they don't come glued in), install cartridges, replace spacer, done. A Quad 60 becomes a 300 +/- cartridge filter by doing this. Same tank as their cartridge filter, just a different label. Would have to lose, or never use, the backwash valve if installed.

 

[Burrito Bandito]

That is a lot of good input. Both pools I’ve owned had DE filters. I guess I’m hesitant about cartridge filters because they don’t filter as much stuff out? The water is not as crystal clear? Would that difference be noticeable at night like with the pool light on?

 

[1poolman1]

Those are called the "fines." Some are what get through a filter, others just arrived. Measurably different, maybe. Visibly different, not likely. If you're convinced DE is better you may never be happy with cartridge. It is very subjective.

If you ever watch an aquatica event, like the Olympics, and notice how clear the underwater views are you might be amazed to find that the majority of very large pools use sand filters. Had a customer install a sand filter against the protests of his wife, a research biologist. She would actually take pool water to her lab to examine with a microscope. After about a month he told me she admitted the difference was almost non-existent, though it was at first.

 

[Burrito Bandito]

I found replacement pleatco grids delivered with tax for $150, so, sticking with my DE filter for now.