Filters Vs. Socks

I like to give analogies to help people understand swimming pools.  Often, when talking about cartridge filters, I start thinking about my socks.  I have all sorts of socks.  Some are thin, some are thick and wow!  Do I ever have a favorite pair of socks that I love to wear!

I started off wearing thin socks.  They were lightweight and easy to take on and off.  They were even great for everyday use, but the first time I walked through a little bit of mud, even after washing them, they didn’t last long-term when I had to wear them in rough conditions.  Bring on the new socks… These things are great!  I can wear them in mud and wash them.  I actually wore them through an entire season of harsh walking and walking through some muddy water.  They wash well… when I spray them off, they get most of the way clean, but every so often I have to soak them to get them “more” clean.  Buying a great pair of socks even lasts me longer than wearing several pair of my cheap thin socks, AND I don’t have to clean them as often.  Eventually, though, even my great socks to wear out.  I have to pitch them and buy a new pair.  I know that I have choices now… I can buy my socks that have “dirtmaster technology”, or I can buy the socks with no technology that aren’t going to last nearly as long or be as comfortable.

I’m the kind of guy that will spend a little bit more to get a better product.  Feel free to check out our socks filters to see if there is a difference.  There is.  But also remember that cartridge filters are a replaceable media… even though you may love your socks filters, there comes a time when they are past the point of no return and need to be turned over to Oscar the Grouch.  What is that time frame?  It is different for every pool.  One rule of thumb for cartridge filters is that you can never have too large of a filter.  The slower that water gets pushed through the filter media, the better off.  Water that is moving fast through the media gets pushed deeper into the fabric making it tougher to get out.  Some pools also never get wind blown debris in them or aren’t used as much, while others look like a Disney waterpark on a 100 degree day.  All of these factors come into play and affect how often filters need to be cleaned and replaced.  If you are having to clean your filters more than once a week, for sure, either they should be replaced or a larger filter should be purchased (or you should start charging admission, because you may have a waterpark).

We hope that this analogy is helpful… now don’t mix up your socks for your cartridge filters, they look completely different 😉