cartridge filter sales

I was told the other day by a pool salesperson that sand filters are being phased out and being replaced by cartridge filters.  His justification for this was that the new polyester cartridges being used perform far better than the old paper versions and a lot of water is being wasted backwashing sand filters.  On face value this seems like an acceptable approach, however when you actually review the processes involved for both filtration systems you realise this is just another inaccurate sale pitch.  After discussions with various people that have cartridge filters on their swimming pools, the following process is generally used to clean the cartridge.
 
Remove the cartridge from the housing
Find a suitable area, close to the garden hose to wash the waste off the cartridge
Hose the waste off – this can take 10 to 30 minutes depending on the state of the filter and the user doing the cleaning (I don't even want to talk about using chemicals)
Place the cartridge back into the filter housing

This process is repeated as required to maintain the pool

Several concerns come to mind with this process.
1.      The waste from the filter is wasted onto the grass, paving which then has the risk of runoff into surrounding waterways or landscaped areas.
2.      The water used to wash the cartridge is tap water or potable water
3.      The cartridge is made from plastic and polyester fabric which generally has a 12 month life cycle, as far as I am aware there is no recycle program for this product so it will most probably end up in landfill.

If we contrast the cartridge filter with a sand filter using a completely recycled waste product like EcoClear with a life cycle of 9+ years you can start to see the ridiculous or cunning approach of the above statement from the sales people.  Further to this, in most regions with regular rainfall, the excess water collected in the pool is used to backwash the filter as it is regulated back to a correct level for the skimmer to function properly.  And the waste water is disposed of down a sewer line not your back yard.

Below is the A5 flyer we are using to try and educate people of the need to change their filter media.  We are also attaching a small sample packet of the crushed glass to communicate the quality of the material

18 year old filter media

http://ecoclear.hopout.com.au/
Another filter media change over, this filter had not been changed for 18 years.  The old media was putrid and had formed into large clumps, another few years and the entire filter may have need to be changed.  It still surprises me that pool owners do not know that their filter media needs to be changed periodically, however it seems that the industry as a whole is more concerned with selling consumables that the health and safety of the consumer.  Needless to say we have another very happy Ecoclear customer, the difference in the follow rate of the filtration system is incredible, that pool cleaner has never moved so quickly around the pool.  The above photo is of the used filter media.    

EcoClear Swimming Pool Media Change over

Below is the used sand media that was removed from a 600 size filter, I have also added a sample of EcoClear Glass Filter Media to contrast the size of particles etc.  The filter sand has been worn down to a mud, restricting flow and allowing bacteria to thrive.  Prior to removing this media we ran the filter in backwashed mode for approx 5 minutes and did not see any waste remove through the sight glass.

EcoClear™ is a new 100% recycled, environmentally friendly media that lasts up to 3 times longer than traditional Silica sand.   This product will save you money and give you a cleaner healthier pool.