Would anyone happen to know what kind of cloth(for lack of a better term) covers the plastic grids on a D.E. filter? All of my grids have one or more small holes which is causing the D.E. to get into the pool. Replacement grids are gonna cost almost $200.00. I'm hoping I can get the material/cloth/whatever for a lot cheaper and sew up some new ones.
Thoughts, comments, suggestions ???
Bill W (remove the e at the end of my name and add an r to chater to email me directly)
I would guess polyethylene or polypropylene due to chemical resistance.
You can ID a sample:
I think it might be nylon
That's what I am thinking as well but am not sure where I would find it or what type of weave is needed.
Ah well...looks like I will end up buying one grid each paycheck until I get the thing replaced....
Bill
Why? Very poor chemical resistance.
If you can afford the chemicals/electricity for a swimming pool and the pump/filter, you can afford the proper materials/parts. There's a lot more to it than just getting the right material; mostly in reliable application.
if the holes are small, the DE will just fill them,
a small amount of DE will get into the pool anyway, it will circuilate around and get trapped inthe filter eventually.
do you have a really large amount of DE making the water cloudy?
if not, don't worry about it.
Mark
Why? Very poor chemical resistance.
Why? because that's what a remember from opening up a DE filter a couple of times a year for several years when I was a kid. Now I have a pool guy & I don't have to do it myself. :)
The feel & look was nylon; could I swear to it? No.
Chemical resistance? how much do you need for pool water?
Chorline ppm? pH?
cheers Bob
Free chlorine eats just about everything. Fibers have high surface area to mass ratios and are especially susceptible to weakening if not inert. And it is not unusual for high concentrations to wash through on occasion.
D.E. Filter grids are covered with a canvas-like material, quite sturdy. If you have holes, any size, replace them. D.E. continually flowing through your motor because it is circulating in the pool water can eat up the fly-wheel - that hard plastic difuser just inside the motor housing. It can't take it for long.
If you can only afford one grid at a time, so be it. Any grids that have holes should be removed and if you can't replace them just yet, then get plugs for the holes in the bottom of the filter and block them off while you wait to replace them. Do not use cork, get the hard rubber. Home Depot carries rubber corks.
Depending on the size of your filter, I don't think the grids are that expensive. When I had the 18" they were about 23.00 each, the filter takes
8 now that I have the 36", the filters are about 42.00 each and I had to replace one already because like a fool I tried to twist it out of the filter and the connection tip snapped off.The grids are a small price to pay vs. the damage you can cause otherwise. After you have replaced your grids, you might want to take the time to open the cover on your motor and inspect the difuser for any cracks or chips. You might be surprised what you find.
I'll bet if you will take a swatch of that material to a fabric shop they can give you a good idea what kind of material it is...why don't you call the filter company and ask them a trick question to fool them into telling you what it is...something like..."What kinds of fabric do you have available for screening out the most minute particles in the water?"...and..."how many threads per inch does this fabric contain?"...that ought to get them to spill the beans!
Bill
From:
cheers Bob
I guess my memory of work done 40 years ago is still pretty good. But maybe they've added other mesh materials since then.
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