Do-it-yourself water filter for the pool. How to make a sand filter for the pool with your own hands: step by step instructions

Installing a pool is half the battle. Any body of water requires care so that it is pleasant and comfortable to swim in it. After some time, the water becomes polluted with small and large debris. Of course, the water can be drained. But, large volumes of water are difficult to drain regularly, otherwise you can turn the site into a swamp. A filter will help solve the problem.

Types of filtration plants

To purify water, you can use different methods:

• waste collection overflow;
• mechanical cleaning with a brush and net;
• water vacuum cleaner.

However, such methods help to deal with large debris such as leaves or midges. The most difficult thing is to get rid of small contaminants. Such debris is difficult to see with the naked eye and will not be caught with a net, but over time a large amount of it can cause the water to become cloudy. Specially designed filters that capture the smallest debris and purify the liquid from any impurities.

Pool Water Filtration System

The purification process can take place in several ways. Chemical cleaning takes place through the use of disinfectant solutions that destroy bacteria and microorganisms. During mechanical cleaning, the liquid is passed through special membranes that capture debris. Combined devices combine these two methods and are the most effective, as they guarantee almost complete sterility of water. However, these devices are quite expensive. Therefore, the most popular method is mechanical, in particular.

Mechanical cleaning systems

Mechanical cleaning involves not only the use of sand, but also cartridges or earth.

The sand aggregate is the cheapest. They are mainly used for reservoirs of small or medium dimensions. For pool filters, sand, a mixture using carbon, anthracite or gravel are used. They are quite whimsical in care, they must be regularly cleaned under the pressure of water. They clean all particles over 20-25 microns, which helps to fight impurities, pollution, but does not save from algae and bacteria.

The cartridge filter for the pool has a higher efficiency, as it captures particles larger than 5-10 microns. The unit consists of removable cartridges with special membranes that must be washed with water or special cleaning solutions. Such devices are of average cost.

The most expensive and most effective diatomite filters. They capture particles from 3 microns, thus the liquid is freed from everything that can pollute it - algae, bacteria and microbes. Such devices allow you to almost completely abandon the use of chemistry. But, due to their high cleaning ability, they often become clogged and require regular replacement, they cannot be cleaned. It is almost impossible to replace them yourself, you need to call a specialist.

Diatomaceous earth filter Waterco Fulflo

Sand filter device for the pool: instructions for use

How does it work in practice? The sand rig consists of a durable plastic housing that contains quartz sand. It is equipped with a pump that drives liquid through the components. The device also has a pressure gauge that controls the pressure inside and prevents breakage.

Sand filters for swimming pools cannot be filled with plain sand, so you can simply break the device. If you need to replace the sand, quartz can be purchased at hardware stores. They use quartz 0.4 - 0.8 mm. The larger the volume of your reservoir, the larger the sand tank should be.

To understand whether the sand filter needs cleaning or replacement, you need to look at the pressure gauge. Since all the filtered debris remains in the body itself, over time the pressure will rise as more force is needed to push the water through. When the pressure approaches the red border, it will be necessary to clean the filter. How often sand installations will be polluted depends on the individual characteristics of the reservoir: frequency of use, water pollution, location of the reservoir.

Some units are equipped with a valve that periodically circulates the water in the opposite direction, thereby cleaning the system itself. In this way, the need for cleaning and sand replacement can be significantly reduced.

How the sand filter works

The disadvantage of such a system is that it takes quite a lot of water and time to clean it. Therefore, despite their affordability, such devices are not recommended to be installed in areas where there is no sufficient water supply.

Device care

To flush the sand filter, turn the valve to the back pressure position and turn on the pool pump. After the installation has been cleaned, the sand compaction mode is activated, a lot of pressure is created for a minute, after which the pump turns off and turns on automatically for normal operation. In order for the reservoir not to become cloudy, it is necessary that all the liquid passes through the filter at least 2-3 times a day.

When using a sand filter, the following rules must be observed:

• never switch the valve when the filter is under pressure;
• when switching the valve, make sure that it is firmly in its position in the grooves, otherwise the valve may break under pressure;
• you can switch the mode only when the filter pump for the pool is turned off;
• the pump needs air, so do not cover it with any objects;
• it is recommended to install the pump no closer than 1 meter from the reservoir itself.

Varieties of sand filters

Despite their simplicity, sand cleaning systems come in many varieties. As a filtering agent, not only quartz, but also other mixtures, or quartz of different fractions can be used. Usually they are laid out in layers from large fractions to smaller ones. Thus, more efficient cleaning occurs.

Different fillers have different properties and service life. The simplest and cheapest option - quartz sand - will last you about 3 years. Glass filler will cost more, but it will only need to be replaced after 5-6 years.

Since sand installations can be used for both private and public water bodies, they come in different capacities. The simplest models clean 3 m3 per hour, more powerful ones are able to pass more than 10 m3 per hour.

Glass Sand for Pool Filter

Sand filter installation

How long and qualitatively the filter installation will serve directly depends on the correct installation. According to the type of installation, the devices are submersible, mounted and floating. If the filter is not installed correctly, it will not be able to fully work, and, accordingly, clean it.

If the pond is bizarre in shape or has turns, you may need more than one filter, but several. The device must be placed in a place where it can capture the maximum amount of water. Sometimes "dead zones" can form, that is, places where the liquid is not drawn in. Because of this, contaminated areas of the reservoir can be a source of infection for the entire reservoir.

The liquid trapping pipe should be placed closer to the surface, as this is where all the debris usually accumulates. Returns can be placed anywhere. Equipment should be located so that it is easily accessible for repair or cleaning.

Pool filter installation

How to connect the installation:

1. Pump to the sand tank. The strong pressure pushes the liquid out of the sand tank and all impurities remain in the sand.
2. Sand filter pump. In this case, the water is drawn out of the sand tank by a pump, the supply of a new portion of water is ensured by vacuum.
3. Installing a pump after the sand filter, which is connected to the pool itself. The pump drives out already clean water, and the liquid enters the cleaning installation itself by gravity.

Most often, store systems involve the first connection system.

How to DIY

To save money, many decide on. Of course, such a device will not have the same filtration capacity as the manufacturer, but it's better than nothing.

To create a case, you need a plastic container: a barrel, canister or other convenient container of at least 60 liters. Coarse quartz sand should be poured into the body. Small is not suitable for independent use, as it can clog the entire system. To improve the cleaning properties, you can lay out layers of graphite or Activated carbon. The case must be airtight, but at the same time you need to take care of a wide neck for entry.

You need to connect a pump to our home-made cleaning apparatus. Doing it yourself is unlikely to succeed without special skills. The pump must have a six position valve. It is necessary to clean such a home-made device in the same way as a production one. It is necessary to switch the valve to the opposite position, rinse the sand under a large set of water, tamp and switch back.

(17 ratings, average: 4,50 out of 5)

Pump- this is the most significant element of the pool. Of course, a lot depends on it, namely how well it was chosen, what properties it has, whether it was professionally installed. Accordingly, all this will affect the life of your pool. Without a doubt, it is very pleasant to swim in a pool of clear water, however, the water itself does not become transparent.

Systematization of water pumps

All pool pumps can be divided into four categories:

1. self-priming;
2. circulating with normal suction;
3. filtering;
4. thermal with heating.

The self-priming pump is the heart of the pool's water regime.

They are placed above the pool, as they can pump water and throw it up to a height of about 3 meters. The key mission is to provide water filtration.

Usually, the pump (pump) for the pool is included in the package of filtering equipment. In accordance with this, the performance (production) of its mechanism and the filter mechanism must match. Perhaps you are wondering why?

If the pump turns out to be “more powerful”, then it will incredibly quickly “clog” water into the filter, forcing it to function with overloads. Resulting in, the quality of cleaning work will decrease, and the filter component will fail in one fell swoop.

Circulation pump for the pool. These are used as spares. The work develops in such a way that with the help of them a fountain or bubbles are formed in a certain area, that is, water is directly taken into the ozonator and the already enriched water is released back. Suppose, for personal use, it is desirable to choose a low-steam circulating one, but for pools with aqua attractions and fountains, high-flow models are better suited, where the power will exceed 2 kW.

Filtering. The smallest and smallest pump of all presented. Often such models are designed frame pools. In work, they are easy and understandable, but usefulness can not really be overestimated: the pump filters the water (eliminating debris, leaves), thereby preventing the formation of aquatic plants on the walls.

Thermal with heating. Such pumps - prolong the bathing season for the owners almost until late winter. The pump, with the exception of pumping water, also heats the water in the pool. It is worth noting the interesting fact that such heating is much cheaper than gas heating. By the way, the savings are real - five times the size!

filter pump for swimming pool

Now let's talk about filters (about water purification systems). Filters are necessary in order to mechanically protect the purity of water and not change it very often. The principle of operation of all filters is based on the study of contaminated water through a layer of filter material, which retains the finest impurities, throwing out the already purified liquid. There are a huge number of filters, however, according to their design, they are divided into only 3 groups:

• sandy;
• diatoms;
• cartridge.

Sandy

This cheapest filter type, similar to a large tank filled with sand. In fact, sand in such structures plays the role of a filtering material (cleaning) and frees water from all kinds of contaminants. Quartz sand for pool filters is an element of a large fraction, which is much more efficient, only particles of at least 20 microns in size can be inhibited. Note that this will be enough to keep the water in the pool clean for a long time. Of course, it is best to choose a filter for an inflatable pool, which has the ability to change the water more often than is possible in large fixed models.

Sand filters for the pool need weekly maintenance, that is, cleaning, otherwise the silted sand will cease to function. For this, the reverse flow method is used, when water is driven through the filter in the opposite direction and washes away impurities from the sand. This process occurs under pressure and lasts for some time until the material is deeply cleansed, therefore leads to impressive water consumption. Referring to this, we can say that the sand filter is not suitable if the use of water resources is limited.

diatom

These are filters newest generation, in the installation of which special cartridges are attached, filled with a special powder from fossil plankton. The particles of the filter material are very small, therefore, they purify water from impurities, from 3 to 5 microns. Diatom powder is much more productive than sand, because of this, the water when passing through the diatom filter cartridges becomes perfectly clean. To clean such a filter at the first pores, among other things, a return cleaning with clean water is carried out. Meanwhile, after a certain time, such a concept already ceases to function and a complete replacement of the diatom mixture will be required.

Cartridge

Cartridge devices, both in terms of cost and efficiency, occupy the “golden mean” between sand and diatom filters. In most cases, they consist of 3 - 4 cartridges made of polypropylene or polyester, which accept mechanical particles up to 5 - 10 microns in size. In order to clean the cartridge filter, it is necessary to rinse it under a powerful jet of water. In the event that the filter becomes unusable, it can always be replaced with a new one, that is, a similar product that can be found in any specialty store.

Having correctly selected and entered the necessary equipment in your pool, that is, a pump for cleaning the pool, you save yourself a lot of hassle associated with water purification, and do a sweeter activity - water procedures in crystal clear water. Thus, filtration pumps are an essential attribute of any pool.

How to calculate the required pump performance?

We turned to a specialist, he advised us, and this is what we learned. We need a self-priming pump for our pool filtration system. But, here is a fact: for pools of different volumes of water, pumps of different performance will be needed. In this case, how is the calculation done? According to sanitary standards, the time of complete water exchange in the well-established pool water purification is 6 hours. During this billing period, the pump is required to pump the entire volume of water in the pool.

Therefore, the performance (capacity) of the pump is equal to the volume of water (cubic meters) in the pool / 6 hours. Let's say for a pool with a volume (size) of 30 cubic meters, you need a pump with a load of 5 cubic meters. at one o'clock. Then we will make a reservation that we have obtained the smallest (calculated) value of the pump output. To ensure accurate operation of the filtration system, it is necessary to take into account the potential loss of pump output, therefore we add a little to the calculated value. For our sample (pool 30 cubic meters), a pump with a capacity of 7 - 8 cubic meters is perfect. m per hour.

What points should you pay attention to when buying?

1. Appointment. The pump must first of all correspond to its direction. In particular, its acquisition for a shallow pool will entail extra electricity costs. Therefore, it is extremely important that the pump meets your needs.
2. Noise level. Often this aspect is not taken into account when choosing. But in vain! However, an excessively rattling pump after a couple of days of service can become a real test for you and simply ruin your vacation. It is better to give preference to quieter models..
3. Protection. When buying, be sure to check the protection system of the pump concept, the integrity of the insulation and the degree of protection of the motor.
4. The presence of filtration. Coarse filters are introduced in some models of pumps. Just a water filtration pump prevents any small objects, leaves and other impurities from getting inside. If there is no such filter in the pump, then by all means buy additional filtering devices.

If you figure out how to make a pool vacuum cleaner with your own hands, your open-air pond will always be clean. He will give real joy from taking water procedures.

A private pool, built in a country house or courtyard of a private house, brings a lot of pleasure. It should be understood that such a design needs regular cleaning. If you do not clean it, very quickly the chic pool will turn into a large puddle in which frogs and other living creatures will start. It is clear that no one will use such an unattractive reservoir. The specific interval between cleanings is selected taking into account where the pool is located (in the pavilion, on the street), what are its geometric parameters (length, width, capacity), how often it is operated.

pool cleaning

Outdoor structures are recommended to be cleaned every 3-4 days. This frequency is due to the fact that debris and leaves constantly get into them. Even in cases where you have supplied your pool with a high-quality filtration system, it must be cleaned within the specified time, since no filters can prevent the accumulation of plaque in the bowl.

The water itself, which the structure is filled with, is, in principle, not at all difficult to clean. There is a special one for this. But cleaning the bottom of the pool and its sides from sediment requires considerable effort. Previously, a similar operation was performed as follows - the water was drained from the bowl and the sludge was removed manually. This procedure required considerable effort and time. And the cost of water, which must be constantly drained and filled, is not at all small.

Drainage type pumps allowed to solve these problems. They make pool cleaning easier. Especially if you have installed an automatic or semi-automatic pump. Similar equipment from well-known manufacturers (Intex, AquaTron, Watertech) independently cleans water structures using special brushes. Perfect option. But, unfortunately, submersible units (the same Intex) are expensive. Not everyone wants to equip their country font with such a pump.

Pool cleaning chemicals

Currently, owners of small country pools most often use hand-held vacuum cleaners to care for them.

They are made in the form of simple designs with a brush and a rod. After starting, the handheld vacuum cleaner begins to clean the accumulated sediment and all other contaminants from the sides and bottom. Dirt is sucked in by the unit and retained on the filter. The methodology is simple and understandable. Its only drawback is that you have to change the filters on the vacuum cleaner quite often. Manual cleaners are ideal for film frame, inflatable and any other small capacity pools. And most importantly - you can independently make a vacuum cleaner for your country pool, spending mere pennies on such an operation. We'll talk about this.

A homemade vacuum cleaner is made very simply. You need to stock up on the simplest materials that are available in any store that sells sanitary equipment, and spend a minimum of time on performing all the necessary operations. You will need to purchase:

• brush;
• plunger, plumbing fitting (they will be used as an elementary intake nozzle);
• corrugated hose;
• , plugs and tee.

DIY brush

You can take any brush for a water purifier. If you do not want to suffer, you are allowed to use the one that is included in the home vacuum cleaner kit and is never used (or very rarely). With this brush you can clean the pool. But there is one problem here. Vacuum cleaner brushes are usually small. This means that the process of cleaning the pool can be seriously delayed (even when you have a small inflatable or frame bowl).

If you don't plan on messing with the cleaning for too long, it's a good idea to make your own brush. The instruction in this case is simple. Take a pipe made of polypropylene. Cut off a part from it (about 0.25–0.3 m), and then make a 4–5 mm cut along the cut piece of the tubular product. After that, cut the workpiece made in half, insert both parts of it into a plastic tee, solder them, close both halves with plugs (polypropylene) at the edges. In the third outlet of the tee, mount another piece of polypropylene pipe (now whole, without cuts). This part will act as an adapter between the hose and the brush.

Homemade manual device for cleaning the pool is ready. It can already be connected and used. But it is better to slightly improve our brush so that it works more efficiently. To do this, it is enough to glue an elastic band from a conventional wiper mounted on the windshield of a vehicle onto a polypropylene pipe with a slot. Such an additive to the brush very well removes dirt from the bottom and sides of the pool.

If desired, instead of an elastic band, you can mount a strip with stiff bristles on the pipe or any other device that will effectively remove dirt. All additional parts are either screwed to the pipe with small universal screws or glued. In the latter case, you need to use a good adhesive, since we will place a hand-made brush in water. The edges of the brush should be free of burrs and sharp corners. These defects can tear the surface inflatable pools and scratch frame structures.

Let's move on to the final work. We need to make the water vacuum cleaner for the pool airtight. To do this, take a corrugated transparent hose, mount it on the place where the water is taken, and fix it securely.

Cleaning the pool with a vacuum cleaner

The connection of the corrugation is carried out according to two methods:

1. Take a plumbing plunger and make a hole strictly in its center. Insert a small piece of polypropylene pipe into the latter. Then put the plunger on the water intake.
2. Get a plumbing fitting (sewer adapter) and install it on the water intake. Here it is important to choose a part that would wrap around the hose as tightly as possible and ensure the tightness of the connection.

Now we need to build a handle for our homemade cleaner. It is made from a polypropylene pipe. The handle should be connected to the brush. The length of the holder for a homemade vacuum cleaner is taken no more than 200 cm. After assembling and installing our device, you can start the pump and check its performance. In cases where water is sucked in without problems, cleaned in a filtering device and again discharged into the font, it is allowed to start cleaning the pool.

Experts advise starting this process from the sides of the bowl. Clean the walls of the pool by moving the brush vertically (remember to remove dirt from those areas that are above the water). Then remove the silt from the bottom. The whole process of cleaning a medium-sized pool will take you 50-60 minutes at most.

Homemade filter for water purification in the pool. How to clean the water in the pool. Filters for water.

Those who have pools on their suburban area or in the house, be sure to face the problem of purifying the water in it. In order to solve this problem qualitatively and inexpensively, let's first classify the various water pollution in the pool.

Surface pollution is caused by various substances falling onto the water surface, ranging from plant pollen to bird droppings, leaves, grass, etc. The bulk of these contaminants are removed exclusively mechanically - by collecting with a net or by organizing a garbage collection overflow in the pool. But what they did not manage to remove, or managed to dissolve in the water, passes into the water column. In addition, the water itself contains a lot of microorganisms and spores of the simplest algae. And if it is warm enough and receives enough light, then the water "blooms" and turns green. If you look at it through a strong magnifying glass, then we will see a lot of tiny green dots - these are the simplest algae.

As the water runs out of useful substances for algae or its temperature decreases or there is less light, algae sink to the bottom, forming bottom pollution. In addition, insoluble debris is also involved in the creation of bottom sediments if it is heavier than water (dust, soil particles, etc.).

And against each of the contaminants, you have to apply your own cleaning methods. And even the addition of some chemicals does not solve the problem of the purity of the water in the pool. Since the person himself is also a source of pollution. We can salt the water hard and make it “marine” or add some chemicals to get rid of flowering. But what to do with mechanical pollution? In any case, they will have to be removed mechanically in the same way.

Surface pollution is removed with a net or a special overflow, bottom - with a water "vacuum cleaner", and pollution in the water column - with the help of water filtration. To do this, water is pumped using pumps through special filters. In one place of the pool, a water intake is arranged, then the water is pumped through the filter elements by a pump and then returned to the pool.

If it's about stationary pool, then all water intakes and water outlets should be included in it initially. Corresponding pipes have been laid, places for pumps and filters have been left, a technical area for their maintenance, and so on. In simple summer cottages, inflatable and framed children's pools, it is simply economically pointless to arrange such systems. Bathing season in outdoor pools we have only 2-3 months a year, and it turns out that 80% of the time the system will simply be idle. Therefore, they try to get by in cheaper ways. From a simple contemplation of the process of water pollution or its flowering, to the installation of simple filter installations. You can buy a ready-made filter unit, consisting of a simple pump and a filter cartridge. Its cost is approximately 50-60 Euros (1500-2000 rubles). Or you can make a filtering unit for water purification in the pool yourself. An example of such a simple installation is offered in this article.

Having bought a replacement water purification cartridge, I found that its inner diameter is 50 mm. The design of a floating filter unit based on this cartridge filter immediately matured. It took her polypropylene pipe(2 meters), of those used in the sewer, with a diameter of 50 mm. Generally speaking, when organizing the filtering and purification of water in the pool, it is important to separate the place of water intake and outlet as far as possible, so that the entire volume of water was involved in the purification process. But since in this case the filtering unit was supposed to be floating and it had to visit all the places in the pool by itself, this requirement was not very relevant. In the end, the length of the pipe can be increased in 1 minute.

It also required a “turn” of the pipe, also by 50 mm, of course. And a small piece of threaded stud (in my case, M10). Well, the filter cartridge, of course. I have only used one cartridge. In general, several pieces can be planted on a longer hairpin. This will significantly increase the capacity of the filter unit (with the appropriate pump, of course).

Having drilled a hole for the pin in the turn and in the filter plug, I passed it through the turn and the filter itself and fixed everything with a nut. On the other side of the pipe, I connected a regular aquarium pump. By the way - the same one that I use in winter to organize a polynya. Its power is about 20 W, and its productivity is only about 2000 liters per hour, which is clearly not enough for my 180 cubic meters pool, it was important for me to work out the model and technology.

I put a piece of dense polystyrene foam on the ends of the pipe to ensure the buoyancy of the entire filter structure. That's actually the whole design of the filter. Water is sucked in by the pump from about half a meter deep, pumped through the pipe and enters the filter cartridge. And already cleaned goes immediately back into the pool. This design does not require hoses, connection systems to water intakes and outlets. And it can be used in absolutely any body of water. It is enough just to lower it into the pond itself.

Despite such a low productivity, the purity of the water in the pool has improved significantly. The filter cartridge allows it to be washed, and I do this twice a day, in the morning and in the evening. The filter is removed very simply, since the turn of the pipe is simply put on the pipe and it is enough just to pull it off this pipe. So that dirty water and everything that has been filtered does not fall back into the reservoir, before removing it, I “start” a plastic bucket under the filter. And after removing the filter, I pull out the bucket along with the filter. Then I pour out the dirty water and wash the filter. That's all service.

As you understand, this is just a model, a running-in of an idea. The sight of a 2-meter plastic pipe with two pieces of foam at the ends does not add aesthetics to the pool. Therefore, if you make such a filtering system seriously, you will need to take care of giving it a more presentable look. For example, he will design it in the form of a floating boat, a canoe, a large leaf of a water lily, a floating "desert island", with a garden gnome - Robinson, etc. In general, you can show imagination.

The cost of such an installation is several times less than the finished one (with the same result). Powerful aquarium pumps are sold in pet supply stores. The rate of water purification in your pond will depend on its performance. Filter cartridges can be bought in the relevant departments of supermarkets, and pipes - in plumbing stores. Filters, of course, can be made by yourself, for example, from foam rubber or dense non-woven material. Installation work will take no more than half an hour