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Vertical DE Filter Grids
Stop paying the high prices for
OEM products. Super Pro Grids
make DE Filter grid replacements
affordable.
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DE VERTICAL FILTER GRIDS
Q. Vertical D.E. grids look pretty simple. Is there anything specific to be alert for?
A. There are two basic designs of "curved" vertical D.E. grids - the slotted collar type used by Pac Fab, American, Hayward, and Sta-Rite, and the notched collar style used in Purex and Swimrite/Premier Atlas filters.
The good news is all four slotted grids, i.e. Pac Fab, American, Hayward, and Sta-Rite, are interchangeable (assuming full size grids are replaced with full size and small grids with smalls). Unicel offers one all-purpose replacement series.
The bad news is the two notched types are not interchangeable. Interchanging Purex and Swimrite/Premier Atlas grids in their respective tanks can cause D.E. to bleed directly into the pool. Purex grids are shorter in length than their Atlas cousins and, if put in an Atlas tank, can pop loose from the manifold during the backwash cycle. Once unseated, D.E. will pass directly into the pool when the valve is returned to the filter mode. Unicel offers two replacement series for notched collar grids.
RECOVERED GRIDS
Q. Why doesn't Unicel re-cover used D.E. grids? It certainly should be cheaper than buying a new set, and everybody wants to recycle, right?
A. That sounds good, but let's examine the facts. D.E. grids are made with a specially woven polypropylene cloth cover over a styrene plastic frame. In time, the plastic frame and grid cloth are oxidized by chlorine, weakened by acid and degraded by UV exposure. Therefore, depending on maintenance, water temperature, and the chemical environment, grids can last anywhere from 6 months to 15 years (and longer).
How long will a re-covered grid last? How old is the frame? 6 months or 15 years? How brittle is the plastic? All you really know is that the fabric has failed. That's why the grid was re-covered. Since the frame was subjected to the same conditions as the fabric, can its failure be far behind?
But the re-covered grid looks new. The exposed collar is often sanded or polished to appear new. However, plastics are porous and when the skin is broken they absorb moisture, further weakening the frame. In addition, some re-covered grids are made from two or more broken frames which have been cut and glued together. Can you be sure the reassembled grid is the correct length? One grid out of spec will result in D.E. bypass.
A recovered grid may be cheaper, but can you really afford it?
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