Periodic Cleaning of Particulate Filters with Breakaway® and Air Scouring Maintains Optimal Filter Effectiveness
Maintaining effective and efficient filtration in particulate filters is critical to achieve superior water quality in swimming pools and spas. Organic contamination of the filter media due to deposition of proteins, sugars, fats/oils, urea, skin cells, microbes, and other materials derived from bather loads and the surrounding pool environment results in a coating of the media with sticky material that is not easily removed by backwashing alone. Over time, this build up results in degraded filtration and poorer, potentially unhealthy, water quality.
The particulate filters in swimming pools and spas create a repository for organic contamination. This build up of contamination leads to poor filtration, increased backwashing, reduced water quality, and increased disinfection byproduct production. As the organic contamination builds up over time, it can begin to bind individual media particles together, forming larger and larger particles that reduce filtration efficiency and can create channeling within the filter. In addition, as the organic contamination builds up in the filter, it becomes a biochemical reactor and an ideal environment for the production of disinfection byproducts. This results in increased combined chlorine levels, foul smelling air, skin and eye irritation, and lung irritation.
Media changes are typically only performed every 3-5 years or longer. Most facilities do nothing to treat their filters between media changes other than periodic backwash cycles. This situation has created a need for a simple and effective system for periodic cleaning of particulate filters. That is why we have developed a system utilizing Breakaway® Flush and an air scour procedure for maintaining optimal effectiveness of particulate filters.
Breakaway® Flush was initially developed as a flush for spas. As shown below, it is highly effective at removing organic contamination.
Backwashing particulate filters is the time-honored method for cleaning filter media in pools and spas. The problem with traditional backwashing, even if done completely and on schedule, is that organic contamination is very sticky and backwashing alone is not sufficient to remove contamination that is tightly bound to the surface of the media. In studies performed on swimming pool sand filters, we have shown that the Breakaway® Flush/Air Scour system removes 70% more organic contamination than backwashing alone.
The Breakaway® Flush/Air Scour system (shown below) is easy to install and the procedure is simple to perform. Using quick-connect fittings on your pool or spa system makes doing periodic cleaning of your filter media a quick and painless procedure and ensures optimal performance of your filtration system.
Best Pool Systems, LLC has been utilizing Breakaway® and the air scouring procedure as part of their preventative maintenance program for over 1000 high rate media filters, in more than 90 U.S. cities since 2012. “The filters we service cover the full spectrum of commercial sizing and service some of the highest average bather loads per gallon in the United States” says Cory Lenzmeier, owner of Best Pool Systems. “We have found that filters maintained (with Breakaway® Flush/ Air Scour) can be regenerated to “like new” condition year after year. Utilizing this process in conjunction with the moss product is the most effective way to have consistently superior water quality and equipment performance in our opinion.”
The ideal combination to maintain maximally efficient filtration is to combine Breakaway® Flush with air scouring and PoolMoss® Pro treatment of the water. Breakaway® Flush treatment with air scour greatly reduces the organic contamination in the filter media, allowing PoolMoss® Pro to optimally condition all the water and other surfaces in the pool. They work together to provide optimal and maximally efficient water treatment.
For more detailed information on Breakaway® Flush and the installation and use of the air scour system please see our website at www.cwsnaturally.com under Commercial Resources under the Commercial tab on our homepage.