Clean swimming pool water is essential to ensuring safe and healthy swimming experiences throughout the season. However, pollution and contaminants are continually entering swimming pools, risking the health of everyone who swims in the water. The environment contributes pollutants to swimming pools in the form of pollen, bacteria, spores, dust and debris while swimmers can transmit viruses, sweat, oils and lotions into the water. As a result, every swimming pool must have a circulation pump and filter in proper working order so that pollutants, debris and organic materials can be removed quickly and thoroughly. When this occurs, the pool water will be a safe place to enjoy hours of swimming and fun.

As already mentioned, above ground pool filters and pool pumps are absolutely essential to proper swimming pool sanitation. Pool pumps provide the main force for re-circulating water and are electrically operated. While above ground pool pumps are sometimes run for up to 24 hours during the swimming season, many pool owners run their aboveground pool pumps for between 6 to 12 hours each day in order to conserve electricity and keep costs down. These days, more and more manufacturers are developing highly efficient above ground pool pumps in order to make it easier for pool owners to save on both electricity and money.

Above ground pool filters are also vital to swimming pool filtration and cleaning systems. As the pool water passes through the filter, debris and contaminants are trapped and removed so that only clean water is returned to the pool. Just as there are many different sizes of above ground swimming pools, there are also many different sizes of pool filters, so every swimming pool owner can choose a filter that is right for their particular pool. In addition to the selection of various sizes, above ground pool filters come in three main types -- sand filters, cartridge filters and diatomaceous earth filters.

Sand filters are one of the oldest and most widely used types of pool filters. When these filters are in filtration mode, water flows from top to bottom and an underdrain or lateral system located in the bottom of the filter returns water to the swimming pool. This lateral system has slots which prevent the sand from entering the pool while allowing water to filter through. As the water passes through the sand filter, debris and contaminants are trapped in or on top of the sand bed so that the water which re-enters the swimming pool is clean and debris-free. This type of pool filter uses a special kind of sand known as #20 silica, and can be cleaned by reversing the water flow to backwash the filter. This cleaning process needs to be carried out every few weeks and must be performed by hand.

Cartridge filters are another type of above ground pool filters and feature a greater surface area than sand filters. This means that smaller contaminant particles of debris can be trapped by these filters than by sand filters. Furthermore, cartridge filters are manufactured from a special lightweight fiber material which is highly effective at removing dirt and other unwanted material from pool water. As a result of this effectiveness, cartridge pool filters provide approximately twice as much filtration as sand filters. Another benefit of using cartridge filters rather than sand filters is that cartridge above ground pool filters operate at a lower pressure, thereby exerting less strain on the pool pump and allowing for greater flow.

While cartridge pool filters are more effective than sand filters, diatomaceous earth or DE above ground pool filters provide the very best level of swimming pool water filtration currently available. Diatomaceous earth is a porous powder which is actually the exoskeletons of diatoms. This porous powder has microscopic openings which allow clean water to flow through but prevent particles as small as 2 to 5 microns from passing back into the pool. As a result, diatomaceous earth filters provide extremely effective water filtration. These above ground pool filters are cleaned by backwashing or by regenerating and draining the clogged diatomaceous earth.

No matter what type of above ground pool pump or pool filter you decide to use to keep your swimming pool safe and clean, you will have a variety of quality brands to choose from. Products by such trusted manufacturers as Hayward and Pentair are available at great prices from many respected direct retailers, including Intheswim.com. Whether your pool is big or small, and whether you prefer sand, cartridge or diatomaceous earth filtration, ensuring that you have an effective, properly operating pool filtration system will allow you and your family to enjoy many hours of fun in a safe, clean swimming pool.