Well, you have just bought yourself a brand new pool, now you and the kids are ready to dive in, taking a break from the heat of summer. Wait, don't dive in just yet, there are a few things you need to do before you open the swimming pool up. The first thing you need to be doing, especially if you have a larger pool, is purchase a pool filter. A pool filter works in many different ways in efforts of helping your swimming pool. The first benefit of having a pool filter is having a clear and clean swimming pool, because it removes debris from the water.



Another benefit of a swimming pool filter is that it rotates the water. When combined with the right chemicals it will keep the water from becoming dull and cloudy, which creates a hazardous environment for swimmers. When it comes to pools there are several different kinds such as ponds, aquariums, in-ground, and above ground swimming pools. Because there are so many different types, there are just as many types of filters. There are three basic types of pool filters and these are

*Sand

*DE

*Cartridge

If you were the proud owner of an above ground pool, you would likely choose to use a sand or cartridge filter. Both of these may need replacing now and then, but are much cheaper than a DE filter.

Owners of an in-ground swimming pool generally use the DE filter. These types of filters do not require as much maintenance; however, they do cost more than its cousins. Size counts on filters too, therefore if you were filtering an aquarium or pond, you would choose a smaller filter, but it is generally a smaller area to filter.

Knowing the exact requirements of your filter and swimming pool is required when shopping for a new filter either on the internet or in a pool supply store. You will have to have knowledge of how many gallons your pool will hold. In order to be able to keep your pool clean and clear both the filter and its pump will have to have the capability to control the amount of water that your pool holds.

One thing you can do, if you are visiting your local pool supply store, is to take your filter along with you. This will help in choosing the exact type you need. If you do not have an old filter and are purchasing one for a brand new swimming pool, you have to have knowledge of the specific dimensions and the gallons of your pool. If you are not aware of the gallons your pool holds, the following calculation will help you.

You have to know the gallons in order to get the right pool filter. To calculate the gallons you will have to figure out the multiplier. If you have a swimming pool that is rectangle, square, or free-form, you will have a multiplier of 7.5. If your swimming pool is round or oval, the multiplier of that pool is 5.9.

You must then determine the average pool depth. If you own an above ground pool, look at the box, it will likely tell you the depth. To figure this out, if you do not know, first look at your pool. If it is all one depth, simply measure the mid section of the pool to determine the depth. However, if you have multiple depths, you will first measure the shallow end, and then measure the deepest end. After measuring, add the two numbers together and then divide by two, this will give you the average depth of your pool.

After doing this you can use the following formula to determine how many gallons your pool holds, which is required to get the right pool filter:

Length x width x depth x multiplier = Capacity of pool in gallons.

Summary:

Well, you have just bought yourself a brand new pool, now you and the kids are ready to dive in, taking a break from the heat of summer. Wait, don't dive in just yet, there are a few things you need to do before you open the swimming pool up. The first thing you need to be doing, especially if you have a larger pool, is purchase a pool filter.