A sand filter?
A sand filter is one ot the most important parts of you pool. Hairs, leaves, insects and other dirt are filtered out of the pool water by the sand filter. A sand filter should be chosen to fit your pool. You can find more information on this in the section 'choose a custom filter for your pool'.
The sand filters used in Intex pools are listed on this page.

What do you put in the sand filter?
The delivery of the sand filter always includes the recommended amount of sand for the pool. You can put sand, glass filter media or flint in the sand filter. Sand and flint come in different sizes. To determine what and how much you should add to the sand filter. It's best to look at the manual of the sand filter. Sometimes there is a choice between glass or sand, in which case you can choose.

The different settings of a swimming pool sand filter
A sand filter always has a 6-way valve, because six different modes of operation are possible with the sand filter.
Please remember: If you change the mode, you should always switch off the pump! If you don't do this, your pump may be damaged.

1. Filter: Filtering the pool water. The water goes via the pump to the sand filter. The clean, filtered pool water then exits the sand filter back into the pool.
2. Waste (empty): This is to drain all the water out of the pool. This is only necessary when the pool is very dirty and needs a torough cleaning.
3. Backwash: "to backwash the water". This is to clean the sand filter. The water goes out in the opposite direction (to the sewer or another place). To backwash, you must first turn off the pump! Then set the 6-way valve to back flush and then turn the pump on. The water now flows in the opposite direction. Backwashing takes 1-3 minutes. If you look through the sight glass of the sand filter an the water is clear again, the backwash is done.
4. Flushing: the six-way valve should be moved to this position immediately after the flushing process. Do this for 30 seconds. In the flush position, the water flows from the top to the bottom as it is discharged into the sewer. In this way, all the sand is returned to its place.
5. Circulate: This mode is to mix certain products with the pool water as quickly as possible. The water is sucked in by the pump, but does not go through the sand filter.
6. Closed : Now all outlets are closed. You should now switch off the pump as quickly as possible, because the pressure builds up quickly. The closed position is mainly used when working on the sand filter.

In short, the six-way valve is usually on the 'filter' position.

How long do you have to filter the pool water?
The more your water is filtered, the better the water quality. This is very clear. But how long should your filter run?
Well:
If the outside temperature is less than 20°C, let the filter run for 12 hours.
If the outside temperature is more than 20°C, let the filter run for 24 hours.
Tip: Set the filter operating time with a clock. In this way, you can choose to let the filter run at night.

Filter maintenance
Maintenance of a cartridge filter
The neater the filter, the better the water can be filtered.
It is recommended to clean a filter cartridge regularly with a filter cartridge cleaner. With the spray cleaner you can already remove a lot of dirt from the filter. Of course, you cannot keep rinsing the cartridge and it is advisable to change the filter regularly. How often you should clean and replace the filter is difficult to say. It depends on several factors, such as how often you swim, is there a tree nearby, how the water is maintained,...
Of course, it cannot be that the filter looks completely green or brown. In this case the filter has little influence on the cleaning of the water.

Sand filter maintenance
A sand filter needs a backwash (at least every three weeks, this can also be more) and after 5 years the sand in the filter needs to be replaced by new sand.
If the sand filter has not been circulating for a long time, the sand will start to stick together and you will need to replace the sand.
In addition to backwashing and replacing the sand, you should also add Superflock plus to your skimmer. Superflock plus is a candle-shaped flocculant used in sand filters for effective prevention and removal of turbidity in the water. Due to its patented formula, superflock plus dissolves slowly, resulting in a long-lasting effect. Use superflock weekly for optimal results.

Choose a filter that fits your pool
To know what filter capacity you need to filter your pool, you need to do a little math. I emphasise "small" because it doesn't take much time. You have to devide the amount of water by 4. That way, the pool is fully filtered in four hours.
Calculation:
*Square or rectangular pool:
Length x width x height
Example: Length 8 m x width 4 m x 1,45 m = 46 400 litres water = 46,40 m³
46,40 : 4 = 11,60
For the given example, you would need a filter pump with a flow rate of at least 11,60 m³/h.
* Circular pool:
Radius x pi x height
(The radius is half the diameter, e.g. the diameter is 6, then the radius is 3).
Example: radius 3 m x pi 3,14 x height 1,50 m = 42 390 litres water = 42,39 m³
42,39 : 4 = 10,60
For the given example you would need a filter pump with a flow rate of at least 10,60 m³/h

Types of filters
To filter your pool, you can use two types of filters, a cartridge filter and a sand filter cartridge filter:
A cartridge filter is easy to install and does not take up much space. A cartridge filter has got his name because he's working with a cartridge. The pool water passes through the filter cartridge and then the water is filtered. A filter cartridge is easy to replace and is low in price. When you purchase a cartridge filter, all the necessary accessories, such as water hoses, are supplied with the filter in one package.

Sand filter: 
A sand filter has better filtration properties and is cheaper than a cartridge filter, but it is a bigger investment.
With a sand filter the pool water enters the sand filter from above and sinks down through the sand. While the water sinks down along and between the sand, the dirt of the water stays behind in the sand. This is how the water is filtered.
Because the water sinks down through the sand, a lot of dirt remans in the sand over time. In order to clean the sand, a backwash must be carried out.
By performing a backwash (every three weeks), the dirty water is pumped through the backwash and goes to the sewer or to another drain.
After 5 years you should replace the filter sand with new sand.
If the sand filter has not been circulating for some time, the sand will stick together and you should replace the sand. The amount and type of sand to be used in the sand filter is always indicated on the sand filter.