FilterBalls - Do They Really Work?

FilterBalls are so much easier to handle than big bags of sand, and if I didn’t like the results they certainly were going to be a million times easier to remove from my pool filter than the slimy old sand I scooped out for over an hour. It would have been a breeze to replace them if they didn’t work as well as the FilterBalls website said they would.

I honestly cannot speak to micron size, or if FilterBalls can trap smaller particulates than regular filter sand. I can say however, that my water never looked better, and without the occasional hazy water that would result if I didn't do a timely backwash of the sand.

Benefits of FilterBalls

Another benefit of the lower filter tank pressure was that my return jets were consistently strong all summer. After installing FilterBalls, the pressure gauge dropped 5 psi, and the pool returns flowed stronger than ever and did a great job circulating the water. And my 1.5 horsepower Hayward SuperPump, as reliable and maintenance free as it is, was always a bit noisy - but after FilterBalls were added, the pump was noticeably quieter.

I mentioned that we used 3 bags of FilterBalls Blu. Actually, we saved a few Balls for other experiments, such as tossing a handful of FilterBalls in the bottom of my Leaf Rake. They are not heavy at the bottom of the net while wet, and they nab what would otherwise pass through the skim net. We get these thin layers of gnats spawning on the water surface in late summer - gross and hard to skim. Not anymore.

When the pool turned hazy, because I was being too skimpy with the pump run time, I dropped a handful in the bottom of the skimmer baskets to see if they would help clear the water. FilterBalls to the rescue - no need for clarifiers, just 5 or 6 FilterBalls in the skimmer, and by morning, the pool was clear! Amazing.

As for FilterBalls reducing the amount of daily filtering and saving me hundreds of dollars every season - well, it did allow me to run the pump less, not 50% less, but at least 20% less, and every penny counts, right? To be fair, I was already running my pump less than most people anyway.

This weekend, when I pop out the Skim Doctor, blow out the lines, and fill them up with anti-freeze I won't have to wonder how long it’s going to take for all the water to drain out from the Sand Filter. No worries about damp, freezing sand expanding inside the filter tank and potentially cracking it. The water is going to drain right out, probably in less than 1 minute.

So there it is as promised, my review of FilterBalls, a real-world test of the filter sand alternative, spun polyester balls that are used to replace pool filter sand.

Just 1 lb. of FilterBalls Blu-10 replaces 100 lbs. of filter sand, and 50 lbs of Zeolite or FilterGlass.