hot tub filtration systems
There are three different ways in which water is filtered in whirlpools. Some are outdated, some are only suitable for certain whirlpools.
Types of hot tub filtration systems
- cartridge filter
- Sand filter for whirlpools (boiler filter systems)
- Filterballs Filter
Cartridge filter: Cartridge filters are the oldest technology used in whirlpools. A cartridge filter is a vertically folded filter fleece through which the water is filtered horizontally. At the top, a blue lid is fixed to the fleece, at the bottom a blue base with a connection (thread or hole). Cleaning is laborious and very often necessary. The annual costs are high and there is always a high risk of contamination. The technology of these hot tub filtration systems is completely outdated and is losing more and more market share to filter ball filters, and faster. It is almost exclusively used in the private sector and still in the original delivery of whirlpools, because the hot tub manufacturers make very good money with it, as new ones constantly have to be purchased by the hot tub customers.
Boiler filter systems: Colloquially, it is referred to as the sand filter for whirlpools. However, the filter tank can be filled with almost any filter medium (sand, glass, filter balls). The filtration works very well. Costs and effort are low. The reason why this hot tub filter system is rarely used for whirlpools (except in commercial areas) is that it requires a lot of external space, a fixed drain for backwashing, and thus also an inlet for water loss compensation. The acquisition and installation costs are high. Therefore, this hot tub filter system is only sensible in commercial areas.
Filterballs Filter: Filterballs hot tub filter systems have only been available for a few years. Fiber ball filter balls are placed in a reusable filter container and flowed through vertically. These have quickly gained large market shares because the filtration is much better, more precise, and lasts longer than with cartridge filters. It is a technology patented in Europe and the USA, which surpasses the old cartridge filter in every respect. These filter systems filter from 1 micron, need to be cleaned only every 6-8 weeks, and cleaning takes 5-10 minutes. There are filter containers like Ego3 made from special chemical-resistant plastic, manufactured using plastic injection molding, and others made from 3D printers. The latter do not last as long due to the limited material selection of 3D printing material and are almost always flowed through horizontally from the side, making the filter path much too short to achieve an ideal filter result and long filter duration. Additionally, these are naturally much more expensive to produce.
Summary of hot tub filter systems
Boiler filter systems (sand filters for whirlpools) make sense almost only in the commercial sector and are also required for this purpose in certain countries.
Cartridge filters are a very old and poor solution, as everyone who has used or still uses them knows.
Filter balls made of solid cast plastic like EGo3 filters are a new hot tub filtration technology that is rapidly replacing cartridge filters in the private sector.
