FlowXtreme NE4508 Cotton Tails Filter Media, 1.5-lbs (Replaces 50-lbs. Sand),Multicolored

I assumed a half-bag would replace 25 pounds of sand because they said a bag would replace 50 pounds of sand. That wasn't the case. 3/4 of the bag was taken by me. When it was only half full, it appeared full, but that was due to the fact that they were dry; once wet, they shrank and the water simply flowed over the top rather than filtering. Even though it never reaches the psi recommended for backwashing, I still do it because the cotton looks green and slimy if I don't. It also doesn't filter as well as sand, with a lot of small particles making their way back into the pool through the filter. Overall, it's done, so I'll probably stick it out this year before returning to sand next summer.

Crosby Hays

| Apr 26, 2021

I've been using them for a long time and they keep my pool sparkling and clear. Friends who visit my home are amazed at how clear the water in my pool is. This product is incredible, and I'm not sure why anyone would still use sand; my recommendation is to use it in conjunction with skimmer socks. This is the most effective combination. You'll never, ever want to go back to sand after you've done this. Now that that's out of the way, I'd like to respond to a few of the other criticisms: To begin with, for those whose water has turned green or cloudy - The filter balls have nothing to do with this! It has to do with failing to maintain a BALANCED water supply! Every two weeks, you should test and maintain your chlorine, alkalinity, and PH levels. up to 3 days; It's a must! If you don't, your water will turn cloudy and/or green. Second, for those who claim that the filter balls clog your filter system, here's what you should do: Again, this is due to improper use of the product or broken sand filter laterals! All you have to do now is properly install your laterals and fill the sand filter unit with filter balls about 3/4 of the way up. That is all there is to it. There is absolutely no need to backwash! The filter balls cannot leave the sand filter tank in a properly functioning system - Unless your laterals have been broken and are allowing them to pass. If this is the case, you will also have sand in your pool. So don't point the finger at the filter balls. Skimmer socks (also available on Amazon) are also a good option. There will be no need to backwash if you place a cloth over your skimmer basket and clean it once a day (it only takes 5 minutes). The goal is to keep as much debris out of your filter ball and filtration system as possible. br>br>I use filter balls and skimmer socks (both of which must be cleaned daily) and keep my pool open from late April to mid-June. In October, you'll have crystal clear water for the entire summer, with no need to backwash or clean the filter balls. Mine has lasted the entire season. In fact, the filter balls and skimmer socks work so well together that I never have to clean my pump filter basket for the entire season. When you close your pool at the end of the season, you can either wash them or replace them with new ones when you reopen it in the spring. I'm not sure why everyone isn't doing it because it's so simple. br>br>And that's all there is to it. Your pool will stay crystal clear all summer if you follow these instructions. It's impossible to own a pool and not check your water balancing or clean debris from your pool once or twice a month. If you can't afford to spend $5, there are other options. If you don't spend at least 10 minutes a day on pool maintenance, you shouldn't own one. Period. I'll also mention that using a chlorine generator if you don't have access to salt water is an option. They perform admirably and ensure that the chlorine level in your pool remains constant. I'd never try to dissolve chlorine tablets again because it's so inconvenient.

Camilla DICKINSON

| Sep 04, 2021

This product seemed to work well at first, but then it stopped working. We couldn't get our pool clean after about a month, no matter how hard we tried. In addition, we had to keep backwashing our pool because our filter appeared to be losing pressure. When my husband backwashed our pool for the last time before closing it, cotton tails began to shoot out, and some even made their way into our pool through the filter. When my husband took the cotton balls out of the filter, he discovered that it was practically shooting water into the pool. That was the source of all our stress. Our filter system had become clogged as a result of the cotton balls. It's a good thing our filter didn't break, because this pool was brand new! I'm never going to buy anything like this again! From here on out, it's all sand!.

Holly Whitaker

| Dec 14, 2021

br>These cotton tails came to my rescue. The silt was retained. br>Clear water. br>Easy to squeeze dry after removing from the filter. I have a small pool, so one bag fills the sand filter about three times for me. I have not yet attempted to clean them. br>They were instrumental in the preservation of my pool.

Marcellus Yoder

| May 08, 2021

These things grab algae and silt and perform like a de filter while being as simple to use as a sand filter. However, a standard backwash will not remove them, and just because they say you don't have to backwash until 25 psi doesn't mean you don't have to. This isn't to say it's a bad idea. br>br>After finding doing a machine wash after only one week to be tedious, and wanting to use the Pool RX algaecide (which says not to back wash for a week and then to limit to keep its minerals in the system), we let the pressure rise above 20, which collapsed the majority of the internal piping in the filter and allowed 100s of tails into our underground PVC piping. br>br>It took HOURS to get them out to the point where normal flow was restored (though we're sure some return ports are still blocked). We ended up making our own cotton tail-friendly internal piping for the filter (heavy-duty pvc piping with small holes drilled in capped Ts at the bottom). And now the system has restored our faith in it. br>br>We've also discovered that introducing air into the suction line (we have a primer port) makes the backwash more effective, and we've tried introducing shock and algaecide directly to the filter and letting it sit inside the filter for a long time before running a backwash with air introduced through the primer port. br>br>So we've finally figured it out and feel like it will be much easier in the future, but it was a long, Hopefully, this information will be useful to others who are dealing with chronic algae outbreaks that occur when the water temperature rises above 90 degrees.

Amina HYDE

| Sep 07, 2021

I have a 1950s pool with a new Hayward sand filter, but small leaks in the incoming pipes cause small bubbles to travel through the sand, disrupting it and allowing small particles such as dead algae to return to the pool floor. The pool was crystal clear in a day or two after I replaced the sand with this product. The water is crystal clear. Remember to avoid using pool clarified solution, as it will clog them up. Also, if you're going to wash them in a mesh bag, make sure the mesh isn't too fine so the dirt can escape. Mine lasted a season before needing to be washed, but I had to go without power for two weeks and then used a clarifier to remove the algae.

Erick Doyle

| Aug 09, 2021