NetSpa

NetSpa filter media for sand filter systems

Here you will find the NetSpa consumables listed on PoolParthub.com, headed by the Pureflow 130 g filter media for sand filters, reference JL-P12058. It is the kind of component that is easy to forget until the water goes cloudy or the pressure gauge starts creeping upwards: the pump may run perfectly, the valve may seal perfectly, yet nothing in the tank will clear the water if the medium inside has packed down, channelled or simply reached the end of its useful life.

Synthetic media in place of sand

A sand filter works by forcing water down through a bed of graded silica sand, where suspended dirt is trapped between the grains before the clean water is collected by the laterals at the bottom and returned to the pool or spa. Fibre media of the Pureflow type works on exactly the same principle, but the mineral bed is replaced by a light synthetic material that presents a much greater surface area for each gram loaded. That is why a small bag stands in for a far heavier quantity of sand. The equivalence is given on the packaging and in the instructions supplied with the media, and it is worth following that figure rather than estimating, because overfilling leaves no freeboard for the bed to lift during backwashing.

• Weight – a single bag is light enough to carry and pour one-handed, which matters on roof terraces, balconies and anywhere the filter has to be lifted into position.
• Handling – the fibres are teased apart by hand and dropped loosely into the tank, so there is no dust and no heavy sacks to split open.
• Servicing – fibre media can usually be lifted out and rinsed through rather than discarded at the first sign of fouling; check the instructions supplied before washing.
• Compatibility – it suits conventional top-mount and side-mount sand filter tanks that are fitted with a standpipe and laterals or a slotted diffuser.

Working out how much you need

Dosage is based on the sand capacity of the tank, not on the size of the pool. Before ordering, gather the following:

• Stated sand charge – printed on the filter label or in the manual, normally in kilograms. This is the figure the media conversion rate refers to.
• Tank diameter – small cartridge-style spa and above-ground filters are typically a few hundred millimetres across; measure the body at its widest point if no label survives.
• Lateral depth – the bed must cover the laterals or diffuser completely so that unfiltered water cannot short-circuit straight to the outlet.
• Freeboard – leave the space above the bed that the manufacturer specifies, so the media can expand when the flow is reversed.
• Pump flow – an oversized pump pushes water through any bed too quickly; match the filter and pump as the equipment manual intends.

Changing the media and keeping it working

Switch the pump off at the socket, close the isolating valves and release the pressure using the air bleed before opening anything. On a top-mount tank the multiport valve is removed first; cover the open standpipe with tape or a cloth so that no media falls into it. Scoop out the old charge, rinse the empty tank, then load the new media evenly around the standpipe without compacting it. Refit the valve with a clean, correctly seated O-ring, set the handle to rinse for a short run to settle and flush the bed, then return to filter and note the clean pressure reading on the gauge.

That clean reading is the reference for everything afterwards. When the needle has risen by a few tenths of a bar above it, the bed is loaded and needs backwashing. If backwashing no longer brings the pressure back down, if flow stays weak with a clean pump basket, or if fine debris passes straight back into the water, the media or a cracked lateral is usually the cause.

NetSpa at PoolParthub.com

Here we list the NetSpa filtration consumables that owners actually run out of, starting with the Pureflow 130 g filter media (JL-P12058) for sand filter tanks. Consumables are stocked rather than whole units because a bag of media is what keeps an existing filter doing its job through the season.

If you are unsure whether a given bag suits your tank, work from the sand capacity quoted by the filter manufacturer and the reference number on the part you are replacing. Those two details identify the correct charge far more reliably than the pool size or the model of the spa.