Sand vs. Cartridge vs. DE Filters: How to Choose

The three common residential pool filter types — sand, cartridge, and diatomaceous earth (DE) — trade off maintenance effort against filtration fineness... Sand filters need the least hands-on maintenance but filter the coarsest (20-40 microns). Cartridge filters filter finer (10-15 microns) and skip backwashing entirely, but need the cartridge itself replaced every few years. DE filters filter finest of all (down to 2-5 microns) but require the most regular attention.