Perlite AquaPerl-12 4212 Filter Powder and Blue Devil D.E. Scoop | Swimming Pool Maintenance Bundle

Why did you pick this product vs others?: My pool technician turned me on to AquaPerl because they said it is safer than DE. Breathing pool-grade DE, especially chronically as you would if you work with pools a lot, is suspected of causing lung cancer. Even if you’re not the pool technician, you have to consider that this material winds up in your yard when you backwash or clean the pool filter, and especially if you have pets or children who play in the dirt, you might not want to contaminate your property and the environment with a fine powder that is dangerous to breathe. Perlite is safer than DE, and seems to work equally well.

I have used diatomaceous earth for 45 years. I read about the risk of silicosis from DE air borne powder so I decided to switch. I tried a fiber material but I prefer this pearlite product. It is just like DE and easy to use. I have been using it for a couple of years and feel it works as well or better. I also don’t have to be concerned with disposing of it.

I use this instead of DE. Much lighter and does a great job in keeping pool water clear!

(+): Perlite filters great in my 15K gallon pool with the ability to easily rinse and wash away during a backwash or filter tear down. It’s also lighter in weight, which makes tear down a bit easier too. I notice that my pool seems to stay more clear and the time between filter cleanings as decreased by 10-20%. Flow rate (more water flow) is also much better, with 25% increase across all pump speeds. This is especially noticeable in the jacuzzi with the force of the jets. (-): No matter what I do, the Perlite always flows into the pool when adding through the skimmer. Also, it seems to quickly cloud the water a bit upon initial recharge, but clears up within a couple hours. With DE, I’ve never had this problem. I do occasionally get the “white balls” on my glass tiles, but either I wipe them off or they dissolve with 7-10 days.

Convenience to buy and good quality

This is among the worst items I've ever purchased. The perlite does not adhere to the grids and it flows back into the pool leaving small particles floating on the water. Does it clean the water? Frankly, I don't know as it appears cloudy to me and as noted by another reviewer, it clouds it before it cleans it. My grids were cleaned before I added this product. I'm not a first time pool owner and I'm sorry I bought this product. for the size of my pool I would have had to use half the bag which is 12 lbs to meet the requirements of my system and I am unwilling to do that because of the flow back into the pool. I would not recommend this product at all. A waste of money and time.

Originally bought this to use instead of cellulose when opening a green pool due to it being cheaper. Worked great and rinsed off the filter well when clogged up. I was going to switch back to fiber clear after the water cleared up, but the water has been so crystal clear that I decided to stick with perlite. Actually surprised that it is working so well! Cellulose works well too, but it seems like it gets caked on the filter and doesn’t quite match this stuff in getting the water really really clear.

I tried this product after my local pool dealer told me that my old d e pool filter was no longer available New York and California were going to discontinue any use of the d e products he tried to sell me a sand filter and pump I've had my pump for over 12 years along with the DE filter I continually had to get rid of the old d e and put in new de in order for the filter to run that is recommended 12 PSI the pump keeps slowing down I thought it was time for a new pump but I thought I give this product a try the stuff is wonderful my filter and pump are working better than they ever did my pool is crystal clear the stuff is amazing I'd recommend it to anybody with a d e pool filter