Over time, the sand in your pool’s filter wears down and becomes less effective at trapping dirt and debris. What once kept your water crystal clear can eventually let fine particles slip through, leaving your pool looking cloudy or dull.

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Depending on your pool’s usage, determines how frequently filter sand needs to be replaced.

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• Appearance. One of the most obvious signs is changes in the appearance of your water. Cloudy water can be an indication that it is time to change the sand — but there are various reasons why your water may become cloudy. It is beneficial to first check the chemical balance of your pool as well as clean all surfaces. If cloudy water continues, this could be the problem.

• Channelling. Old sand will clump together, creating gaps between the sand and the filter. This prevents your filter from working as effectively as it should because water starts to channel around the edges of the filter rather than through the sand. This means your pool water will constantly be dirty. Once channelling occurs, you might experience lingering algae regardless of your cleaning efforts. You can check for channelling by opening the pool filter and looking for ridges or gaps in the sand. If water can easily get through, it’s time for a change.​

• Excess chemical use. Chemicals are a part of proper pool maintenance. If your chemical treatments appear ineffective, or you find yourself using more chemicals than usual, your sand filter could be to blame.