Hydro Vortex™ vs. Conventional Waterfall Filters

Before You Buy a Waterfall Filter, Ask One Question

How Do I Clean It?

Most waterfall filters can create a beautiful waterfall. The important differences become apparent when it's time for routine maintenance.

Conventional pad-and-media waterfall filters typically rely on filter pads and bags or nets of biological media that must be removed from the filter for thorough cleaning.

The Hydro Vortex™ was designed differently. Its settling chamber, bottom drain and highly open Hydro FilterSilk™ media allow accumulated material to be flushed from the filter without removing the media.

One requires removing the filter media for thorough cleaning. The other was designed to be backwashed with the media in place.

A Filter Works Better When Water Can Flow Through It

Every filter collects material. That's its job.

Even after water passes through a pond skimmer or pre-filter, smaller suspended particles and organic material can continue into the waterfall filter. Over time, that material accumulates within the filtration media.

As filter pads and debris-loaded media become clogged, water can begin following the easiest path through or around the media rather than flowing evenly through the entire filtration area.

That's why routine filter maintenance matters.

The Hydro Vortex™ was designed to make removing accumulated material a simple part of routine maintenance instead of waiting until the filter requires a more involved cleaning.

Two Different Approaches to Waterfall Filtration

Conventional pad-and-media waterfall filters typically direct water through layers of filter pads and biological media. As suspended material is captured, it accumulates within that media until the filter is cleaned.

The Hydro Vortex™ takes a different approach.

Water enters the lower chamber and creates a rotational flow. Heavier material can settle toward the bottom of the filter while water continues upward through the highly open Hydro FilterSilk™ media.

When it's time to clean the filter, accumulated material can be discharged through the bottom drain rather than requiring the FilterSilk™ to be removed.

With the optional HydroFlush™ Backwash System, the water feature's existing pump reverses the flow through the filter to help release accumulated material from the FilterSilk™ and flush it from the system.

The filtration media stays inside the Hydro Vortex™ during routine cleaning.

Filter Pads vs. Hydro FilterSilk™

The way filtration media is designed affects both how it filters water and how it must be cleaned.

Conventional waterfall filters commonly use dense filter pads to capture suspended particles. As material becomes embedded within the pads, thorough cleaning typically requires removing them from the filter and rinsing them separately.

Hydro FilterSilk™ was designed differently.

Its highly open HDPE netting provides a large surface area for beneficial bacteria while allowing water to move freely through the media.

With more than 90% open space, Hydro FilterSilk™ allows loosened material and backwash water to move through the media during cleaning.

That means the FilterSilk™ can remain inside the Hydro Vortex™ during routine backwashing.

Conventional Filter Pads: Remove • Rinse • Reinstall • Eventually Replace
Hydro FilterSilk™: Leave in Place • Backwash • No Routine Replacement

Media Bags vs. Hydro FilterSilk™

Filter pads aren't the only media that may need to be removed from a conventional waterfall filter.

Many conventional designs also use bags or nets filled with lava rock, plastic media or other biological filtration material. These provide surface area for beneficial bacteria, but when fine organic material accumulates within and around the media, thorough cleaning commonly means lifting the bags out of the filter and rinsing them separately.

Once saturated with water and accumulated material, those media bags can also become heavy and messy to handle.

Hydro FilterSilk™ eliminates the need for separate bags of biological media.

The FilterSilk™ fills the filtration chamber between the lower and upper grates, providing both biological filtration and fine water polishing in one highly open media.

During routine backwashing, the FilterSilk™ stays inside the Hydro Vortex™ while water moves through the media and loosened material is discharged from the filter.

No heavy bags of biological media to remove for routine cleaning.

Routine Maintenance vs. Waiting for a Major Cleaning

A waterfall filter doesn’t suddenly become dirty once a year. Material accumulates gradually whenever the water feature is operating.

That’s why the Hydro Vortex™ was designed to make routine cleaning simple enough to perform whenever the filter needs it.

Every Hydro Vortex™ includes a bottom drain, allowing accumulated material to be discharged from the settling chamber without removing the Hydro FilterSilk™.

Add the optional HydroFlush™ Backwash System, and the water feature’s existing pump is used to reverse the flow through the FilterSilk™ and help flush accumulated material from the filter.

Turn two valves. Backwash. Done.

No filter pads to remove. No media bags to lift. No separate blower required.

Compare the Difference

Waterfall filters may look similar from the outside, but their internal design can make a significant difference in how they are maintained.

Here’s how conventional pad-and-media waterfall filters compare with Hydro Vortex™ waterfall filters: