3 Smart Tips for Choosing the Right Filtration System (Not Just a New One)

New gear, new capabilities, shiny tanks… what’s not to love? But here’s the thing: just because a filtration system is new doesn’t mean it’s right for your job.

If you want long-term performance (and fewer stress headaches), you’ve got to do a little homework upfront. Let’s break it down into 3 key tips to make sure your next system delivers.

✅ Tip 1: Know Your Water Before You Pick Your Weapon

Not all water is created equal. The first thing you need to understand is your incoming water quality, especially your TSS (Total Suspended Solids). The dirtier your source water, the more debris your system has to catch. And that means more frequent backwash cycles (when the system reverses the water flow to clean itself out).

If your system doesn’t have enough surface area or isn’t built to handle that load, it’ll struggle. Think: pressure drops, clogs, and poor performance.

✅ Tip 2: Don’t Oversize Just Because You Can

Bigger isn’t always better, especially when it comes to flow rate (GPM).

If you oversize your system, your backwash cycles won’t be as effective. Why? Because each system is designed to operate with a specific flow rate and minimum PSI to properly lift and clean the filter media.

Ignore those specs, and you’ll end up with a half-clean filter and a system that has to work overtime. That means more maintenance, more cost, and more downtime.

✅ Tip 3: Get Familiar With the Service Filtration Rate

This one sounds technical, but stick with us, it's important. The service filtration rate is how much water flows through each square foot of media in your system. It's based on both your media type and how clean (or not) your water is.

If that number’s off, your system won’t filter properly. You’ll either overload it or waste capacity. Neither is ideal. Getting this right is key to consistent, optimized performance.

The Bottom Line: Don’t Wing It

Filtration systems are an investment. And like any good investment, a little planning up front goes a long way. Not sure about the flow rate? Media types? Backwash math? No stress, we love talking this stuff through. A quick chat could save you hours (or days) of frustration down the road.