Hayward W3S244T ProSeries Sand Filter, 24-Inch Top-Mount Pool Filter

Now that we've had the sand filter in place for a complete summer/swimming season, I can provide a more meaningful review. Simply put, we love this sand filter and couldn't be more pleased. It's very efficient and does the job quite well. We had it professionally installed, which I highly recommend, since piping had to be changed/modified. No regrets with this purchase, whatsoever. Excellent value, in our opinion.

Great sand filter, works perfectly.

I purchased this filter system to replace an aging Hayward 24" filter that was showing signs of wear and needed sand replacement due to previous homeowner neglect. Alongside, I opted to upgrade to a 27" model for increased filtration capacity, necessitating a rerouting of plumbing. Navigating the sizing requirements for my pool was a bit daunting, with numerous factors to consider. Hayward's customer service directed me to local pool suppliers, but I found the pricing steep compared to DIY options. Installation was straightforward, thanks to provided instructions and online resources. However, I was disappointed that basic components like threaded adapters and lubricant were not included, considering the premium price. Don't overlook the additional cost of sand when budgeting for this system. The 27" filter requires 350lbs of sand, adding to the overall expense. My total investment, including installation and additional materials, approached $1,000. With proper maintenance, I anticipate this system lasting 5-7 years before I have to replace the sand. A note for fellow buyers: Amazon lists two Hayward 27" filter models (W3S270T & S270T), researching into this, I have concluded the "W3" likely denoting a newer version or indicating purchase through non-traditional channels. I opted for the W3 variant for Prime shipping reliability however if you want to save about $60, feel free to get the latter For smoother installation, consider these tips: 1. Leave sandbags outside in sun to help dry them out. Dry sand is MUCH easier to fill with AND helps mitigate issues of impact with wet sand hitting the folding laterals 2. before adding sand, fill filter (with lateral assembly inside) with water. Add enough to cover (a) the laterals & (b) the drain cap. This is a great opportunity to see if you have a leak at the drain cap before adding sand. 3. purchase a 1.5" pvc cap to use as a sand shield. it holds in place well and allows for hosing off sand before adding the Vari-flo control valve (closing off filter). Just make sure to remove cap before inserting Control valve. Store in safe place for future maintenance. 4. purchase teflon tape, apply to all threaded connections 5. purchase waterproof lubricant (B01MDUYET2) and apply to o-ring as well as ontop of teflon tape connections for added protection from leaks as well as making future maintenance easier (smoother removal) 6. Make sure you align the Control valve in such a way that makes it easy to view the pressure gauge and glass sight tube before securing the flange clamp. Once secured, the pvc work can begin. 7. Consider adding slip joint adapters to each pvc pipe connected to the Control valve. Doing so will make it a great deal easier to remove the control valve for maintenance without having to compromise existing PVC connections. This is HIGHLY recommended if you are getting a professional to install (if you dont know how to work with pvc) Update: 05/28/2025 As I opened up the pool for the season, I quickly realized that the pressure gauge hadn’t survived the winter. Even before attaching it to the filter, the gauge was reading 40 PSI. I hoped it might reset once connected, but no luck. To top it off, I just missed the one-year warranty. When I reached out to support, they sent me a generic response telling me to buy the Hayward ECX270861 [B004VU8MTG]. Yeah… not happening. It’s ridiculously overpriced, and considering the OEM version didn’t even last a year, I wasn’t about to throw more money at it. Instead, I picked up a "generic" replacement [B08FBW3KG6], which works fine. However, this gauge has a rotatable bezel, making it a bit too thick—it interferes with the multi-valve when screwing it in. Next time, I’ll go with something slimmer, like this one: B09VKR444K.

It was easy set up. A very good quality product.

I had a DE filter and was really tired of replacing the filter grids, having to open up the filter regularly (every month or to) to clean the grids, and buying DE. Plus I guess the filter housing was getting old because despite twice replacing the big O ring between the housing halves, something always leaked especially when I upped the pressure to run the Polaris. This caused air to enter and water / DE to flow back into the pool It finally totally wouldn't stop leaking. I was really tired of messing with the whole setup. Anyway, I wanted something simpler, that didn't require as frequent maintenance and decided on this Hayward sand filter despite that I had read that sand filters supposedly don't filter as well. Best decision I ever made (except, I must say, marrying my wife who is sitting next to me)! By the time I installed it after 2 weeks of no filtering the pool was army green. Took a full 5 days of filtering, a couple of shocks and extra flocculent but now the pool looks great and I look forward to years of the minimal maintenance of a sand filter. This sand filter clears the water 99% as well as DE filter - just takes longer - but the end result is PERFECTLY fine. Product delivery was timely, the box was intact, all the parts were there, and installation was easy and straight forward even for a regular around the house handy man like me. This filter housing seems very sturdy and the multi-valve feels solid and of high quality. After putting in the sand, run in Rinse mode first to get fine sediment out. After filtering for a while then let things settle and vacuum the whole pool to get out the super fine sediment from the bottom the sand filter may not be getting, then the water will get even clearer. In short, I recommend this filter.

The filter and valve got to me in about 48 hours which kinda surprised me, but the problem I had was when I opened up the box for the multi-port valve. It was cracked with a chunk of it missing from the top of it. Since I got home at 6pm on a Friday, and the support line for the company works M-F till 5pm, I had to wait till Monday morning to have it swapped out. They did send the new one right away and gave me the FedEx label to have them pass each other which I really appreciated. It was the sellers fault as the valve box had a puncture about where the damage was. It was sitting on the top of the filter with just 2 pieces of cardboard between them. They had no packing material in either box which really surprised me seeing all the room inside the box that it will go through during transport be it from the Hayward facility to the store to the customer. This is a big box with some delicate parts inside, so, yeah, it surprised me. After all is said and done, the new valve came in, and it is flawless after I double checked the laterals and snapped them down. They are up during transport which probably kept them safe. I filled it halfway up with water and put in the 300lbs of sand. After some some chemicals and 48 hours of filtering, my water is clear and just need to vacuum the floor of the pool now. Taking off a star because of the lack of shipping material in the box.

Well worth the money.

Works perfect

fast delivery works good

Perfect! Easy to install . We have a crystal clear water since we installed it.

Exactly as advertised. Exact replacement for 16 year old unit. Totally met my expectations.

I got tired of my old DE filter，coz it's not easy to maintain it. So I ordered this and got it the next day. It was finally installed today when the pool was opened. So far it's working fine and the water is getting clearer. The reason I chose this was the easy backwash and low maintenance. The backwashing function has not been used yet, and I hope it can be as simple and effective as advertised.

Exact replacement. As advertised. Delivery was prompt and as stated.