socks vs. foam

I think they are more efficient and give you flexibility on how fine you want to prefilter the water. 200-400 micron..

The biggest issue is that they are a absolute filter and clog relatively quickly. Make sure you have a bypass.

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No bypass is needed. Just add more socks / larger diameter. I started out with 2 4" socks and changed them twice a week. I changed to 7" socks and change every 2 or 3 weeks now. I could wait longer if I wanted to. I should go to a smaller micron rating. I use 200, could easily use 100 or maybe 50.

You always need a bypass when dealing with sumps, it should always fail to safety. You may intend to always change your socks before they clog but sooner or later life gets in the way. A well designed sump will never be able to overflow.

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If my socks clog it just flows outta the top and into the sump.
Socks are easy...re usable and cheap.
SOcks also come in many shapes and sizes.
I change out my (2) 100 micron socks atleast once a week. Preferebly during wc's.
You dont want all that waste in the system. So change em out.
I love my filter socks and couldnt imagine using sponges in my sump.

David R said:

You always need a bypass when dealing with sumps, it should always fail to safety. You may intend to always change your socks before they clog but sooner or later life gets in the way. A well designed sump will never be able to overflow.

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Exactly. More flexibility with socks and they come clean with bleach in the washing machine.