Back to wanting a cartridge filter, recommendations?

[MNPoolDreamer]

Ok I'm not going into any history here, but husband and I have had it with trying to "fix" our poorly designed sand filter (does anyone else have this system from watson's or family leisure?)

So we have a two speed dynamo 1hp pump. I figure our pool at 13,500, but it probably is more like 14,000 so let's use that number.

What kind of cartridge filter can I get. Our equipment is hard plumbed with flex PVC 14 feet of line from the pool and another 14 feet to the pool, plus about 1.5 feet straight from filter to heater, and about two feet from pump to filter. There are a total of 3 elbows - 1 into the pool, 1 out of the heater and 1 from the filter to the heater. So is that about 44 feet total?

What kind of cartridge would work? We don't have a ton of money to spend. I cannot figure out what all the differences are in filters. I've seem a 175 sq ft hydromatic for 130.00 but then a 150 Hayward xstream is 410.00. How do I go about comparing these filters? I looked at the star clear for inground and I don't like the knob idea, seems like I'm good at running screw in things like that.

Advice is appreciated. And I'm not even considering sand again - it Seems way more expensive for a sand filter for less filtration.

 

[jblizzle]

The recommendations I have seen here are for cartridges at least 15 sqft / 1000 gallons of water.
At 14k gallons, that would point to a filter at least 210 sqft ... so sounds like the ones you are looking at may be a little small. In general, bigger is better for cartridge filters resulting in fewer cleanings.

 

[MNPoolDreamer]

Does above ground or inground matter? How come there is such a price difference in the same sq ft size?

 

[jblizzle]

I would not thing AG / IG would water for a filter ... it does not care if it is above the water or below the water. That can affect the pump, but not the filter for any reason I can think of.

Note sure why the price is different ... probably partially due to the companies thinking that if you have the $$ for an inground pool, you have the $$ to spend more. Solar heating panels show this a lot.

 

[jamull2852]

I have the pentair cc150. Its been running for about a month and the pressure hasnt moved off 2-4 pounds. I love it way better than my 16'' which was undersized for a 24' pool. I only cleaned it one time which was the other day just to see how dirty it was and it was full of sand and lets just say it worths lol

 

[MNPoolDreamer]

I was reading the directions on the pentair cc150 and it says the top can blow off if air gets in the system. I'm probably not the best pool owner because sometimes air gets in my filter when I vacuum or when we play wave pool.

Do you have to bleed the filter all the time? What happens when the water level gets just a little too low and sucks some air (I'm not slaying run the pump dry, just some air in the stainer pot.

 

[jamull2852]

If I get some air in the strainer pot itll just stay their. I just close my suction valve a little and open it up a little faster. I dont have anything to do to the filter. Now when I clean the strainer pot and cleaned the filter their was air in the filter, but just simply turn the relief valve on top to release the air until water shoots out and then close and your good to go. Where were you reading about the top blowing off?

 

[linen]

The recommendations I have seen here are for cartridges at least 15 sqft / 1000 gallons of water.
At 14k gallons, that would point to a filter at least 210 sqft ... so sounds like the ones you are looking at may be a little small. In general, bigger is better for cartridge filters resulting in fewer cleanings.

I agree with jbliz, 206 sq. ft (or bigger) is the tfp recommendation for a 14000 gallon pool. You can always go bigger with cartridge filters since you do not have to backwash them. Going at least this big will help reduce how often you have to clean the cartridge...which can be real fun :|

 

[MNPoolDreamer]

In the owner's manual for the cartridge filter it states that ANY air in the system can cause the top to blow off. I'm sure they overstate it to ensure safety. I think our sand filter says the same thing, but we get air in there all the time...When the kids are spalshing around in the pool it sometimes makes waves that starve the skimmer. I like to keep the pump running while we are stirring up the dirt, so sometimes it gets a little air, sometimes enough that we have to jump out and rescue the pump.

I don't understand why there isn't some kind of standard to compare these filters. Some smaller ones say they are meant for inground pools up to 57,000 gallons. What you are saying is that these folks would be cleaning their cartridge almost weekly because the cartridge can handle the flow, just not the dirt that goes with it?

Sorry, I have so many questions, but I want to fully understand this before I lay out a chunk of change. Living by a farm has brought more headache than I could ever imagine.

 

[jamull2852]

I dont understand why people say cleaning the cartridge filter is such a pain? It comes off really easy and hoses off real easy so it really only took me 5-10 mins. Your not wasting water backwashing like a sand filter. I know everyone has their own opioions which is fine, Im just saying I like the cartridge and to me its not a trouble. I will be cleaning it most of the time after I cut the grass and clean the yard that way Im already sweating and once Im done I can jump in the pool lol. The cc150 with my 1.5hp pump can turn my pool over within like 2 hours. So I have it set on a timer for 4hrs a day. Pool has been crystal clear this way and along with the BBB method

 

[linen]

I dont understand why people say cleaning the cartridge filter is such a pain? It comes off really easy and hoses off real easy so it really only took me 5-10 mins. Your not wasting water backwashing like a sand filter. I know everyone has their own opioions which is fine, Im just saying I like the cartridge and to me its not a trouble. I will be cleaning it most of the time after I cut the grass and clean the yard that way Im already sweating and once Im done I can jump in the pool lol.

I really does come to preference and each unique situation.

I have both...sand for my pool and cartridge for my hot tub. My sand backwash takes maybe 2 minutes on average and I don't get wet (not that I mind). My hot tub cartridge (a fairly small one) takes me 15 minutes: drain chamber, disassemble to get cartridge, wash pleats (feeling unsatisfied about how clean it getting wishing it was easy to wash from inside out), reassemble cartridge into filter. I probably make too big of a deal of the cartridge process, but unless I had water restrictions, really high CH fill water (and had plaster), lot's of evaporation (read Arizona climate), or was using for a hot tub...I would probably not chose a cart.

 

[bobodaclown]

I've got a cartridge filter, CC100 (clean and clear 100 ft). I think the note is to ensure that you screw the locking ring on correctly. There is a air bleeder on the top you have to manually bleed off the air that gets into the filter. Air in the filter takes the place of water and too much air will reduce the filter area.
That being said, I clean my filter every couple of weeks to once a month. I've got 2 filters, and swap them out. So my filter down time is minimal. I hose them down to clean them then once a season give them a good washing and soak, not just a rinse.
If I were replacing my cartridge filter I would probably go with a larger cartridge filter, maybe the 150 or 200 depending on the cost. I would also take into consideration replacement cartridge cost. Also there is a flow rate associated with the size of the cartridge. I think I'm running at about the max for the CC100. I think its rated at 50gpm in residential and 38gpm in commercial.

 

[yossarian]

I HATE my cartridge filters. I find that it takes a solid hour to remove the filters, clean them and replace them. We just opened our pool a week and a half ago, I have cleaned the filters twice, and I need to clean them again. I will probably end up buying a second set, but, at over $230, that is not very economical. I think it depends where you live, but I believe the Northeast (where I am) is not the right environment for a cartridge.

 

[mas985]

Sand filters are probably easiest for winter clean up and cartridge filters are probably the hardest but there are ways to make the process easier.

First, if you close right before the water freezes and open right after it thaws, there will be less algae to clean up.

Second, if you first kill the algae and then let it settle to the pool floor without filtering, this can limit the number of times the filter needs to be cleaned. This can be done with either a filter in bypass mode, if it is plumbed that way or by simply removing the filters. You can also add the chlorine manually, and stir the water manually. There is no point in trying to filter out live algae as that will just complicate the process.

Third, after the algae is completely dead and settled on the pool floor, you can then vacuum it to waste if you have the plumbing setup. Otherwise, you can filter it out and hopefully this only needs to be done once since the algae should be dead at this point.

Hopefully, this should limit the number of times you clean the filter on open .