Pool filter housing cracked, need advice!

[concretegardenstx]

Hi guys,

I came home today to discover a crack in my Pentair Clean and Clear 200 filter housing (the body, not the lid). The pool had not been running the past 2 years, and I have been working diligently to get it clean. It's been a long fight, but a fight, nonetheless. I only bring it up because I need to be actively filtering ASAP as I've been trying to SLAM it. So I'm looking for advice from you guys.

Do you know if it can be patched? I believe it's fiberglass (I know because the coating has come off and I have had the reactions from it on my skin.)

Does it have to be replaced, or should it be replaced? It's at least 10 years old, I don't know the lifespan. Because I'm trying to get it clean, I don't want it out of commission for too long, especially now that we are getting sun. I'm going to Google this as well, but I really respect the advice that is given here.

I'd really love to switch to a sand filter, but I don't know how easily everything can be swapped out (and how expensively!) Based on the size and pump specs in my signature, what would you recommend?

Thanks!

 

[jblizzle]

no patching. Either replace the part ... or likely for not much more $, replace the entire filter.

Might be time to upgrade as that is a little small for your pool anyway.
For your pool size and location, minimums I would suggest:
275 sqft cartridge
25" sand filter

That is a huge pump, so going bigger on the filter would not hurt ... might consider putting a 2-speed motor on that beast and save a good bit of money on electricity when not running high for the spa.

 

[duraleigh]

+1 what jblizzle says. Time for a new filter.

 

[mas985]

Right now I would patch it so you can continue your slam process but seal it from the inside so the pressure will help keep it sealed. Marine epoxy would probably work best. Once patched, you can then decide what you want to do long term. Personally, I repair equipment until it can't be repaired anymore but that's me.

 

[jblizzle]

BTW, my filter split and drained my pool at my previous house ... I could prove the age and it was covered under warranty by Hayward. But it had only been 3-4 years old.

 

[cowboycasey]

here is a Hayward 24 inch sand for $310 amazon prime you could get by Tuesday

Amazon.com : Hayward Pro Series 24 Inch In Ground Pool Sand Filter : Swimming Pool Sand Filters : Patio, Lawn Garden

you would have to run new PVC, but that is pretty easy

 

[concretegardenstx]

Right now I would patch it so you can continue your slam process but seal it from the inside so the pressure will help keep it sealed. Marine epoxy would probably work best. Once patched, you can then decide what you want to do long term. Personally, I repair equipment until it can't be repaired anymore but that's me.

Thanks for this. I'd like to patch it at least until it's done SLAMing, possibly for the season? At least I am able to work overtime

 

[concretegardenstx]

no patching. Either replace the part ... or likely for not much more $, replace the entire filter.

Might be time to upgrade as that is a little small for your pool anyway.
For your pool size and location, minimums I would suggest:
275 sqft cartridge
25" sand filter

That is a huge pump, so going bigger on the filter would not hurt ... might consider putting a 2-speed motor on that beast and save a good bit of money on electricity when not running high for the spa.

I wish I had known it was such a beast of a motor, since we just replaced it about 4 years ago! The previous owner didn't run the pump full time, I am only having to run it full time now because of SLAM. We don't even use the spa as a spa, it;s basically just a seating area with a fountain in it.

So you are saying the filter is small for the pool, or small for the pump? I know this is what the builder put in.

So much to take in! Are there any other factors that I need to take into consideration on deciding on a new (sand!) filter? Like the plumbing, does it have to have certain angles to it?

I'm good at following instructions, is this something my husband and I can do ourselves?

Sorry, I'm just feeling very overwhelmed!

 

[concretegardenstx]

here is a Hayward 24 inch sand for $310 amazon prime you could get by Tuesday

Amazon.com : Hayward Pro Series 24 Inch In Ground Pool Sand Filter : Swimming Pool Sand Filters : Patio, Lawn Garden

you would have to run new PVC, but that is pretty easy

Bless you, Prime is the best.

 

[jblizzle]

The filter is small for the pool .... and maybe small for the pump too. Your pump might end up pushing some fine dirt right through the cartridge, but maybe not too bad. What is your filter pressure?

You would just set the filter in place and play with PVC fittings to get the pipes to line up.

 

[concretegardenstx]

The filter is small for the pool .... and maybe small for the pump too. Your pump might end up pushing some fine dirt right through the cartridge, but maybe not too bad. What is your filter pressure?

You would just set the filter in place and play with PVC fittings to get the pipes to line up.

It was about 30 psi (was going to clean it tonight) but I don't know if it got too high (the body says max is 60psi) since there is a thick layer of dead algae and other goodness that I have been trying to filter out.

What about the Pentair Sand Dollar? It's a good price on Amazon prime. I was looking at the SD 60, but I couldn't find a measurement to compare. Or is that a too good to be true?

I'm off to Home Depot to buy some Loc Tite Marine epoxy to try and fix the crack so I can keep filtering.

 

[jblizzle]

24" is a little smaller than what I would suggest, a 27" would be better.

 

[concretegardenstx]

Just an update for those that might be interested...

I bought some JB Water Weld (because this is the south and JB Weld fixes everything). It cures in the water, and the package says it can withstand pressure up to 900 psi. So, we'll see how that goes.

In the meantime, I plan on acquiring a Pentair Sand Dollar SD-80. It's a 26 inch, but the 27 inch models all seem to be a bit out of my price range at the moment. We'll see how long the JB Weld holds. If I can make the change later in the season, then I can definitely get a bigger filter. But *definitely* going with sand.

Thanks for all of your help!

 

[jblizzle]

26 is fine. For some reason I though 24 and 27 were the typical sizes.