Cartridge Filter PSI, Water Level, and Sand Issues

voidpointer · Feb 22, 2025

I'm dealing with a few pool maintenance concerns and would appreciate some insight from the community.

My cartridge filter PSI is currently at 18 (at 2500 RPM), which is higher than my usual cleaning threshold of 14-15. The lowest I've recorded is 11. Given it's winter, I'm hesitant to clean the filters in cold weather. Is it safe to postpone cleaning until warmer temperatures arrive?
I've also noticed the water level inside the pump filter basket area is lower than usual, not reaching the see-through lid. Could this be related to the increased PSI? Does higher PSI typically result in reduced water flow, potentially affecting the water level in the pump?
Lastly, I'm experiencing a significant amount of sand entering the pool and accumulating in the cartridge filters. Is this a common issue, particularly in Texas? Are there any effective preventative measures? The sand is causing me to clean the filters more frequently than I'd prefer.

Any advice or experiences with similar issues would be greatly appreciated.

PoolStored · Feb 22, 2025

voidpointer said:
My cartridge filter PSI is currently at 18 (at 2500 RPM), which is higher than my usual cleaning threshold of 14-15. The lowest I've recorded is 11. Given it's winter, I'm hesitant to clean the filters in cold weather. Is it safe to postpone cleaning until warmer temperatures arrive?

I would clean them as soon as temps are above freezing and you can stand the cold.

voidpointer said:
I've also noticed the water level inside the pump filter basket area is lower than usual, not reaching the see-through lid. Could this be related to the increased PSI? Does higher PSI typically result in reduced water flow, potentially affecting the water level in the pump?

Yes, reduced water flow because of dirty filters.

voidpointer said:
Lastly, I'm experiencing a significant amount of sand entering the pool and accumulating in the cartridge filters. Is this a common issue, particularly in Texas? Are there any effective preventative measures? The sand is causing me to clean the filters more frequently than I'd prefer.

Where is the sand coming from? Just blowing in the pool?

voidpointer · Feb 22, 2025

PoolStored said:
Yes, reduced water flow because of dirty filters

And this is the cause of the water level in the pump basket being lower than I'm used to?

PoolStored said:
Where is the sand coming from? Just blowing in the pool?

Yes, it blows into the pool and accumulates. It gets picked up by the pool cleaner, it builds up at the bottom of the skimmers below the baskets, and it accumulates heavily in the cartridge filters. This is year round. When I clean out the filters there's usually a pretty large pile of sand.

Jimrahbe · Feb 22, 2025

VP,

I find that when my filter gets dirty the bubbles under my pump lid gets bigger.. Not a lot, but noticeable for sure..

Where is all the sand coming from?? Do you have flagstone coping or decking??

I would not do anything until we get some better weather...

I clean my large cartridge filter once a year.. How often are you cleaning yours?

Thanks,

Jim R.

voidpointer · Feb 22, 2025

Jimrahbe said:
VP,

I find that when my filter gets dirty the bubbles under my pump lid gets bigger.. Not a lot, but noticeable for sure..

Where is all the sand coming from?? Do you have flagstone coping or decking??

I would not do anything until we get some better weather...

I clean my large cartridge filter once a year.. How often are you cleaning yours?

Thanks,

Jim R.

My last cleaning was June 23, 2024. So about 8 months?

No idea where the sand is coming from. My lawn might be dusty/dry; I'm not sure. No flagstone. Decking is all travertine pavers.

Jimrahbe · Feb 22, 2025

VP,

Are you sure it is sand?? Can you touch it? Is it gritty?

I used to clean my CCP-520 filter twice a year, but found that cleaning once a year was plenty.. I have no heater, so at 1200 RPM. my clean filter pressure, on a 30 lb. gauge, is about 1 or 2 lbs.. After a year is goes up to about 3 or 4 lbs... But even then, there is still plenty of water flow to turn on my SWCG and keep my skimmers working.. If I had a heater, it would have a by-pass for when the heater was not in use..

Thanks,

Jim R.

voidpointer · Feb 22, 2025

Yes it's sand. It's reddish in color. Been getting this stuff since my pool opened in 2023. It builds up pretty heavily on the benches, steps, and tanning ledge on my pool. I typically brush it off into the main pool area to be vacuumed.