Can you go TOO big with your filter?

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FrancisK7

New member
Apr 29, 2025
2
Montreal, Quebec, Canada
Pool Size
10000
Surface
Vinyl
Chlorine
Salt Water Generator
SWG Type
Hayward Aqua Rite (T-3)
I have a 20' round above ground pool. I've used a sand filter + SWG for the past 8 years.

Backwashing and having to refill + add salt is kind of annoying, and with the addition of a Nautilus CC this season, I'd really like to make the pool as hands-free as possible in our short season (mid-may until mid september).

I was looking at getting the Hayward SwimClear 525 sqft filter but noticed the plumbing won't even match my current plumbing (2” x 2.5” vs 1.5") so made me take a step back.

Can I go TOO big with a cartridge filter?
 
The only real downside to a larger filter is up front cost. It might take longer to clean but you clean less often too which to me is a better trade off.

However, given your location and the fact that you close the pool for several months out of the year, you might not really need that large of a filter to last one season without cleaning and you should clean the filter at least once per year. The 325 sqft should be more than sufficient for that size pool.

Also, the pipe size differences are not a real issue because you can always use bushings to reduce the size.
 
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Thanks for the advice, I went with the 325 sqft! How many seasons should I expect to go through before I need to change the cartridges?

I went 6 years with my last salt cell, can I change the cartridges at the same rate?
 
I had 8.5 years on mine when we moved and they were going strong. It should be fairly obvious when its time.

The rubber ends crumble. The pleats don't hold their form some time after the bands break. Rips/tears. Or the PSI remains high after cleaning them.
 
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