Filter Cleaning TFP Method?

[Jeff piper]

Just wondering from a TFP perspective what is the best way to clean the cartridge style hot tub filters?
2 Questions:
1) I am currently using a filter cleaning product that comes in a pouch available from any spa supply place mixed in water and left to soak overnight. The question is after using this can you put a lid on the pail and store it to use multiple times?
2) Has any one had success using muriatic acid , and if so what is the best method.The water is very hard here from the tap.

Thank-you in advance ,
Jeff

 

[AusJohn]

Most of the time when you clean your filters, you are actually degreasing them to get rid of all the skin oil, sunscreen and any plant oils that may end up in the pool from fallen flowers, seeds or foliage. The product in the pouch is probably soda ash or possibly a mixture of soda ash, caustic soda and other alkaline salts or surfactants. Chemically this is pretty close to dish washer detergent which works pretty well too. I have in the past used a variety of things including laundry detergent. The filter cloth is polyester, and I've never heard of laundry detergent harming that. You can use surfactants like Simple Green too.

The thing that has worked best, fastest and with longest lasting results has been trisodium phosphate. It's a little hard to come by these days as in a lot of jurisdictions they are trying very hard to minimise the phosphate content of cleaning products to minimise water treatment costs for sewerage. Phosphates require tertiary treatment to remove them before discharge to rivers or waterways. If you can get it it's very effective although perhaps better to use it for fertiliser on the lawn (might want to neutralise it a bit first it will be about pH 12, and dilute it a bit too) rather than tip it down the drain. There are threads on here about using trisodium phosphate, if you search for TSP you should find some instructions. I use about half a cup in a 50L bin and soak overnight but my filter is quite small and not usually heavily soiled.


If you use acid, that can actually harden the grease and oil and make them harder to remove, so unless your filter cartridge is scaled up with calcite, I wouldn't acid wash it. If an alkaline soak doesn't clean it, then put a drop of muriatic acid on it and see if the deposit fizzes, if it does then you have calcite scale and can go ahead and acid soak but always after degreasing it in the first place.

 

[AusJohn]

Sorry I didn't actually answer your question. You could reuse it, particularly if the filter wasn't very dirty, but as the hydroxide is consumed in the cleaning process, I probably wouldn't bother. If it's dirty enough to need cleaning, it will consume most of the available alkali in the process. These solutions are quite alkaline, the pH will be up around 12, you really don't want that sitting around where it could get spilled and hurt someone, especially if you have kids around. Particularly you don't want to store it above eye level where it could be spilled and get in someone's eyes. I appreciate that the pool shop pouches are probably quite expensive for what they are, but TSP from the paint prep aisle at the hardware store, or dishwasher detergent from the supermarket change the cost benefit equation of keeping the solution significantly.

 

[PoolingAround]

I just a high pressure nozzle and spray them down? No bueno?

 

[Jeff piper]

Thanks for taking the time to answer I appreciate, it helped alot.