Blaster 1000, 2000, and 3000

[brcl2]

I saw this device that cleans pool cartridge filters (of course I am referring to the Blaster 1000 www.neotronics.com or other models). Has anyone owned one or seen one operate in person. They offer a video of it cleaning on their website. Does it clean as well as they show? It would be really nice to have one if it does work. My thoughts of it would be that the Blaster might just blast the dirt to the center of the filter.
Thanks,
Brad

 

[The Mermaid Queen]

... My thoughts of it would be that the Blaster might just blast the dirt to the center of the filter.
Thanks,
Brad

Have not see it, but would not suspect it would force things to the center any worse than a high-pressure nozzle would.

 

[MikeS]

I have one. It works as well as using a hose with a nozzle on the end. The filter does not come out as clean as the the one in the video on their website. The fact my filters are three years old is likely why. It is nothing like using a pressure washer. I don't use my pressure washer because I am worried it will shorten the life of my filter (by eventually tearing the filter paper as it gets older)


The good: Cleans filters unattended. This is huge bonus for me as I have 8 large cartridge filters to clean. It does a very good job.

The bad: You must have very good water pressure. The manufacturer recommends between 5- 10 gallons a minute. My hose flows about 7 gallons. I believe it would do a much better job if I flowed closer to 10. I have long filters (26") and I must flip it over to clean the whole length. It does take a couple of minutes to clean each filter- just like doing it by hand.

Mike S.

 

[brcl2]

I have one. It works as well as using a hose with a nozzle on the end. The filter does not come out as clean as the the one in the video on their website. The fact my filters are three years old is likely why. It is nothing like using a pressure washer. I don't use my pressure washer because I am worried it will shorten the life of my filter (by eventually tearing the filter paper as it gets older)


The good: Cleans filters unattended. This is huge bonus for me as I have 8 large cartridge filters to clean. It does a very good job.

The bad: You must have very good water pressure. The manufacturer recommends between 5- 10 gallons a minute. My hose flows about 7 gallons. I believe it would do a much better job if I flowed closer to 10. I have long filters (26") and I must flip it over to clean the whole length. It does take a couple of minutes to clean each filter- just like doing it by hand.

Mike S.

Thanks Mike S - it's good to hear this. I have low water pressure and a small budget. Looks like I will stick with Waterbear's advice (from a different TFP topic) and use a short brass nozzle. I don't have the money really to waste on this contraption anyway. You guys are a lifesaver. I have avoided so many mistakes by reading TFP.com.
Brad

 

[salinda]

I have the 3000 and I really like it. It takes less time, therefore using less water, and the cartridges come out VERY clean. It cleans unattended, which saves my back, and my kids can actually do the work.

I run it on my lawn and move it around when I switch cartridges.

For me, the time saved alone makes it worth the $$$.

 

[west1745]

I saw this device that cleans pool cartridge filters (of course I am referring to the Blaster 1000 www.neoterics.com or other models). Has anyone owned one or seen one operate in person. They offer a video of it cleaning on their website. Does it clean as well as they show? It would be really nice to have one if it does work. My thoughts of it would be that the Blaster might just blast the dirt to the center of the filter.
Thanks,
Brad

I bought the Blaster and LOVE it - it works just as well as the video.

My pool is outdoors - no screen - and I have heavy foliage around my pool - aka a large tree that is either dropping leaves, flowers or big pods. So, the cartridge has to be cleaned several times a month.

I used to HATE doing it because it is back breaking and time consuming and wastes a lot of water. I saw someone in Ben's forum (just found this one and loving it BTW!) post a recommendation for the Blaster and so I bought it. And I have been so happy - have been cleaning the filter several times a month and the Blaster does a more thorough job than I ever did.

The Blaster blasts the leaves and dirt onto the lawn. It turns the filter slowly and evenly and the water shoots into each pleat. I usually leave it on for 4 or 5 minutes and then switch the filter to the other side - our filter is so large that the cartridge has to be flipped to do both ends.

Hope this helps. I have no monetary affiliation with any pool store or the Blaster. Just love to clean my pool myself - have learned a LOT here.

 

[SeanB]

That looks really cool.

I've cleaned my filters which were no browner than those and it took quite a while of direct washing with a pressure tip nozzle to get them that white. I don't doubt that it can be done, but that video makes it look really quick. I'm guessing it would take 5 minutes or so per filter to get them looking that clean. However, that would still be better than doing it manually.

I may just have to try one out.

 

[salinda]

It really is cool. As far as the low pressure, they provide some caps so that you can close off some of the nozzles if your pressure is low. They came with the Blaster I got, but I don't need them. My filters start from very brown and get white. It really is a lovely thing, and it takes much less time than with a nozzle on a hose.

 

[Guest]

I just cleaned my filter today with a small bore garden hoze nozzle that cost $4. I timed the whole thing from start to finish and from shutting off the system, opening the filter, hosing it off (it was REALYY gunky!) regreasing the O-ring, and starting everything up again it took 19 minutes! I don't know why people seem to have such problems cleaning a cart manually. (NO, I don't have a small cart, it'a a Pentair Clean and Clearn 150 and the cart is 10" diameter and over 32" tall!)

I just can't see justifying spending so much money for a gadget to do a job that really isn't that big a deal.

My filter stays white because I do soak it twice a year, which should be done blaster or not.

 

[west1745]

I just cleaned my filter today with a small bore garden hoze nozzle that cost $4. I timed the whole thing from start to finish and from shutting off the system, opening the filter, hosing it off (it was REALYY gunky!) regreasing the O-ring, and starting everything up again it took 19 minutes! I don't know why people seem to have such problems cleaning a cart manually. (NO, I don't have a small cart, it'a a Pentair Clean and Clearn 150 and the cart is 10" diameter and over 32" tall!)

I just can't see justifying spending so much money for a gadget to do a job that really isn't that big a deal.

My filter stays white because I do soak it twice a year, which should be done blaster or not.

Perhaps true for you - but like I said I have this huge jacaranda tree that dumps these tiny leaves in the pool and even if I put panty hose over the skimmer there are tons of them that get stuck to the cartridge - it takes me at least a half hour to try to get them out and it hurts my back and is never as good if I am doing it as the Blaster - plus you have to consider that in leaf/wind season this is several times per month - dreadful!! - so for me this was a great investment and now I clean more often - but to each their own!! LOL!! :-D

 

[duraleigh]

I see a business opportunity.....the Master Blaster 5000!!

Two models available... a stand-alone unit with a 24hp Kohler twin cylinder and the other that hooks directly to the drive shaft on your car (No Ugo's, please).

Guaranteed to clean any size cartridge in 5 seconds or less.....However, please allow 30 more minutes trying to find the cartridge you have just blasted somewhere out of the neighborhood!!

 

[west1745]

I see a business opportunity.....the Master Blaster 5000!!

Two models available... a stand-alone unit with a 24hp Kohler twin cylinder and the other that hooks directly to the drive shaft on your car (No Ugo's, please).

Guaranteed to clean any size cartridge in 5 seconds or less.....However, please allow 30 more minutes trying to find the cartridge you have just blasted somewhere out of the neighborhood!!

LOL!!!!

I wonder if they could put that one in the Prius - can charge the battery while it is cleaning? Seriously - that is one fuel efficient car - we recently got one on an upgrade from a rental car company and could not believe we drove it everywhere - it got over 50 mph and only cost $25 in gas for the whole week of driving!! Although I must say I did not like how small it was after driving my SUV.

 

[SeanB]

I confess, I just like gadgets and this looks like a cool one.

It takes me about 40 minutes, start to finish to clean the filters.

 

[Guest]

I see a business opportunity.....the Master Blaster 5000!!

Two models available... a stand-alone unit with a 24hp Kohler twin cylinder and the other that hooks directly to the drive shaft on your car (No Ugo's, please).

Guaranteed to clean any size cartridge in 5 seconds or less.....However, please allow 30 more minutes trying to find the cartridge you have just blasted somewhere out of the neighborhood!!

LOL!!!!

I wonder if they could put that one in the Prius - can charge the battery while it is cleaning? Seriously - that is one fuel efficient car - we recently got one on an upgrade from a rental car company and could not believe we drove it everywhere - it got over 50 mph and only cost $25 in gas for the whole week of driving!! Although I must say I did not like how small it was after driving my SUV.

i like to crush priuses in my yukon xl that get 11 MPG, O YEA.

 

[Guest]

Perhaps true for you - but like I said I have this huge jacaranda tree that dumps these tiny leaves in the pool and even if I put panty hose over the skimmer there are tons of them that get stuck to the cartridge

Perhaps if you had bought REAL skimmer socks instead of using panythose (which really don't work very well at all by comparison) you would have had the same results I do. I use the socks and clean them weekly (or more often when the trees are dropping stuff) and they really help to keep the cart clean. As an example, I have not had to clean out the basket on my pump in over a year and a half because there is NEVER anything in it!
Can you imagine how many skimmer socks you could have bought for the price of the blaster?

 

[salinda]

I have 4 10" wide 32" long carts. It takes a very long time to clean them and they never came out completely clean because I end up rushing the job. The skimmer socks are okay, but honestly another thing to do--that's what I have a large filter for. There are other reasons I don't like them that I won't get into.

Until you try the Blaster, it is hard to believe how well it works and how quickly. I am not a large person and maybe that's why cleaning the cartridges with the nozzle was hard for me. Just getting them in and out of the filter canister is a bit of a chore.

I am a gadget freak too and this is one small investment that has really paid off. I like that I can set them to clean and while they are cleaning I can do the other stuff (rinsing the canister, acid washing my swg cell, cleaning the pump strainer). My time saved has been worth it.

 

[Guest]

Perhaps true for you - but like I said I have this huge jacaranda tree that dumps these tiny leaves in the pool and even if I put panty hose over the skimmer there are tons of them that get stuck to the cartridge

Perhaps if you had bought REAL skimmer socks instead of using panythose (which really don't work very well at all by comparison) you would have had the same results I do. I use the socks and clean them weekly (or more often when the trees are dropping stuff) and they really help to keep the cart clean. As an example, I have not had to clean out the basket on my pump in over a year and a half because there is NEVER anything in it!
Can you imagine how many skimmer socks you could have bought for the price of the blaster?

how does stuff fall in your pool? i thought it was screened in? or do you have trees inside the screens? as i dont think leaves could fall in that easily, or fit through the little tiny holes.

 

[MikeS]

I just cleaned my filter today with a small bore garden hoze nozzle that cost $4. I timed the whole thing from start to finish and from shutting off the system, opening the filter, hosing it off (it was REALYY gunky!) regreasing the O-ring, and starting everything up again it took 19 minutes! I don't know why people seem to have such problems cleaning a cart manually. (NO, I don't have a small cart, it'a a Pentair Clean and Clearn 150 and the cart is 10" diameter and over 32" tall!)

I just can't see justifying spending so much money for a gadget to do a job that really isn't that big a deal.

My filter stays white because I do soak it twice a year, which should be done blaster or not.

Between the Spa and the pool, I have 8 filters to clean. That's a long time sitting in a chair spinning filters by hand. It's more fun to swim while the Blaster does the work. Granted, it is not for everyone, it does not do a perfect job if you don't enough water pressure- but in my yard; it's beats the alternative.

 

[west1745]

Perhaps true for you - but like I said I have this huge jacaranda tree that dumps these tiny leaves in the pool and even if I put panty hose over the skimmer there are tons of them that get stuck to the cartridge

Perhaps if you had bought REAL skimmer socks instead of using panythose (which really don't work very well at all by comparison) you would have had the same results I do. I use the socks and clean them weekly (or more often when the trees are dropping stuff) and they really help to keep the cart clean. As an example, I have not had to clean out the basket on my pump in over a year and a half because there is NEVER anything in it!
Can you imagine how many skimmer socks you could have bought for the price of the blaster?

The real skimmer socks are no different have used them too - panty hose is cheaper - the leaves still get in because they are tiny and there are millions of them. They are everywhere!! I think they get in when I empty the skimmer or from the gap in the side of the skimmer basket - they just do. These leaves are like the size of a tack. And it is very tedious to get them out of most of the pleats never mind all of the pleats!!

But the Blaster I have was only $100 - that is not that much at all and worth it to me - I would rather be on my bike or sitting at my computer making money or posts here - it is all about choice of leisure I guess. There are some chores we like and some that we don't.

You sound like a real do-it-yourselfer - and we are lucky because this board is all about that. I have learned a lot here from you all. My pool repair guy could not believe I have no scale on my SWG and when he heard all I do and about my test kit from here he said that if all customers were like me he would be out of business!! LOL!

 

[Guest]

how does stuff fall in your pool? i thought it was screened in? or do you have trees inside the screens? as i dont think leaves could fall in that easily, or fit through the little tiny holes.

The screen room does not keep out the small stuff from the trees that surround it (my backyard it like a small jungle)--my skimmer sock was about 1/2 full when I cleaned it yesterday and I have a LOT of plants and small trees in pots around the pool (I like that 'Tropical Look'). The main thing the screen room does is keep the critters out of the pool (for the most part. Still find some small ones in the skimmer from time to time like worms and geckos).
I still have to deal with leaves and pollen, granted it's not as bad as if I didn't have a screen room but I still get a lot of stuff in the pool that has to be cleaned out.