Re: How to clean a cartridge filter

Re: How to clean a cartridge filter

I'm going to try the Aqua Comb this season. I've used the brass nozzle and filter flosser the past two seasons. I do not want to spend the money on the large sized filter blaster yet.


Thanks!
David
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Re: How to clean a cartridge filter

chem geek said:
one cup trisodium phosphate (TSP) to five gallons water or one cup dishwasher detergent to five gallons of water

I was referred to this chemgeek thread just now because I was looking for a better way to clean cartridge filters.
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I wondered about the effective difference between TSP versus plain industrial detergent.
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I don't have the chemistry background to know the difference, so I tried what I had on hand.
I soaked overnight in the Kirkland High Efficiency all-purpose detergent & rinsed the filters for an hour, with the hose.
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With the only slight negative being the spa bubbled with the jets on (but the pool did not).
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Two questions for Richard Falk:
Q1: Do you think TSP has any advantages over the Kirkland all-purpose laundry stuff?
Q2: Would you advise deep soaking in a few changes of water before/after rinsing to eliminate spa sudsing?
 
Re: How to clean a cartridge filter

Q1: don't know
Q2: yes, thorough soaking in clean water and rinsing should reduce spa sudsing, but using a good rinsing tool (there are several good ones for cartridge filters that have "finger-like" extensions -- I don't recall the names -- others might remember) should work well.
 
Re: How to clean a cartridge filter

ricksass said:
My vote goes for the Aqua Comb: http://miwayinc.com/AquaComb/PoolSpa.aspx

Outstanding!!!! :goodjob:

Watching that video it appeared that there was still quite a bit of dirt & scum at the bottom of the pleat.

That's where I'm having issues, getting all the stuff out of that pleat. I can clean the outside & the flats for the pleats fine with just a water hose & 15 to 30 minute soak.

My filters are only 18 months old or so & I've got a heavy build up in the bottom of the pleat that I'm having trouble getting out. I just did a thorough cleaning. Finally got the pressure down to 15 psi. But it looks like it's already starting to creep up & I'll be cleaning filters again soon.
 
Re: How to clean a cartridge filter

Hello All,
When we moved to our new house we inherited a pool. The bands were coming off the carts and rather than gluing them back on, I took them off. Will that severely impact their efficacy?

Also, I'd like to soak them in TSP or filter cleaner overnight but am concerned about where to dump the waste. Any suggestions? Also, if I need to soak them in a muriatic acid solution, how do I dispose of that?

Thanks!
 
My bands fell off a few years ago. They help protect the filter a little by preventing the pleats from separating and flapping but I don't think they change the filter characteristics at all.

I dumped my TSP solution in the section of yard next to the equipment but I don't have any real landscaping there either.
 
Re: How to clean a cartridge filter

For the Muriatic Acid solution dumping, if you want to neutralize the acid the easiest way is with baking soda which you add to the water until it stops fizzing/bubbling. You could test the pH if you wanted to, but that's probably not necessary to be that precise.
 

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Re: How to clean a cartridge filter

I got the filter flosser to try out cleaning my cartridges before storing for the winter. It worked ... okay.

I cleaned the first 3 out of 4 filters with a normal garden nozzle alternating between the "jet" and "shower" options. It was exactly as tedious as I remember from last season.

I cleaned the 4th with the filter flosser. It was ... marginally faster and less tedious? Not sure. You can use it as a "comb" or a "jet" depending how far you put the nozzle from the filter. That's kind of like the garden nozzle's jet and shower options.

So - not sure it really does a better job to be honest.
 
Re: How to clean a cartridge filter

TSP is actually a fertilizer and was banned in most detergents because it was adding to the growth of vegetation in waterways. That is why it is not seen in normal laundry detergent anymore.

- - - Updated - - -

What are you guys using to soak your filters a 40 gallon bucket seems overkill for the relatively narrow filters. I’ve seen a few 22 gal commercial trash cans that are perfect size but for $100.
 
Re: How to clean a cartridge filter

What are you guys using to soak your filters a 40 gallon bucket seems overkill for the relatively narrow filters. I’ve seen a few 22 gal commercial trash cans that are perfect size but for $100.
Many of us have over sized filters to reduce cleaning frequency so we are soaking 4 cartridges at a time.
 
Re: How to clean a cartridge filter

I have had the filter flosser part on a my wish list on Amazon for a while, but for our last cartridge cleaning I tried out a new toy I just got for my birthday - the 40v Worx Hydroshot.

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This device works like a pressure washer but is much less powerful - so it is great for cleaning more delicate items. I originally bought it for car washing, but now use it to clean our patio furniture, tables, chairs, and now the pool filters! It has an adjustable head that allows for different spray patterns - I ended up using the 15° fan spray mode to clean the pleats. It puts out around 300 psi from a standard household hose, which didn't harm our filters at all and got them nice and clean in a shorter amount of time. Plus, it uses much less water, which in California, where we are once again on water restrictions, is an added bonus.

I have also thought about using it to clean our above water line tile since you can just drop the hose it comes with into the pool for the water source and blast off any residue using the pool water.
 
Re: How to clean a cartridge filter

Today I did the whole process. The questionable part is the muriatic acid concentrate. I couldn't find the 30% stuff so I used the 14% concentrate. For everyone in the US, the measurement comes out to .25 quart per 5 gallons of water, or 4 cups of muriatic acid. Unfortunately, not sure what level of concentrate the first post is basing the calculation off of. Can anyone elaborate?

The other thing is you're supposed to neutralize the acid before you dump it. That's not mentioned in the first post. I did dump a few batches of baking soda but others mentioned ammonia, which I didn't have. Is there any specific guidance for that piece?

It looks like I didn't really need to do this step as there wasn't any bubbling when I put my filters in the muriatic acid mixture, but it could've been too diluted given the concentrate was 14%.

Hoping some of you chemical geeks could answer these questions, thanks.
 
Re: How to clean a cartridge filter

Santacrozpool, wow! That Worx Hydroshot is awesome!!! I gotta get one of those. Think about all that water savings from washing my 4 monsters w/a straight flow nozzle on the hose. Tx for sharing that.

Strong enough to also clean off concrete, and blast moss off some pavers?
 
Re: How to clean a cartridge filter

Without reading this full thread and stepping on toes, I see no reason to soak these in anything. I spray the solid matter off which restores flow and don't worry about the off color. It's already sanitized from chlorine right? Just don't see the point of getting them white again.
 
Re: How to clean a cartridge filter

Without reading this full thread and stepping on toes, I see no reason to soak these in anything. I spray the solid matter off which restores flow and don't worry about the off color. It's already sanitized from chlorine right? Just don't see the point of getting them white again.

+1 PoolGate
 
Re: How to clean a cartridge filter

I tried that Worx Hydroshot 20V but with a 40 amp battery. The Worx representative said it’s practically equivalent to a 40V with a 20 amp battery. Even on high at a 15° angle and pushing 300 psi, this thing is horrible for cleaning filters. It just cleans the surface yet doesn’t even get in the pleats. If I put it at a 0° angle spray, it’s even worse than using my straight brass nozzle. Definitely returning this thing.

Can’t beat the tried and true straight brass nozzle, as it surely and definitively gets between the pleats. Yes, cleaning 4 monster cartridges uses a lot of water, and it’s tedious, but there’s no way around it.
 

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