Pentair 420 Clean & Clear Plus; Filter?

[Blink]

Newbie here, not sure if this is the right spot to post this? I’m in need of new filter cartridges for my Pentair Clean & Clear Plus 420. They are 2-years old but my son in the fall washing them dislodged the center ring inside the tube (witch I guess helps regulate water flow??) and they are loose inside the tube. So Pentair tech said they can be used temporarily and suggested to use them on spring startup to get the worst gunk out of water then dispose and buy new....of course...to the tune of about $100 a piece!!

I found on an EBAY store selling 4 NEW Pleatco filters for $167 (includes shipping). Seems like a great deal.

Called Pentair and of course the Tech said he knows nothing about Pleatco and their quality and that if used would void my warranty of my C&C Plus 420.

Trying to make sense out of this. Can I run with my (2-year old) filters with that center ring dislodged for the summer? Is Pleatco filters any good? Is OEM Pentair Better? What would you do, get OEM or go with Pleatco deal or use what I have for another season?

Thanks for your time and help!!

 

[anonapersona]

I have the CCP520 and instead of the Unicel 7472 I got the Pleatco PCC130 from FilterDirect or A-ZFilters, can't tell from my notes and I can't find the receipt. I also shopped PoolProducts4Less, BestBuyPoolSupply, Filter4Less. I found the Pleatco was a tiny tiny bit smaller in the diameter of the inner tube. It fits, barely, and I always worry that I may break the manifold trying to get the top back on the unit after cleaning. Now, I know that last time I posted that, other people said they got the Pleatco and they fit perfectly, so your mileage may vary. At 2/3's the price I was willing to take the risk. My research said they use the same fabric. I note that the Pleatco has a pvc inner tube with holes in it where as I recall the Unicell was a mesh fabric. So there could be a difference in how they flow through. Next time, I'll probably go back to the Unicell, I only saved about $80 ovearall, $200 vs $280 shipped.

 

[JasonLion]

Pretty much all of the filter cartridges that come with the filters in the first place are made by either Unicel or Pleatco. Both brands are fine. There are minor variations in quality between them, but nothing really important.

 

[Blink]

Thanks everyone. I did some research on here and found that Unicel or Pleatco will be fine so probably go with Unicel. Any reason to NOT use my old filters with that center disk dislodged? How long can I go with them if that is ok?