Hi, I have had my pool for almost 2 years and I noticed the cartridge needs to be cleaned frequently, sometimes more than once a month. After a year, I brought a new cartridge and it didn't need to be cleaned for 2 months, but after the 1st cleaning, it needed to be cleaned again 3 weeks later. What I noticed is the after I clean it, a lot of dirt gets struck in the grooves and no matter how hard I try to clean the dirt inbetween the grooves, its hard to get out.
Cartridge gets Dirty to Fast
- Thread starter lar9149
- Start date
Welcome to tfp, lar9149 
Take a look at this pool school article on cleaning cartridge filters: http://www.troublefreepool.com/pool-school/cleaning pool filters and note the link in the cartridge section that takes you to a more detailed method.
What size is your filter and what size is your pool?
How does or did your water look?
Take a look at this pool school article on cleaning cartridge filters: http://www.troublefreepool.com/pool-school/cleaning pool filters and note the link in the cartridge section that takes you to a more detailed method.
What size is your filter and what size is your pool?
How does or did your water look?
Welcome to the forum.
Yours is a very common post on the forum. The culprit usually turns out to be water chemistry rather than a fault with your filter. Can you post some test results?
Yours is a very common post on the forum. The culprit usually turns out to be water chemistry rather than a fault with your filter. Can you post some test results?
Welcome to TFP!
Add some details about you pool, pump, and filter sizes to your signature as well.
Add some details about you pool, pump, and filter sizes to your signature as well.
Thank you for the responses so quickly, I didn't check back right away because taught it would take a few days to respond. And those happy faces that wave with the hands in your messages always trip me out, like how are his arms connected to the face like that and such...any case on with the business.
My cartridge is a pentair clean and clear plus 320, pleatco pcc80.
Pool size: 15K gallons, 15X30
water crystal clear
water results
pH 7.6
chlorine 1.5
cya: 30
phosphate: 100
As far as cleaning the filters, I have tried TSP which helped, but not done the acid because some places warned me against using acid.
My cartridge is a pentair clean and clear plus 320, pleatco pcc80.
Pool size: 15K gallons, 15X30
water crystal clear
water results
pH 7.6
chlorine 1.5
cya: 30
phosphate: 100
As far as cleaning the filters, I have tried TSP which helped, but not done the acid because some places warned me against using acid.
You filter is plenty big for your size pool ... so time to think chemistry.
Well, right off the bat, your chlorine is too low for your CYA level. See FC/CYA Chart.
If it is always too low, you may have a continual growth of algae that ends up clogging the filter fast than it should.
If you would like to take control, you will need to stop relying on the pool store to do your testing and order one of the Recommended Test Kits.
Learn about the chemistry in Pool School, starting with these:
ABCs of Water Chemistry
Recommended Pool Chemicals
How to Chlorinate Your Pool
Well, right off the bat, your chlorine is too low for your CYA level. See FC/CYA Chart.
If it is always too low, you may have a continual growth of algae that ends up clogging the filter fast than it should.
If you would like to take control, you will need to stop relying on the pool store to do your testing and order one of the Recommended Test Kits.
Learn about the chemistry in Pool School, starting with these:
ABCs of Water Chemistry
Recommended Pool Chemicals
How to Chlorinate Your Pool
Yeah, your chlorine is being kept too low and may be allowing algae (even though you can't see it) to grow in your pool, die and then become clogged in your filter.
Depending on when you want to tackle it, I suggest you plan on SLAMing the pool. Pool School provides an article on just how.
Making sure your pool is absolutely pristine is the first step to allow you longer cleaning intervals. Once you complete the SLAM, I would suggest giving the filter another good cleaning so you have a starting point. Note your psi when you do....that's your "clean psi".
At this point, your issues point to lack of chlorine. Once you SLAM and keep your chlorine adequate, you can reassess to see if you have another problem but my bet is that will fix it.
Depending on when you want to tackle it, I suggest you plan on SLAMing the pool. Pool School provides an article on just how.
Making sure your pool is absolutely pristine is the first step to allow you longer cleaning intervals. Once you complete the SLAM, I would suggest giving the filter another good cleaning so you have a starting point. Note your psi when you do....that's your "clean psi".
At this point, your issues point to lack of chlorine. Once you SLAM and keep your chlorine adequate, you can reassess to see if you have another problem but my bet is that will fix it.
thank you for your replies, make sense more algae clogs the filters faster. I will try keeping the chlorine higher after slamming the pool and see what happens. For some reason I have been going to Leslies pool for a while and chlorine tends to be around 1 to 1.5, but they never mentioned about cya to chlorine ratio and don't mentioned it being low.
That is because they do not understand the FC CYA relationship ... along with a majority of the pool industry.
Get a test kit and take control.
Get a test kit and take control.
Hard to sell a customer more useless chemicals to fix a problem if he understands what is causing it in the first place. Arm yourself with knowledge here.