How WELL do I need to Clean the CARTRIDGE?

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D

dpool

0
Sep 20, 2007
101
When I clean my CARTRIDGE filter - lots of bug bits and hair come shooting out with the water. (I use a jet stream attachment on the hose as suggested.) I noticed this last time (the second time I've cleaned my new filter) that once I hose off the dirt and outside gunk - deep within the pleats (if I actually separate each pleat) I see LOTS of bits and pieces of stuff, top and bottom. It even seems as if there is stuff BETWEEN the pleats on the INSIDE of some pleats. Is this normal?

And do I need to SCOUR or using a finger or brush somehow remove every bit of stuff in the pleats?

I think my filter is a bit oversized for my pool so I haven't seen any significant rise in the pressure gauge. I just cleaned it because it had been a couple of months into the season since the last time I hosed it off.

thanks

dp
 
I see no rise in my pressure gauge either, oversized filters, that's the norm.

Some recommend a soaking solution with dishwasher powder. (I'll admit I don't soak mine, just hose it off.) I've never had an algae bloom; if you had I would suggest a good soaking - they recommend soaking it to remove the "oils" and whatnot.

I just hose mine off, every 4-5 weeks. Replaced the filter after 5 seasons, on filter #2 now.
 
I rinse mine every other week and every other month i soak them in a commercial cartridge cleaning solution. It is amazing what comes out of these things when they soak. I get about a 1/2" layer of oils and suntan lotion on top of the soaking cartridge. It is quite nasty kind of like crisco after seeing that the first time i now do it every other month. I think of it like my dryer, when you use dryer sheets it will actually make your lint filter clog not visually but if you run water over it the water it wont go through and it will reduce the life of your dryer it needs to be scrubbed periodically. If the same holds true for the filter the oils cant be good for max filter efficiency so i clean them.
 
I have a Hayward filter and I rinse it off about every 3 to 4 days, My pump discharge pressure on a clean filter goes from 15 to 21 on the dirty side. I use skimmer socks on both skimmer baskets and the pump basket and let me tell you they are well worth the price. I could go more days with out rinsing off, but I think it raises the life of the Cart.
I only washed it once in Electrosol and there was quite an improvement. The filter was plugged from trying to clean out a swamp at opening. The socks helped keeping most of the alge out of the filter at the time, But I keep them on to keep the Bugs and fine dirt out.
The next washing I do I'll try using the acid after the rinse. If I seperate the pletes, I can see dirt on most of them. We'll see how this works.
JEFF
 
I have a Hayward filtering system and I flush with a hose and nozzle every 7-10 days during the summer months. Every two weeks in the winter, when there is less use.

I use a standard garden hose with a nozzle and get the nozzle into a fine stream and flush from the top of the filter down. Turning the filter as I work downward. At atht top and bottom, I bend the blue plastic ends to free up junk caught in the center of the core within the pleats.

I keep flushing around and downward as I work the dirt/sludge/bugs, etc out of the pleats. Since I have a screen room over the pool, there are not many bugs. At the bottom as I flush, I bend the filter toward me to bend the blue plastic end to work the debris out of the pleats. When I'm done, the pleats are all white like new again.

I replace the filter with a new one, every six months. I've never soaked it in detergent or any other solutions. Just power the dirt out with flushing water.

Seems to work great in this environment.
 
Soaking in either TSP (which is impossible to get in many parts of the country now because of the ban on phosphates--what is sold is a phosphate free TSP substitute) or automatic dishwasher detergent powder (which contains TSP) degreases the cart and removes organics. It is recommend to be done at least yearly by Unicel, Pleatco, and Worldpool--three of the largest OEM and replacement cart manufacturers.
 
CobraFast1 said:
I replace the filter with a new one, every six months. I've never soaked it in detergent or any other solutions. Just power the dirt out with flushing water.

Seems to work great in this environment.
Click to expand...
A cart is designed to last 3 to 5 years!
 

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