Cleaning Cartridge Filters

[Debby's Cabana Boy]

I have washed out my cartridge now 3 times and it is time to "soak" it to get rid of body and tanning oils etc. that regular washing won't remove.
I know the local pool supply would be more than willing to sell me their soaking product but is there something stashed under the kitchen sink that would work just as well?

 

[DrC]

Hi Cabana Boy,

You are right on something under the sink, at least that's where ours is. You can mix up some dishwasher powder soap in a bucket of water big enough to cover the filter and soak it. I use 2 cups of powder to mix up the 5 gallon bucket and soak at least overnight. And then remove the cartridge and rinse well just like your normal cleaning. I only do this about twice a season at the most. Usually I can get the filter clean with just a straight tip on my garden hose.

 

[mas985]

I use Simple Green. It doesn't suds up as much as dish washing liquid and seems to work well.

 

[Guest]

Mas985, no one is suggesting using dishwashing liquid but rather automatic dishwashing detergent powder,which is mostly TSP. It does not suds at all actually. Unicel Filters recommends it for cleaning carts on their website. This link gives complete instructions.

As far as rinsing it off I have found that one of those short, brass high pressure garden hose nozzles (the 3" non adjustable kind with the small center bore) works the best at hosing off a cart. They only cost about $3 and, IMHO, do a better job than the two fancy special cleaning wands that I bought to clean my carts.

 

[mas985]

Sorry, I read it wrong.

 

[new2pools]

Dang, I read it that way too.

mas985, is the Simple Green sold at pool stores for this purpose or is it something else?
Thanks

 

[mas985]

Simple Green is a general purpose cleaner sold at most home stores including Home Depot. I use quite a bit of it since I soak 4 filters at once so for me, it is a bit more cost effective than some of the other methods and it is enviro-friendly.

Info: http://consumer.simplegreen.com/index.php
Buy: http://consumer.simplegreen.com/cons_buy.php

History: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Simple_Green

It is also used to clean up oil spills so it breaks down sun tan oil pretty well.

 

[Debby's Cabana Boy]

Thanks for all your replies. Debby has plenty of dishwasher soap so I will give it a try.

 

[TripleB4me]

Blaster 1000/2000/3000

Has anyone seen these or tried one out? They're a bit expensive but they appear to work well....maybe.

www.poolproducts.com/-i-ACC-NTRI-BLASTER3000.htm

P.S. There's a video demo on the website.

 

[DrC]

I have looked at that exact item and bought the water wand instead. And I think the result would be the same, it looks better in the video. You are still limited to the water supply pressure to clean the product (~52 pounds here) even though you are spraying it from small holes to increase the pressure.

After trying several methods to make rinsing the cartridges easier or better, I too ended up with a straight bore tip on the hose being the best. As Waterbear stated above this type of nozzle is reasonable in price and works pretty well. I even found a tip with a built-in on/off control and very small bore that works the best. Yes I do get wet while spraying the water but not to bad if I take my time and don't spray straight in front of myself. Your Mileage May Vary

 

[Guest]

$169 for the blaster vs. $3 for a brass high pressure nozzle? HMMM, let me think which I want to go with.

 

[Debby's Cabana Boy]

I was told by my pool installer to use my pressure washer (1500 psi) to clean out my filter. Seems a little extreme to me. I thought the hose nozzle did a good job and it didn't damage the media.

 

[Guest]

Most cartridge manufacturers will tell you NOT to use a pressure washer because you can blow a hole in the polyester material and ruin the cart.

 

[TripleB4me]

$169 for the blaster vs. $3 for a brass high pressure nozzle? HMMM, let me think which I want to go with.

Yes, I agree, $169 vs. $3 is pretty much a no brainer. I was just wondering if someone out there has one or knows someone with one so we could get some feedback.

I doubt that no one that has one is going to admitt it now.

 

[The Mermaid Queen]

$169 for the blaster vs. $3 for a brass high pressure nozzle? HMMM, let me think which I want to go with.

Yes, I agree, $169 vs. $3 is pretty much a no brainer. I was just wondering if someone out there has one or knows someone with one so we could get some feedback.

I doubt that no one that has one is going to admitt it now.

Well, after cleaning the little wimpy intex filters for 3 or 4 years, and getting that green goo sprayed in my face a LOT, I'd have to say that if I had the money, I'd have the blaster! I cannot imagine cleaning a full-sized cartridge! yuk. ((When I ever get my pool, it will have a sand filter!))

 

[TripleB4me]

It's a pretty sloppy job that's for sure. While the Blaster is a pretty high priced reconfigured sprinkler it sure looks like a good idea......if it works as well as the video suggests.

 

[Tex Arcana]

hate to bump this thread, but I've got a question based on this discussion.

I've been told (by both the pool builder and Leslie's Pool Supply) to soak the filters in a 1:4 solution of muriatic acid and water, after hosing off the debris.

My filters are the STA-RITE System 3 - 450 - S8M150 setup, and at $400+ for the pair, trying to keep them going at this point is important.

Thanks in advance!

 

[JasonLion]

Acid and automatic dishwashing detergent remove different kinds of things. For most people most of the time automatic dishwashing detergent works better but there are times when acid is just the thing.

 

[Poolsean]

You'll want to degrease it first before soaking in muriatic acid. Acid will tend to lock the greases and oils into the filter element, making it less effective.

 

[Guest]

Acid washing a cart without soaking in a degreaser first usually means that the cart ends up in the trashcan instead of back in your filter. The organics will harden on the filter material and when you use the filter your pressure will rise very fast!

I know Leslie's sells replacement carts! Does your builder also?
Think about it!