Changing Filter Cartridge, how often?

If you clean them with more frequency (twice yearly), i think you should get more life out of them. In my area, once a year is a bit infrequent. 2 year element life is a bit on the short side, again, for my area.

Are you replacing them just because you feel every other year is long enough? Or are you getting symptoms telling you the elements are done?
 
All the pool serve companies in the area clean then once a year, in the spring. Nothing telling me I need to replace or clean more often, just trying to keep the water as clean as possible and with the low cost of filters I figured why not? Maybe I will just clean the filters myself 1/2 way through the season so its done twice a year. Then replace every other year?
 
Typically, when you install a new element, record the pressure on the filter. When the pressure rises by 10# over that initial pressure, time to clean. Or, twice a year whichever comes first.

As the filter gets dirty, the pressure goes up.

If you clean your filter, put it back in and the pressure rises to that pressure where you decided to clean within a weeks time, then it's time to replace the element.

Does that make sense?
 
My Pentair CCP520 has indicators on the pressure gauge that allow you to mark the starting pressure. Then there's an upper arrow at +10 psi as a reminder. Do all filters have this so you rem when to change?


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Mine are two years old and I clean them twice a year including just yesterday (attached). Like anything else, regular maintenance extends life.

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The official TFP pressure rise to clean recommendation is 25% increase over clean pressure. So, if your filter starts at 10psi, you clean it at 12.5psi.

We do not recommend waiting for a specific pressure or a large static pressure increase like +10psi because, depending on a pools plumbing, a 10psi increase can mean a catastrophic loss of water flow.

Please read Pool School to see what we recommend.


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Typically, when you install a new element, record the pressure on the filter. When the pressure rises by 10# over that initial pressure, time to clean. Or, twice a year whichever comes first.

As the filter gets dirty, the pressure goes up.

If you clean your filter, put it back in and the pressure rises to that pressure where you decided to clean within a weeks time, then it's time to replace the element.

Does that make sense?


Got it. Thanks for the help
 
TFP also recommends replacing the standard OEM (read : cheap) pressure gauges with more accurate, +/-0.5psi glycerin filled gauges.


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Yep, 10# rise is a good rule of thumb across the board.
A 10 PSI filter pressure rise is over 23' of extra head loss to the pump which can have a very dramatic effect on flow rates. Plus, with such a large PSI differential across the filter media, the media is likely to flatten and/or collapse causing damage to the filters. This is one of the worst recommendations made by manufactures and more often than not leads to premature failure. But maybe that is what they want so you have to buy new cartridges every couple of years.

I clean my filters once per year and they have only a 1 PSI rise (one of the benefits of a large filter). My last set of cartridges lasted over 10 years and it wasn't the media that failed but the end caps would no longer fit tightly in the cartridge manifold so debris leak through.
 
My ccp520 is 6 years old. they still have the original filters which are cleaned every 4 months. they look ok to me but I am no expert. the bands are getting a bit frayed. the pool will be drained this spring. should I replace the cartridges also?
 
I wouldn't replace them until they fail. For some, it is the fabric that rips. With mine the caps cracked and allowed debris past. But I used them for many years without the bands. But in general, if they are still filtering well and not allowing debris past, then I would keep them.
 
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