Is my filter pressure too low?

[Charlie227]

Before saying goodbye to a pool service and discovering TFP, my pressure gauge usually showed approx. 13-15 lbs of pressure. Two weeks in a row, the pool guy dumped generous amounts of dry stabilizer directly into the skimmer. No sock. The pressure came up some but not bad. This week, I deep cleaned the cartridge filter. I used a sweeper nozzle on my garden hose so there was really good pressure. Lots of dirt and of course, dog hair came out. When reinstalled, the pressure is now 6-7 lbs. Is this too low?

Everything seems normal. The skimmer and pump basket is clean and the good flow light is lit on the SWG. The return flows are normal. The impeller is clear.

Am I good or am I missing something? I didn’t expect this low of pressure and don’t remember it being this low when the cartridge filter was replaced with a new one in the past but I wasn’t really paying attention then.

Thank you.

 

[Divin Dave]

Hey Charlie,
There really isnt any such thing as too low unless your pump is kaput or the pressure gauge is broken or there is a leak somewhere.

What the pressure should be can get to be a complicated calculation. It depends on GPM, head loss, how dirty the filter is and how large the filter is.... What I like to tell people is the pressure gauge is only a report of what all else is happening within the system. As long as everything is working as it should, then the Clean pressure is just fine.

 

[Charlie227]

Hey Charlie,
There really isnt any such thing as too low unless your pump is kaput or the pressure gauge is broken or there is a leak somewhere.

What the pressure should be can get to be a complicated calculation. It depends on GPM, head loss, how dirty the filter is and how large the filter is.... What I like to tell people is the pressure gauge is only a report of what all else is happening within the system. As long as everything is working as it should, then the Clean pressure is just fine.

Thanks Dave. That’s what I was thinking too. I’m new to all of this as I just started taking care of my pool a few weeks ago.

 

[Richard320]

If you're getting a lot of dog hair in the filter, it's time to install hairnets or nylons on the skimmer basket. They'll catch it all before it gets to the filter. Here's mine. Someone else will no doubt share the link to the hairnets they use, or you can use the search box for amazon hairnets

Skimmer Sock/Nylon Illustrated

There has been some confusion about skimmer socks. So I took a few pictures to clarify things for the beginners. This is a queen-sized knee-high nylon purchased at Walgreens. I prefer white, but sometimes you have to make do with what's in stock. [center:1eidpzog]What it looks like out of...

www.troublefreepool.com

 

[markayash]

I second hair nets. Used to have to clean by filters every 45 to 60 days but when i checked last time hardly anything came out.
I replace them every few days and always surprised at the fine junk they catch

 

[Charlie227]

Good idea using hairnets in the skimmer basket. Thanks.

 

[markayash]

I have lived in this house for 15 years and even had previous owner suggest them but didn't think it would help...But I was wrong, even yesterday when it's not "pollen" season it had a lot of yellow junk in the net