What is the best method to clean filter cartridges?

[salinda]

the blaster still does not eliminate the need for soaking. As far as the size of the cart. I have a single cart clean and clear 150 and the cart is about the same size as yours. Instead of trying to soak it standing up find a storage container that the cart will lie down in. I found one by rubbermaid and it takes less water to cover the cart then if I try and stand it in a trash can (and I can't get the whole cart submerged that way either!)

Well, I looked around for this container and they are all too small. My carts are 32" long. Even containers that say they are 34 (or 36) inches long have indents that make them shorter than my carts. How long do I have to soak each end if I soak them upright in a 32 gallon trash can?

 

[Guest]

the blaster still does not eliminate the need for soaking. As far as the size of the cart. I have a single cart clean and clear 150 and the cart is about the same size as yours. Instead of trying to soak it standing up find a storage container that the cart will lie down in. I found one by rubbermaid and it takes less water to cover the cart then if I try and stand it in a trash can (and I can't get the whole cart submerged that way either!)

Well, I looked around for this container and they are all too small. My carts are 32" long. Even containers that say they are 34 (or 36) inches long have indents that make them shorter than my carts. How long do I have to soak each end if I soak them upright in a 32 gallon trash can?

My cart is also 32" long and just over 10" diameter. I found a container by taking a measuring tape with me and measuring the inside of the container. I believe I found one at Kmart (or it might have been Walmart.) It was a RubberMaid storage tote, one of their heavy duty ones. If you are going to soak each end then I would recommend soaking one end overnight and then hosing (so the crud doesnt dry on it) then soaking the other end overnight and hosing.

 

[salinda]

I'll keep looking for a suitable container. I was even considering soaking the things in my jetted bathtub because the tub manufacturer also recommends cleaning the jets out with a dishwasher detergent solution. This would also solve what to do with the water (open the drain). The only problem is how to get the filters back outside without soaking the floor!

 

[Guest]

I want to clarify something. The TSP that is commonly sold in hardware stores and the big box stores like Lowes and Home Depot, usually in the paint section or cleaner section is NOT TSP but is a TSP substitute. It might say TSP on the box in big letters but if you read the small print it will say 'phosphate free' and/or TSP substitute. TSP cannot be phosphate free. TSP is Tri Sodium Phosphate, a phosphate salt!

It seems that many people get confused by this and it really amounts to deceptive marketing, IMHO, since phophates were banned in many localities. Red Devil TSP is a prime example and is widely available. It says TSP on the front in big letters but when you read the small print on the back it says it's a phosphate free TSP substitute. These kind of products are NOT an effective cartridge cleaner. If you can't get the actual chemical trisodium phosphate then use automatic dishwasher detergent powder or a commercial cartridge cleaner.

 

[EskimoPie]

My cart is also 32" long and just over 10' diameter.

Holy bajezus that's a big cart! Did they deliver that thing on a flat-bed? :lol:

 

[Guest]

My cart is also 32" long and just over 10' diameter.

Holy bajezus that's a big cart! Did they deliver that thing on a flat-bed? :lol:

Ok wiseguy, so I made a typo! It's not my first and i bet it won;t be my lasst!

It's fixed now, at any rate! :-D

 

[dpool]

Thanks for the input on how to clean a cart.

I just hosed off my new HAYWARD StarClear PLUS 90 for the second time this season and had a couple of questions I haven't seen addressed here:

1. When I just 'hose down' the cart bunches of bit of things (I think it's mostly bug parts) come gushing out - along with hair and gunk. Is this normal?

It happened with my last cartridge (replace by this one for different reasons),too.

I know that my STRAINER basket needs to be cleaned more often but I can't get it off. And when I don't tighten it down I have a massive air leak in the system that get's solved when I get the strainer top really really tightened down. I've tried the 'open while the unit is on and be ready to shut down the system' with the basket. I was thinking of getting some help next time I'm ready to tackle this situation. Mostly because I think taking the lid off the basket will mean replacing the whole thing because forcing it off is going to crack something! HA!

2. Okay so I have LOTS of stuff floating in my CARTRIDGE. After I hose down the thing, if I separate the pleats - I see LOTS of stuff inbetween each pleat from the top to bottom. Is it necessary to clean out ALL the bit's and pieces? It actually looks like there is stuff BETWEEN the pleats on the INSIDEs, too. Is this normal???

I think my CARTRIDGE is fairly large for my pool (90ft for a 9x17 AGP Splasher with aprox. 5,000 gallons) so I haven't seen a LARGE pressure difference and I keep my eye on that every time I run the pump (daily). I just saw a little lift in the guage and realize it had been about two months since I last cleaned the cart.

3. Pre BBB - I once bought one of those REALLY expensive bottles of CART CLEANER and realized it was just some kind of SOAP so I'm going to try the soaking in dishwasher detergent - is liquid or powder recommended or does it matter?

Thanks!

dp

 

[launboy]

Re:

I'll keep looking for a suitable container. I was even considering soaking the things in my jetted bathtub because the tub manufacturer also recommends cleaning the jets out with a dishwasher detergent solution. This would also solve what to do with the water (open the drain). The only problem is how to get the filters back outside without soaking the floor!

That's brilliant! As to getting them back outside... There are many things you could use, the simplest being to wrap them in a towel. You could also get a 55 gal. trash bag and set it in there when you carry it out. Then all of the water would stay in the trash bag and you could just dump it out outside. If the cart is too big for a trashbag or towel, then a small tarp wrapped around it would also work.
:idea:

HTH,
Adam