How To Maintain A Pool Cartridge Filter?
Performing routine pool maintenance is key to enjoying a pool. Whether it be balancing the chemicals, brushing the walls, or removing debris floating in the water, there’s more that comes with maintaining a pool than most prospective buyers may realize. The centerpiece of most pool equipment pads is the filter. The filter rests between the pool pump and a heater (if you need one) and is responsible for consistently removing small debris from the pool. There are three primary types of pool filters: sand filters, diatomaceous earth (D.E.) filters, and finally cartridge filters. Each filter has its pros and cons, you can read about them here.
Each filter performs the same primary function, their differences lie in how exactly they perform their purpose. What’s important for you, as a homeowner, to know is the differences in maintenance requirements. How do you take care of your pool filter? We love answering questions like these at Royal Pools G2 Landscaping. We’ve installed and maintained all three filter types in our 26 years of business, and we’ve learned a thing or two about each of them. Welcome to our filter maintenance series, in which we will detail how to properly maintain each filter type. In this article, we’re going to break down cartridge filters and how you can get the absolute most out of them for as long as possible.
What Is a Cartridge Filter? How does it Work?
Let’s start with what exactly a cartridge filter is. Of the three, a cartridge filter is unique in a few ways. A cartridge filter is comprised of a shell encasing the cartridge(s), and the cartridge itself. A cartridge is a tubular piece of equipment comprised of a variety of synthetic fabrics, including:
Polyester, paper, polypropylene, and activated carbon. The cartridge sort of looks like a circular book, with the thick pages facing outward. A filter is connected to the pool pump, and when the pool is running, the water will flow from the pump straight into the filter, fully engulfing the cartridge encasing, ensuring optimal filtration. The seams (pages) of a cartridge filter will catch microparticles and debris from floating back into the pool. A voila, debris-free water!
Weekly Maintenance
In terms of weekly maintenance, a cartridge filter is far and away the simplest. D.E. and sand filters require weekly or bi-weekly backwashes (a process of clearing dirty water from a filter using a hose) depending on the size of the pool and filter. A cartridge filter does not require an additional filter media outside the cartridge itself and thus does not require backwashing the way the other filter types do.
You should, however, be monitoring your filter’s PSI (pressure per square inch) levels on a week-to-week basis, just to ensure that the pressure does not exceed the recommended levels. When the pressure is high, it’s time to take the filter apart and clean it.
Cleaning the Filter
A good rule of thumb is to clean your cartridge filter every 4-6 weeks, or whenever you notice the PSI has exceeded the recommended levels for your specific filter. The rate at which you will need to clean your cartridge filter will depend on a few factors: the size of the pool relative to the type of filter and the number of cartridges, the size of the pool, how often you swim in the pool, how many people are typically swimming in the pool, and whether or not the pool is covered.
Luckily for everyone, cleaning a cartridge filter is a relatively simple and easy practice. Check out this video to see how it is actually done on-site.
How to clean a cartridge filter:
- Shut off the pool pump. The first step is super-duper important. You should never attempt to open a pool filter while the pump is still running. If your pool pump runs on a timer, we recommend temporarily bypassing the timer while taking apart the filter.
- Close all suction and return valves.
- Open the air relief valve and relieve pressure.
- Remove the drain plug and drain the filter.
- Disconnect the filter clamp.
- Unseal the top of the filter from the bottom.
- Remove cartridges.
- Spray down cartridges thoroughly from top to bottom using a garden hose. Do not use a pressure washer as it may damage the cartridge filter media.
- Rinse out any debris left in the filter and spray off the seal and o-ring.
- Reset cartridge(s) inside filter base.
- Secure the top of the filter on the base and reseal the clamp.
- Replug the drain plug.
- Open valves
- Fill the pool pump with water.
- Start pool filtration system.
- Bleed out any remaining air in the filter through the air relief valve. When the valve starts spitting out water, you’re good to go.
Cartridge Lifespan
If properly maintained and regularly cleaned, pool filter cartridges will need to be upgraded every 2-4 years. The truth is that heavy exposure to water over the years will deteriorate the cartridge media. Here are some tell-tale signs that it may be time to replace your pool filter cartridge(s).
- If the water is consistently cloudy or green, or if your pool water is not clearing up despite numerous attempts to balance the chemicals properly, there’s a chance your cartridge filter is no longer properly filtering the water and catching all the microparticles that can harbor algae growth and prevent chlorine from cleaning the pool.
- If the cartridge media is excessively damaged or torn, the cartridges will not filter to the best of their ability.
- If you have to clean the filter excessively, and you start to notice less and less time between cartridge cleanings, it means the cartridges are deteriorating and no longer filtering to maximum proficiency.
Conclusion
All in all, cartridge filters are a great filter that will perform all the pool filter requirements, while also requiring slightly less maintenance than the other filters on the market. While you will have to replace the cartridges every few years, it is not as labor-intensive as having to replace sand or D.E. media, and you will save time not having to backwash. For more information about the different filter types, check out the articles below. Feel free to dive into our learning center as well for more educational content on all things pools and landscaping.
Check out these articles and videos below to learn more:
How To Clean Your Swimming Pool Cartridge Filter
Written by Logan Edgemon