Is there a better way (than this) to clean this pleated pool filter?

[Arklin K.]

There must be a better way to wash a pool cartridge filter!

Here's a picture of the cartridge taken apart.

I presume the water flow is up the two holes into the INSIDE of the two pleated filter cartridges ... but WHAT is that thing sticking up in the middle doing?

Here is a picture of me trying to wash the larger pleated filter with a garden hose:

And here I am doing the same to the smaller cloth filter: Unfortunately, even after two hours of that, the green slimy sticky gunk is still on hundreds of the thousands of pleats: I tried brushing them off: But I concluded I must be doing something wrong.

Q: What is the best way to clean a pleated pool filter?

PS: I'm doing it right now ... so any and all advice is welcome!

[so]

You have the same filter I have.

You're doing it right. Work from top to bottom and spray between the pleats as much as you can. You're not going to get everything off. However, maybe yours is super dirty because mine doesn't look as bad as yours. Your large round filter looks like it might be separated at the top--maybe time for a new one? The little filter with the tube sucks water from the top of the filter caniser.

[gfretwell]

I use a pressure cleaner. The thing going up the middle is the vent

[Arklin K.]

The interesting thing is that the hose DOES seem to get all the green pasty goop off once I hose it down. The problem is that the pleats are so tightly packed that the hose can't get to the inside of the pleats until/ unless I manually open them up.

If there was a better mechanical way to OPEN the cleats to expose them to the hose, they'd certainly clean off nicely.

[Arklin K.]

I did use a pressure washer. Even very carefully, it shreds the cloth a bit, especially the bands around the smaller filter.

The gas-powered pressure washer seems to have the same problem as the garden hose though - which is that it needs access to the inside of the pleat which is jam packed with the next pleat.

So, I think, unless there's a 'magic soak', my main problem is how to open up the pleats mechanically, given there must be thousands of them (I don't know how many there are but they're on both sides of both filters).

I wonder why it needs a second vent, especially since there is not 'supposed' to be air in the container according to the manual which says to open the top vent (which is in the cap and is separate) until water shoots out.

[JIMMIE]

Dont have a pool but do have a spa that uses similar filters, probably smal= ler. I had green gunk on mine after leaving it shut down for a long time. G= ave up trying to clean and bought a new filter. You might could clean it by= soaking it in a tub with some bleach or stronger than usual chlorine solut= ion to kill the goo. Dont really know this would work. Someone told me to d= o it when I had my problem. I made a tank a little larger and longer than m= y filter out of PVC pipe. I fill it with water and push the filter down int= o it . This forces water through the filter back against normal flow backwa= shig it. Found the large PVC pipe for free. Fittings are EXPENSIVE.

Jimmie

[Jim Elbrecht]

First - own 2 filters. Swap them out and soak overnight.

[if that doesn't work for you, I like their Leisure Time filter cleaner-- and I've always gotten good service from poolandspa.com]

I've forgotten [hot tub] filters in their soak for a week or so with no ill effects.

They sell a wand that is supposed to clean pleated filters better, but I do mine in a deep sink with a regular hose and warm water. Then they get dry before their next use. I've been rotating 3 filters for 4 years in my year-round hot tub.

-snip-

Keep an eye open for a sand filter at a garage sale.

Jim

[Arklin K.]

I'm learning. I'm trying to do it today, but I'm learning.

The pool store suggested a spray called "Filter Blaster" but I can't see how any spray will get inside the pleats if a high pressure hose won't.

The pool store said that the water doesn't get rid of calcium and oil - but I don't think calcium and oil are my problem right now (almost nobody swims in this pool so there's no oil to speak of). Maybe once person swims for ten minutes a week or so and that's it. The darn thing came with the house. It's like having a pet you don't want! :)

Anyway ... another pool store said they make a finger spreader - which is kind of what I think I need.

The theory would be I'd brush the fingers along the folds while spraying the hose at the same time. I guess...

[Arklin K.]

The filter is a little ragged. It seems to be best to aim at an oblique angle, so as to just blow off the green slime.

I guess I should have explained better. The green stuff comes off rather easily. It's just that there are something like a thousand (or more) folds.

So the problem appears to be mechanical or solvent.

Mechanical: How to get INSIDE each of a thousand folds!

Solvent: How to dissolve the stuff without having to get inside each of a thousand folds.

That might work. The problem though is that the folds are densely packed so the problem is spreading the folds, somehow.

[Arklin K.]

I did consider replacing the filters (or buying a second set):

Sta-Rite System 3 Model 1C01H 50sqft filter@0.28gpm/sqft

259 sqft cartridge 25022-0203S = $300 191 sqft cartridge 25021-0202S = $200

So it would cost me $500 to have a second one sitting while the first soaked.

[Arklin K.]

Funny you should mention that.

This is a self-cleaning pool but it uses electricity like it was free in order to run the second pump and a dozen or more pop-up in-floor sprayers to channel all the crud to the deep end (which is really deep so that the crud can't get back out).

So I was thinking of hooking up a vacuum pump to the capped-off pipe at the center of the pool put in for that reason. I'd need the entire pump because all I have is a pipe that goes to the middle of the pool - but if I could find one for cheap, I could then filter the water from a moving vacuum instead of having to run the cleaner system which spends all day pushing the debris to the deep end of the pool.

[Arklin K.]

I wonder if it would work to just fill my 'bubble' with sand?

[Arklin K.]

I just found a picture of the setup:

It lists that little tube as part #8 & #9 as listed below: #8 WC8-126Z ZPEN0376 Sta-Rite Filter Air Bleed $9.89 #9 25021-0003 ZPEN0105 Air Bleed Tube $6.47

[gfretwell]

You use the wide spray nozzle and don't get too close.

The interior vent allow air that gets in from other sources to get out. In a perfect world you wouldn't ever get air in the system but it happens (hooking up the vacuum etc).

[Jim Elbrecht]

Not likely-- When you get the sand filter you'll see how differently it distributes the incoming water--- and has the multi -purpose valve on top to backflush or bypass it.

Jim

[gfretwell]

You should be able to get those filters a lot cheaper than that.

[Arklin K.]

Comparing specs, my "Sta-Rite System 3 Model 1C01H" looks a lot like the S8M150 in that manual which is the same 450 sqft of filter at 125 gpm at

50 psi water.

Here's the manual for the S8M150:

It shows a cleaning procedure on page 6, which basically boils down to "hose it down".

Sigh ...

[Arklin K.]

I just ordered one of these - but of course - it won't arrive in time:

Ah, I see. I guess it lets air go to the top instead of collecting in the bottom (I guess).

[Arklin K.]

They're over $800 at Leslies so I figured that was the best price I could get.

BTW, they're 450 square feet (total) of filter. Is that a lot or a little or just about normal?

[Arklin K.]

I 'wish' I could backflush!