How To Clean Pool Filter | Cartridge and Sand Filter Guide

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One of the key components of pool hygiene is an efficient pump and filter system. Keeping a clean filter is fundamental to keeping a clean pool. So part of your regular maintenance schedule will surely be checking and changing your pool cartridge filter when necessary and backwashing your sand filter if thats the system you’re using.

High end cartridge filter systems in particular can be quite costly to change filters so cleaning them throughly and extending there life can be a real money saver. But money apart who wants to just toss out anything that can be reused with just a little time and no real effort at all.

Which Filter System

Sand and cartridge systems both need careful care and attention during the pool season. With exception of some inexpensive cleaning products you’re almost certainly going to have all you need on hand to effectively take care of both types of pool filter systems.

Cleaning a Pool Cartridge Filter

Particularly at the beginning of the season if your pool has been left standing through the winter months the filter cartridge will quickly become plugged with dirt, debris and micro particles. Lets face it that’s what it’s for.

Generally removing and carefully hosing down the filter pleats using your garden hose is enough, use an adjustable spray nozzle to increase water pressure aimed at the filter. But in some cases extra deep cleaning is required. That’s where a pool filter cleaning solution is the answer. .

There are a number on the market, but we recommend….

hth Pool Cleaner Filter Cleaner

Depending on the severity of the cleaning job the filter may need to stay submerged in the cleaning solution overnight. If this is the case then you’ll probably want to install a new filter while the dirty one is being cleaned up.

Of course some cartridge filter systems like Intex do have very cheap filters so it’s not really economical to clean just one at a time using a cleaning fluid so wait until you have a used and stored a few and bulk clean them for re-use. Our recommended filter cleaner can be diluted with up to 10 gallons of water so you’ll be able to bulk clean a number at once.

Cleaning a Pool Sand Filter

You’re backwashing your sand filter on a regular basis as part of your pool maintenance schedule, but at least once a year it’s a good idea to deep clean the sand to remove the inevitable build up of oils and other contaminates that effect the efficiency of the sand as a filter medium.

Our recommended pool sand filter cleaner is….

In The Swim Liquid Sand Pool Filter Cleaner

Of course different product have different treatment times but generally they all follow the same method of deploying the chemical.