Filter Cleaning
Filter cleaning is recommended yearly at the end of each season.
Occasionally, due to unfortunate water conditions, cleaning
mid-season may be necessary.
Sand Filters
We do sell Filter Cleaner for those not wishing to change their
sand at this time but hoping to get a little longer out of it.
Filter Cleaner is simply added to the automatic skimmer on the side
of your pool with the filter running. As you see the colored liquid
start to come out of the return line, shut the filter off. Let it
sit overnight then backwash it out. The Filter Cleaner will not harm
your swimming water.
For sand changing instructions, please see “changing
the sand”.
Diatomaceous Earth Filters
Filter internals may be cleaned in various ways:
- Remove filter tank top. Remove filter internals if they are
removable. Otherwise, if you have a Perflex filter, they are
attached to the top. Hose elements clean. This gets the heavy
visible particles off but does not fully clean the filter. Then
spray the elements with Clear Comfort Filter Cleaner coating
them as best you can. Do this in the driveway or away from any
lawn or garden area as this product is acidic and may kill plant
life. Wait twenty minutes or until the cleaner dries to a dull
finish. Hose thoroughly. You’re done!
- Fill a bucket or barrel with a solution of Muriatic Acid and
water in a 10 to 1 solution, 10 parts water to 1 part acid.
Always fill the bucket with water first then add the acid.
Place your hosed off filter elements into the solution and leave
for twenty-four hours. If you have a Perflex filter, soak the
whole top. Remove and rinse thoroughly. Add baking soda to
Muriatic Acid solution to neutralize acid for disposal. You’re
done!
- If your filter is extremely dirty, you can make a solution
of TSP (Tri Sodium Phosphate), available in your local hardware
store, and water. Soak your hosed off filter top in this
solution for twenty-four hours. Remove and rinse thoroughly.
Then make a solution of Muriatic Acid and water as described in
step 2 above and follow instructions above. Make sure to rinse
your filter thoroughly between washes because the first solution
is basic and the second acidic and you wouldn’t want to
neutralize the second solution. Good as new…you’re done!
Cartridge Filters
For thorough year end cleaning, we recommend soaking your
cartridges in Muriatic Acid and water in a 10 to 1 solution, 10
parts water and 1 part acid. . Always fill the bucket with
water first then add the acid. Remove your cartridges from your
filter housing and hose thoroughly in and out of pleats as best you
can before soaking. Hose the inside, as well as, the outside of the
cartridge elements. Place your hosed off filter elements into the
solution and leave for twenty-four hours. Remove and rinse
thoroughly once again. Add baking soda to Muriatic Acid solution to
neutralize acid for disposal. You’re done!
For light cleaning, you can use Clear Comfort Filter
Cleaner as a spray-on cleaner but we do not typically recommend this
for cartridge filters because it is not possible to spray the
cleaner thoroughly into all the pleats of the cartridge. It is fine,
however, for a mid-season quick cleaning. For extreme cleaning,
presoak cartridges in TSP and water as described in step 3 above.
IMPORTANT TIPS
- Always drain your filter tank thoroughly before taking the
filter apart.
- On Perflex filters, mark the tank bottom as to where the
bump handle goes before removing the top so that you can put it
back in the same position after cleaning.
- Rinse the inside of the tank once the filter elements are
removed.
- Be careful to place elements securely onto any stack pipes
from which they were removed. Improper placement can lead to DE
Powder and debris bypassing the filter and ending up in the
pool.
- As noted above, do not rinse filters near any lawn or garden
areas as the acid may kill plant life.
- As always…be safe! Do not spray cleaners or
hose off filters in extreme winds and wear rubber gloves and eye
protection for your safety.
Enjoy your clean filter!
A clean filter today may keep the service man away!
If there’s one thing people hate…it’s to have to pay a service
technician to come and clean their filter. Unfortunately, we have to
pay them so you have to pay us. Bad things happen when your filter
is dirty. Circulation stops flowing, heaters stop working, automatic
cleaners stop roaming, skimmers stop skimming and everyone thinks
something is broken. It’s not always the case…so keep that filter
clean! Eliminate the obvious before you call us in a panic.
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