Having a functional pool filter is an essential part of keeping your pool running as it should.
But there are some things you need to do to keep your filter in tip top shape.
We’ve got all the info on what it does, how it works and how to ensure it keeps your pool water clean, clear and stunningly blue!
Keep reading to find out.
Pool Filters: What You Need To Know
What Do Pool Filters Do?
The pool filter is a crucial part of your swimming pool system. It is designed to keep your pool clean and safer to swim in by removing debris, particles and contaminants that shouldn’t be in your water.
The filter system as a whole circulates the water in your pool or spa, capturing impurities and keeping the water clean and clear. The most common type of spa or pool filter operates with a cartridge system.
That means there is a pleated polyester cartridge inside the filter system. This cartridge does the leg work and can be easily cleaned or replaced to maintain efficiency.
How Do They Work?
The pleated polyester cartridge is the primary filtering element in a swimming pool filter system. As we just mentioned, its key function is to remove impurities from the water to improve your swimming experience. It does this by:
1: Water Intake
Water flows through the pool’s circulation system and enters the cartridge filter housing. Then, it passes through the tightly pleated folds of the filter cartridge. Those pleats provide a large surface area for trapping all the nasties in your pool water - debris, dirt, various particles, and other contaminants.
2: Filtering
As the water flows through the pleats in the cartridge, the debris and particles are trapped within the filter material. Water is able to flow through, but anything else is not. Debris of all shapes and sizes is caught by the cartridge. That can be larger items like leaves or insects through to smaller, almost invisible particles like dirt, grime or algae.
3: Clean Water Return
Once the water has passed through the cartridge and all the impurities have been captured, the clean, filtered water exits the cartridge and returns back into the pool via the circulation system.
Pool Filter Maintenance Tips
To maintain the effectiveness of the filter, your pool will require some maintenance. Over time, the trapped debris and other particles will accumulate on the filter cartridge’s surface. This will reduce its efficiency over time. Cleaning the filter cartridge every month is an essential task.
Here’s how you can do that:
- Remove the cartridge from the filter housing or skimmer box
- Wash the filter with your garden hose or a cleaning tool. Work from the top down and don’t use a high pressure hose or brush.
- Soak the cartridge for at least an hour (overnight is preferable) in a pool specific cleaning solution.
- After soaking, rinse the cartridge to remove any excess cleaning solution or oil
- Replace the cartridge in the filter housing and turn the pump back on.
Unfortunately, cartridges do have a lifespan. Eventually, they will become worn out or so clogged that no amount of cleaning will restore their effectiveness. When this happens, you will need to replace the pool filter cartridge. Depending on your usage and the water quality, cartridges will typically last 6 months, especially if you have two on rotation.
Tips To Maximise The Life Of Your Filter
These are just a few basic tips that will help you to prolong the life of your filter cartridges:
- Maintain the correct pool water chemistry balance
- Clean the filter regularly in accordance with its cleaning instructions
- Don’t use a stiff brush for cleaning as this can impact the surface of the cartridge
- Don’t use a high pressure hose to clean as this can cause damage to the filter
- Rotate between two sets of cartridges to considerably prolong their life cyle
Choosing The Right Pool Filter
A big part of your pool filter working well is having the right filter cartridge in it. Here at Water Filters Online, we stock a huge range of spa and pool filters to keep your water clean and clear.
You can browse our entire range online or if you aren’t too sure which is the right filter for you, have a chat with our friendly team and we’ll be able to help.