Pool Filter Cleanings Are Vital For Your Swimming Pool

Even though the swim season is over, now is a great time to clean your pool filter if needed. Many people will tell us that they would rather wait until the springtime but let’s be honest your water still needs to filter even though you aren’t swimming and having a dirty filter is a problem. So why wait, clean it today if needed and we share tips on how to do it in our latest blog post. Keep in mind that after our long, hot summer with extended filter run times along with the need to filter hair, body oil, lotions and so much more, doing a deeper clean on your sand, cartridge or diatomaceous filter (DE) filter might be necessary and if you haven’t done it in a while, now is the time.

The first type of filter we want to discuss is the most popular sand filter. When it comes to this type of filter you don’t need to clean it but you should inspect it. Typically, you should be able to get 5-7 years out of the sand before it needs to be changed but you will want to look for clumping or channeling of the sand. Channeling occurs because as the debris is trapped by the sand over time it will eventually prevent water from traveling through it so it will typically travel down the sides of the filter and miss the sand completely. Your first clue in this will be if your pool is cloudy and when you have difficulty getting it clear. If either one of these has occurred, changing the sand is necessary. Trust us when we say, this is a tedious and messy task.

When it comes to cartridge filters, this is a lot easier. The pressure gauge, in this case, will be your best friend because they typically have a clean and dirty setting. The dirty setting will typically be about 7-10 psi higher than the clean setting. Please keep in mind that these gauges aren’t always accurate and you should just plan on cleaning the filters twice a year.

Finally, when it comes to DE filters, they are somewhat similar to cartridge filters in that the pressure gauge will be extremely helpful to know when the filters are dirty. Just like cartridge filters, this isn’t always accurate. However, with a DE filter, they can be back washed which you should do whenever necessary and recharge the filter with fresh DE. We recommend cleaning the grids similar to a cartridge filter, once or twice a year.

At Clark County Pool & Lawn we want to make sure your pool is looking great and that your equipment is functioning optimally. The above are only recommendations but if you are having trouble keeping your water clear or if your filter is used to clean up a green pool, please plan on taking apart your cartridge or DE filter and cleaning them. Taking care of time-consuming projects during the offseason is always a good idea to plan for the future and to prevent lost filter time when your pool needs it the most. If you should have any questions, please contact us today!