How long do cartridge pool filters last

Your email address will not be published. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. A Complete Guide. How Long do Filter Cartridges Last? Should you Clean or Replace? Cracked or Broken End Caps A pool filter cartridge has plastic caps on either end. Flat Pleats When your pool filter cartridge gets over saturated, the accumulated dirt particles end up deforming the pleats. Frayed, Tattered or Ripped Cartridges While cartridges are made of a long-lasting material, the natural wear and tear, water pressure, weight of the dirt particles, and the action of harsh chemicals can cause the material to fail.

Crushed Cartridge As the name implies, there are times when the entire cartridge collapses. Leave a Reply Cancel reply Your email address will not be published. Connect With Us. During heavy use, this will happen every week, and sometimes more frequently than that.

As mentioned above, some symptoms of a poorly-working filter can be due to uncleanliness. If your filter gets clogged or stops cleaning more frequently than expected, even with frequent backwashing, it may have lost its quality. Filter cartridges will often come with a use-by date due to their design. However, all filters have a predicted lifespan. If this is passed, then it may be best to replace the filter. This point applies to filter cartridges, which can tear over time.

If this happens, you need to replace the filter. You should change your pool filter whenever it loses its quality, has passed its expected lifespan or shows signs of damage. Often, symptoms will start to appear every five years, but the timescale can be anywhere between yearly and every 15 years.

If you frequently clean and backwash your filter and only use the pool seasonally, you can expect to replace it after at least five years. While sand filters can be good for a few more years, we recommend replacing your media at this point to maintain a healthy pool system long-term. Glass filter media is known for its longevity — if well cared for, it might not need repacing for over a decade!

Glass filter media can last for way beyond the timespan of sand media. However, we also recommend replacing them every five years to keep your pool systems working efficiently. This date is often after one or two years, depending on the brand.

If you see a tear in the filter, it will need replacing. Ultimately, the lifespan of a filter depends on how much dirty water it needs to clean. The most important thing is maintaining the right chemical balance daily. Having the correct chemicals will stop algae from forming and help deal with other dirt and debris, putting less strain on your swimming pool filters.

Note that while clarifiers and similar products can make your swimming pool look clean, they can lead to your filter becoming more clogged. Swimming pool users will bring contaminants with them into the pool, which ultimately ends up in the filter.

These can include body oils, shampoos, drinks and more. This offers support to your cartridge from two heavy pieces of hearty plastic. Flattened pleats are a sign that you need to replace your filter cartridge because they can no longer capture the floating debris from your pool. Since the pleats usually appear straight and uniform, it is easy to see when they have become distorted from overuse or clogging. Over time, your filter fabric, otherwise known as Remar fabric, will experience wear and tear from large dirt particle blockages, water pressure, and chlorine content exposure.

This can create torn, ripped, or tattered fabric. While some tears are easy to see due to large holes or pieces of fabric hanging off, others are microtears that are not as easily noticeable. These microtears can manifest in the form of uneven fabric texture or even a fuzzy appearance. A high PSI, otherwise known as the amount of pound-force per square inch of water in your pool, can be another good indicator that you need to replace your filter cartridge.

A high PSI can suggest that your filter tank is having a hard time processing debris, and your cartridge is beginning to overexert. When you notice a PSI, take a look at your filter cartridge. We partner with HomeAdvisor to help you find the best swimming pool maintenance and cleaning services in your area.

This is the equivalent of your pool filter cartridge having a sudden and very nasty heart attack. The last time you opened your pool cartridge, it was fine and then the next time you open your cartridge, you find something that looks like a crushed soda can with filter median squished to the side.

There are many issues that can lead to this such as wrong filter cartridge size, poor quality replacements or even a very dirty filter media that has caused the pressure to build up in the canister and crush the entire thing. Suffice to say, if you find a crushed cartridge, replace it immediately. With just a few routine maintenance tasks, you can greatly extend the life of your pool cartridge filters! While the skimmers are not the first thing that you think of when thinking about extending the life of your cartridge filters, keeping them clean is a good way to extend the life of your filter.

Every two or three weeks, take out the pool filter cartridge and give it a hose down. Every two to three months, depending on pool usage, we recommend that you give your pool filter cartridge a good soak with our Zodiac Filter Cleaner solution. Give it a soak for at least 12 hours or overnight and then give it a good rinse with clean water. Need a cartridge filter replacement? Click on the button below to open up our selection of pool cartridge filters.

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