November 2011
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Changing Your Hot Tub Water in 4 Simple Steps
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How to Choose the Right In-ground Pool for You
in Maintenance
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Filters keep swimming pool water clear because they catch contaminants such as dust, leaves, pollen and bacteria. “If you have any issues with your pool, the first place you should look is the filter,” says Touraj Rowhani, research chemist at Arch Chemicals, Inc. “It’s the heart of your water treatment system. If your filter doesn’t work, you’re not going to be able to get your water clear, no matter what you do.”
As easy as it is essential, filter maintenance will save you time and money by keeping your pool consistently and continuously clean. Skip it, and you might have to engage in the expensive and time-consuming process of draining and refilling your pool.
No matter what type of filter you have — sand, D.E. or cartridge — over time, dirt accumulates inside it and obstructs the flow of water through it, increasing water pressure and reducing the filter’s efficiency and effectiveness.
To prevent filter malfunction, clean it frequently (monthly or weekly) during the summer. Rowhani explains the five-step process to maintaining a filter:
1. Check the water pressure. Because filters trap debris you can’t see, the best way to monitor their performance is to read their pressure gauge. If it reaches 8 to 10 pounds per square inch (psi) above its normal level, you need to clean the filter.
2. Backwash. If you have a sand filter or D.E. filter, the best way to clean it is to reverse the flow of water through it, a process known as backwashing. If you have a cartridge filter, skip backwashing and go straight to rinsing (step 3). To reverse the water flowing through a sand or D.E. filter, turn the pool pump off and change your filter’s setting to backwash. Be careful: Never change the dial on your filter when the pump is running. Clean and replace the leaf basket, and then turn on the pump, letting it run until the water coming out of the wastewater pipe or sight glass is clear. The process usually takes a few minutes and might need to be repeated several times.
3. Rinse it. After you’ve backwashed your filter, rinse it thoroughly to clean out the pool’s pipes and allow the filter’s contents to settle. To do this, turn off the pump and set it to filter. The filter has to be recoated with D.E. powder according to the manufacturer’s instructions. To rinse a cartridge filter, simply remove the cartridge and spray it under high pressure with a garden hose. Do not use high–pressure mechanized sprayers because they might damage the filter.
4. Chemically clean. It is extremely important to chemically clean your filter. To do so, remove dirt, oil and mineral deposits that remain after backwashing and rinsing by cleaning your filter with a product such as POOLIFE® Filter Cleaner or BAQUACIL® Sand Filter Cleaner or BAQUACIL DE & Cartridge Filter Cleaner at least twice per season (three times if your pool is open year-round). Consult your authorized pool dealer to find the product that’s best for you. Also be sure to read the product instructions carefully before handling or using any pool chemical.
You can clean a cartridge filter by soaking the cartridge overnight in a filter cleaning solution. To clean a sand filter, pour the solution directly into the pool’s skimmer and then backwash the cleaner into the filter and shut the pump off as soon as the cleaner is in the filter. Wait 12 to 24 hours, and then backwash the filter again to remove the cleaner from the filter and resume normal operation. D.E. filters are treated both ways: Chemically backwash the D.E. powder as you would a sand filter, and then remove the grids from the filter and soak them in cleaning solution. Remember to always follow the label directions.
5. Replace your filter contents. Although most filters should last a lifetime, their contents should be replaced regularly according to manufacturer specifications. In a well-maintained pool, the sand in a sand filter, and the cartridge in a cartridge filter, should be replaced once every 3 to 5 years or as needed (see the manufacturer’s recommendations for replacement intervals). D.E. powder should be replaced whenever the backpressure rises 8 to 10 psi over the normal operating pressure. But if there’s actual sand or D.E. powder in your pool, you may need to replace or repair the entire filter.
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