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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Ensure your water sparkles when you step into your pool for the first time this season by focusing a little attention on your water filter. Cleaning your filter can be quick and simple when you’re equipped with the right information. Plus, your pool will operate more effectively and efficiently when you adopt a regular filter cleaning schedule that includes a chemical clean at least twice a season.
1. Don’t just clean your filter; chemically clean it. Dave Gayeski, regional manager for Arch Chemicals, says some pool owners may have the misconception that cleaning their filters simply means pulling out the cartridge and rinsing it with a garden hose, for instance. “That can help, but that’s not deep cleaning,” he says. Removing entrenched dirt and debris can be easily achieved by chemically cleaning filters with products like POOLIFE® Filter Cleaner (for chlorine pools) and BAQUACIL® Sand Filter Cleaner or BAQUACIL DE & Cartridge Filter Cleaner (for chlorine-free pools). Read “Clean Your Filter and Reap the Benefits” to learn how to chemically clean each of the three types of filters.
2. Start the season with a clean filter. The beginning of pool season is a great time to chemically clean your filter. Preferably, you should chemically clean it at the end of pool season, as well. Gayeski recommends that chlorine-free BAQUACIL brand users chemically clean their filters a minimum of two times per season. “Fourth of July always makes a good time to chemically clean your filter,” he suggests.
3. Recognize the signs of a filter that needs to be chemically cleaned. Although you should stick to a schedule, Gayeski offers two ways to recognize when a filter chemical cleaning is overdue. The pressure gauge is a great way to know when your filter needs cleaning, so check it regularly to make sure it’s in good working order. If the pressure gauge is reading higher than usual, that is a good indication that backwashing and/or chemical cleaning is needed. If you don’t have a pressure gauge, just feeling the pressure of the water as it returns to the pool can be an effective way to judge. When a filter needs cleaning, the pressure in the pool will be down. “If you put your hand on the return, usually your hand gets blown away because of the pressure,” he says. “If there’s not a lot of pressure, that’s usually a sign you need to clean your filter.” Another sign? The pool’s water looks hazy and uninviting.
4. Know when to backwash your filter. “If you have a multi-port valve on your filter or your filter gauge goes up roughly 8 to 10 pounds per square inch (psi) from where it started, it’s time to backwash your filter,” he says. “Backwashing is not chemically cleaning; it’s just rinsing the filter and getting out some dirt and debris.” “Clean Your Filter and Reap the Benefits” offers information on how to backwash your filter.
5. Take precautions when handling filter cleaners. Many cleaners are acid-based, so handle them carefully and follow all directions—both for your own protection and your yard’s, Gayeski says. Always read product labels before use.
6. Clean water doesn’t always mean a clean filter. Many times, because of high doses of chlorine in some chlorine-based pools, pool owners mistakenly think they don’t need to chemically clean their filters, Gayeski says. “Years ago, we were doing a photo shoot at a [chlorine-based] pool in Miami,” he recalls. “Our tech person popped the cartridge out, and the homeowner said, ‘You mean I could do that?’ The amount of dirt and debris caught up in the filter was just unacceptable.” That dirt and debris may have been trapped in the filter, but every ounce of water was passing through it. Plus, trapped dirt and debris could be eating up the chemicals and costing more in the long run.
7. Feel comfortable cleaning your filter. While some dealers may offer to chemically clean their customers’ filters at the end of the season, Gayeski says, the average pool owner should feel confident doing it him or herself. “It’s not that difficult,” he says. “Any professional pool dealer can give you step-by-step instructions.” Locate a pool dealer near you for more information.
