Cartridge filter cleaning tips
According to Lenz, one of his company’s most popular maintenance programs is their filter cleaning service.
“Our best ‘tip or trick’ when it comes to cleaning cartridge filters is using a little DE on the filter cartridge at the beginning of each season,” he says. “We use approximately 0.45 kg (1 lbs) of DE for every 9 m2 (100 sf). It is a fine coating which helps to make filter cleaning much easier.
“We bring all of our customers’ filters into the shop to clean. Any debris on the cartridges that are pre-treated with DE simply falls off without any intensive labour.”
Bokor recommends pool professionals should always chemically clean all types of pool filters at least once a year. For instance, products that contain a mix of wetting agents, surfactants, cleaning compounds, and release agents will help loosen and remove oils, combined organic matter, calcium deposits, and biguinide polymer materials. These products are compatible with a range of sanitizers and filter types, and can also be used as a backwash or a soak cleanser.
“When cleaning sand filters it’s important to turn off inlets for all chemical feeders, then with the pump running, and the filter in the backwash position, add 180 to 475 mL (6 to 16 oz) of filter cleaner through the skimmer. It can also be added directly to the filter media and should be allowed to soak for at least four hours. After soaking, start the pump with the filter in the backwash position,” he explains.
For customers using cartridge filters, Hollandia Gardens offers an annual cleaning service.
“We provide a two-step chemical cleaning; the first step involves a degreasing wash, while the second step is a descaling wash,” says Deakin. “We generally remove all of our clients’ filters in the fall, perform the two-part chemical bath, and then reinstall the filters.”
Cartridge filter cleaning services
Pool maintenance companies interested in offering a filter cleaning service may want to use the following guidelines to ensure the best cleaning results for their customers.
1. Hose off the filter
Using a standard garden hose, rinse off the filter from top to bottom. Never pressure-wash the filter, as the bands holding the pleats in place can snap under pressure. Should this happen, the pleats will collapse on themselves, reducing the surface area of filtration.
2. Soak the filter
After hosing down the cartridges it is important to put the filters through a soaking process. This can be done using 208-L (55-gal) plastic drums to allow the filters to soak overnight in muriatic acid and a filter cleaning agent, which is available from most pool chemical manufacturers.
3. Repeat soak
Once the filters have soaked overnight, some pool technicians will lightly rinse the filter and place them in a fresh water drum to soak again. Once finished, an optional liquid chlorine bath can be performed to brighten and lighten the filters.
“We do this final soaking so they look nicer when we return the filters to our client,” says Lenz. “In some cases, these soaking procedures may need to be repeated depending on how dirty the filter cartridges are.”
4. Air dry
Once the cartridge is clean, it is best to let the filter cartridges air-dry before using them again. Allowing them to dry completely gives the cartridge time
for the fibres to fluff back up, which is important because the fibres need to expand to be effective. If not, they can be pushed down easily, which reduces the filter cycle.
“We suggest the pool owner have two sets of cartridges,” says Lenz. “This allows the client to continue using their pool while the other set is being cleaned.”
The service technicians that do the best work are those who take the filter media with them when they close the pool for the season, clean it at their shops, and return the filter ready-to-use in the spring when they re-open the client’s pool, says Bokor.
“This is beneficial in two ways,” he adds. “Not only can the pool professional charge extra for the filter cleaning service, but they also have a customer with cleaner pool water all summer.”
