Pool Filter Cartridge Cleaning - Finally Figured it Out! 

Pin this to the top please. WARNING: Always Degrease/TSP filters before acid soak. The acid will make the oils/lotions sticky and absorb into the filters possibly permanently. Recommend starting acid dilution is 20:1, really only need to soak till no more bubbles are coming up. After soak add baking soda slowly to neutralize acid mix. Acid will whitewash/etch concrete. Should use separate trash can for initial quick rinse. A great nozzle I use is the pulsating Melnor Mpact. Please thumbs up 👍 this comment to keep it at the top.

I've been a pool man in south Florida for 25 years and we clean filters once a month no exceptions if you do this your pool runs more efficiently and they never get that bad. And they last twice as long

Wow, this is crazy. I've been cleaning these filters for 20 years and have never done anything so elaborate. I use a 1500 psi pressure washer and in about an hour or so my filters look as good as yours. I agree you don't want to use a high power pressure washer and you definitely need to use a 45°fan nozzle but that's about the only caution you need. No chemicals no huge water waste just clean filters. It's really easy to tell how clean your filters are when you have 0 pressure on your Guage after cleaning and pressurizing the system.

I use a very similar process. For the acid, neutralize it with baking soda (buy a big bag at sam's or a pool supply place) before dumping it out . Baking soda turns the HCl into saltwater. Just add it until it stops fizzing. I use a pressure washer and then a regular garden hose sprayer attachment. The pressure washer gets the initial surface gunk. The TSP PF is new to me, I'll give that a try.

Not sure if you mentioned, but don’t let the filters dry out before cleaning. (Like if you have 2 sets and swap out a clean set, don’t let the old set dry before cleaning.)

Awesome thats cool man I appreciate the effort that you put into this im a been there done that old guy had a pool for 40 years and your information is SPOT on buddy ! And oh the old acid can be diluted down more and used on your lawn to help break down certain materials its really harmless great stuff thanks

Soak it with Simple Green first. It will clean and degrease the filter. You get oil on the filter from people getting in the pool with sun tan oils on.

Place the filters in a small feeder trough to soak! (i.e., horizontally! - not vertically) Far less water, acid, TSP! Just my observation

Those filters look like they haven't been cleaned in months. I clean mine with a regular garden hose nozzle in the jet setting every 14 days and it's like new after. Never a need for all those products.

I stand the filters on an umbrella post for stability. It works great! 4:57

You're not supposed to use direct streams of water. You should use a fan setting.. That kind of pressure will damage the pleats and imbed dirt in the fabric

I've been using a very similar spray nozzle for cleaning my filters for about 8 years. Only differences with mine is the wand part is longer and where I think mine works better is the spray pattern is more of a fan rather than yours is a skinny stream

Wow that's a lot of work! I just clean mine every few weeks with a standard hose nozzle set to "full". Filter comes out gray and goes back in just as white as yours. Takes about 5 minutes for one filter. I don't want to make assumptions, but just from what I see in your vid it seems you are going far too long between cleanings.

I bought an Aqua Comb and it saves an enormous amount of time and water. Its painful to watch the spraying in this video after using that tool. Combine that with your soak technique and you have a thing of beauty.

Dude, where did you get this idea of chemical baths from, Heisenberg? This is how you get rid of a body not clean your pool filters, so many harsh chemicals baths no wonder it worked. I’m surprised the filters didn’t disintegrate.

I've read a lot of comments here saying people clean their filter cartridges every week or two weeks. Maybe I'm not understanding because I have a regular pool with a Pentair filter that has 4 cartridges about 3 ft long each. To get to them you have to disassemble the filter by draining the water in it, using a wrench to take off the metal band, and then lift the top half of the filter off. Are these people saying they do this EVERY WEEK? That sounds insane, so maybe there are other types of filters where the cartridges just pop out? Also, when I put in the pool in 2009, the company told me that the pressure gauge at the top of the filter has a "Clean" mark that tells you when you need to clean or replace the cartridges. You can also see the water feature/fountain not spraying as high. Based on this gauge, my filter goes about one to two years before it gets to "Clean" (with "crystal clear water the whole time, as people like to say), and the cartridges look like this guy's did, with the algae on them and all. I saw one comment where the person couldn't believe algae could be on them while I'm wondering how they could NOT have algae. But again maybe I'm misunderstanding the type of filter or cartridges some people are talking about. I'm not criticizing, I'm just wondering what I'm missing with not needing to clean my cartridges but every year or two.

You shouldn't have algae on your filter cartridges if your pool is being maintained properly!

It doesn’t take long if you clean the filters more often. I bought a nozzle just for cleaning filters it has I believe six little sprayers that fit in between that pleads of the filter does a very good job. Does not use much water and does not take long. I’ve been a pool alarm for 15 years now and watching your video I would empty my pool and fill up with dirt if I had to go through that much trouble.

I just take them to a self carwash and they come out looking like new only a couple bucks no dangerous chemicals only ten minutes. and i dont have to dump all that water and acid (which you neglected to say)

God, just use a regular adjustable spray nozzle, i usually just put it on the "jet" setting and move left to right, top to bottom. Had my cartridge filter for 5 years, only replaced the cartridges once, never had an issue just rinsing them with regular water and a regular spray nozzle.

Here's a little tip. Always spray and rinse them with a filter cleaner/degreaser. If u dont and go straight to the acid bath it will cause the grease to clump up and clog pleats. Can also calcify the pleat rows and reduce circulation and filtration over time.

Just water blast them on a fan setting, takes about half the time you have + no chemicals needed.

I love people like you. Curious and inventive. Maybe even extreme at times. That's how we got to the moon.

After 15 yrs with a DE filter I switched to cartridge for 15 yrs, now I'm back to a new 48 sq.ft Hayward DE. It filters better and a simple backwash and rinse with the 6 way valve every 2 or 3 months is easy. I hated cleaning the cartridges and having to replace them often because they eventually get clogged up and the pressure is high again in only a few days. Tip for those that want to stay with cartridges: Pay a little extra for Haywards instead of Pleatco and other off brands. There is a big difference.

I have 4 filters and it would take me two hrs to do this way. I use a comb which connects at the end of the hose which I highly recommend.

For your trashcan bath add a valve at the bottom so you don’t have to tip it over

I rinse mine well then a white vinegar bath for 2 days in a large dollar store pitcher( holds 2 filters) Same results. I rotate mine before they get bad. Maintain my pool but still need clean filters in the summer more often. Been using the same set of filters for years.

Dude, you wasting sooooo much time. Normal garden hose with pressure tip will do same thing in half the time. Also show us the inside the folds. Im 100% positive those are still dirty.

Same filter size. 2 sets for 12 years- rotate yearly only. Keep chlorine level adequate- salt water pool. Straight bleach -only chemical I use beginning of season, and if any shocking needed. Trash can soak simple green/bleach over night. Power wash - yes power wash- I drop them on a metal fence post- to allow distance. Power wash is perfectly safe and more efficient.

Forget all this nonsense. Just take your filter cartridges to a self serve car wash, set the selector dial to rinse and get busy. The high pressure of the wand will make short work of the grime. Just be careful to keep the wand far enough from the cartridges to avoid damage. I've been using this method for over 25 years. It's quick and easy.

I clean my cartridge filter with a garden hose every week or two. I’ve never seen anything like yours. It doesn’t have to be that hard, pop it out each week before you shock the pool and hose it off. It only takes a few minutes. Then if an algae bloom is starting you catch it right away. Been doing it this way for seven seasons. It’s easier on the pump, filter and you to make it a part of regular maintenance. No 2:07 cleaners or chemicals needed

I really appreciated this video. I've had a DE filter for 20 years and considered switching to cartridge. Think I'm going to stay with DE. Thanks again.

Some suggestions; why spend $13 on a wand? I went to $1 store and bought a package of water balloons. There "filler" nozzle they provide has a great stream of water. There is also a "jet sweep" nozzle available at Home Depot / Lowes that works. I use a smaller trash can and fill the water 1/2 way and use about 1/2 gallon of acid. I then plunge the filter in and out of the solution several times and then reverse the filter and do again. I then use a larger trash can full of water and put filters in this to rinse. Filter come out brand new for 1/2 the work and expense.

I saw another guys channel on here where does the muriatic acid bath process but after he’s done he pour out the solution into his pool and says the uses acid will also help the pool too. He doesn’t pour in the sediment of course- what did you do with your bath solution when done?

I have 2 sets of filters so a set ready to go already perfectly clean, I clean them when I take them out with the hydrant nozzle takes 10 minutes literally then let them dry and blow them out with a air hose and I'm done. my filters look brand new and don't spend hardly any time on them. Nothing else is needed.

..."quite a few hours" he says towards the end in a huge understatement. I have been using a pressure washer for about 20 years on my filter cartridges with no negative effects. The filter medium is really robust. Use a flat fan nozzle, align the flat spray pattern with the pleats and spray from about 10 inches away from top to bottom. About 1 hour for 4 filters. About every 3 months. Spend the extra hours playing with your kids... your wife... your dog...sheesh

Good lord, how often are you cleaning them? Those filters looks like they were in use for over six months. If you rinse them before they get that bad no need for step 2. You should also spray downward about a 15-20 degree angle. Since we've no idea how often you change them out, my recommendation would be to cut the time in half.

Really? Don't wait so long to clean them. Mine have never ever been as dirty as those. Every couple of weeks I pull mine and wash them with a very normal garden hose nozzle. It takes 10 minutes as most and comes out white like new. Why would anyone allow their filter to become that dirty? Ten minutes every few weeks. I've been doing it for 7 years. I buy a new one every 3 yrs. or so just because.

pressure washer with 45 degree on it, works like a charm

Wow ! Talk about overkill. So you’re not filtering for over 2 days while you are cleaning your filters?

I clean my filters every week or other week, skimmer 2x a day and vacuum every week . Any debris I remove with the net. Leaving debris in your pool causes problems. A simple spray nozzle on your hose should work fine. It’s way more water volume, water volume equals speed. Your filter looks moldy like your free chlorine isn’t high enough. Mine look new after just 5 minutes. There should not be calcium build up on your filters unless your numbers are way off. My total time is less than 10 minutes.

Like others, I have a lot of thoughts on how to improve on this but let's face it, we all have different conditions to contend with. So I'll limit it my suggestion to one thing. For the first step of 1 (say 1a) use a standard garden hose sprayer and go around once with a wider spray to get 70% out then do another pass with your attachment (step 1b). This will save at least 25% time and it is much more gentle on filter. That is, first pass rinses away dirt while second pass forces out embedded dirt.

I use a conventional garden hose sprayer set to a fan shape and work vertically to get the debris out upending the filter part way through. I then soak in concrete degreaser (alkali, not acid) then rinse off. I get similar results.

What I've found that works best so far is a ball valve shutoff, which lives on the end of my hose anyway. I crack it open and adjust it for the most forceful steam. It's at least twice as fast as a jet nozzle. I also have one of those car wash sprays that I'm planning to give a try.

I would like to see inside the pleats. You can make any cartridge white on the outside and it could still be toast.

I'm surprised you didn't consider back-flushing (from the inside out) versus just driving more of the contaminants into the inside of the filter. Start by brushing off as much of the outer surface gunk as possible instead of driving it into the filter media with the needle spray, then use a low pressure needle spray parallel to the folds to remove the stuff in the folds instead of forcing it into the filter. Then use your soaking technique, followed by spraying from the inside of the filter out. What I'm describing is how I clean reusable air filters, where you don't want particles to migrate to the inner surface of the filter.

Safest way to clean cartridge filters is with a regular straight shooter nozzle head for the end of the hose. Don't ever use anything with pressure. Only use your garden hose. RELEASE ALL PRESSURE IN SYSTEM. TAKE BOTTOM DRAIN PLUG OUT AND OPEN THE AIR RELIEF VALVE. THEN START THIS PROCESS. 1. Clean filters 2. Soak in 1-2 bottles of mauritic acid/WATER MIX (in a trash barrel or something big enough to hold water and filters at the same time without holes) or spray degreaser and let sit ( follow directions on bottle) VERY IMPORTANT NOTE::::: THIS STUFF WILL KILL YOUR GRASS AND ANY FOLIAGE IF YOU EMPTY OR SPRAY DEGREASER AROUND. PREFERABLY DO IT IN A AREA WITH ROCKS OR AREA THAT HAS DEAD GRASS AND FOLIAGE THAT WON'T KILL YOUR LAWN OR ANYTHING GREEN!!! 3. Hose down filters again after 24-48 hrs of soaking in acid/water mix. 4. Put filter back together clean the inside and top of filter. Also VERY IMPORTANT: THE SEATING AREA FOR FILTER GASKET AND WHERE THE TOP AND BOTTOM OF THE FILTER MEET THAT AREA HAS TO BE CLEANED AND GASKET RINSED OFF. NOTE IF YOU DON'T CLEAN THE BELLY BAND AREA AND GASKET YOUR FILTER WILL LEAK. I PROMISE YOU. JUST CLEAN IT PERFECTLY AND YOU WON'T HAVE NO LEAKS. I HOPE THIS HELPS SOMEONE SOMEDAY!!!

Takes waaaaay too long and uses way too many chemicals. Not productive at all. Between the water used, chemicals and TIME, I'd get new filters. It's worth $200. Unless you have nothing better to do and you don't care about the chemicals you put in the ground or sewage system. Just sayin'

I've been using a Hayward missle system cartridge for 20 years. The filters are not meant to last longer than two years and then you replace. Re-cleaning will not fix the problem once it's passed the lifecycle. Just buy a new one every two years, and problem will never return as long as you clean it during the season periodically, and obviously maintain your water with chlorine, salt, etc..

Use a tip that has a fan shape spray pattern. I’ve been doing this for years and it works out great

Tell people not to put sunscreen or oils on before swimming in your pool. It's odd to put sunscreen on before swimming (actual swimming). Except for babies and children, because their skin can burn easier in the Florida sun. Clean filter with a more fan in the spray. I dont use acids, but make sure to protect the ground waters of Florida (really everywhere).

Overkill would be an understatement here. Just hose them off. Ten years of owning a pool and I change my filters once every 2 years and have never soaked them or had any problems. All of that extra effort, chemicals to dispose of, and quite frankly risk is so silly. Next...

Add baking soda to neutralize acid before dumping

I just use a pressure washer and it cleans them pretty good..

It would be interesting to try it horizontally and use the pressure wash to spin it. That way you get the spray wash and centripetal force helping eliminate debris

Wash it side ways instead of straight into it

You basically spent 12 minutes telling people to soak and power wash...

I know lots of people are saying to just do it more often and I know that would be easier(and my plan for the future). But this was the video that worked for me to get *really dirty* filters back to looking good. Thanks for doing a video for those of us who aren't dealing with the ideal conditions I saw in so many other videos.

@christ6370 is correct my friends.....a proper filter element cleaning ALWAYS involves a mild degreaser/detergent before the quick soak in hydrogen chloride. I have found that Dawn Platinum or Heavy Duty Dish Soap, (not the Dawn HD purple degreaser) full strength, horizontal zig zag pattern with 1" spacing from top to bottom, let gravity pull the detergent down a bit, then get this guys wand, but with the flat spray tip. The Dawn might be a little more costly than TSP, but its better for your hands, your backyard, and your stormwater holding ponds/creeks/rivers and the like. You must rinse until ALL SUDS ARE GONE, then rinse it again, or as already mentioned, you can end up with permentantly clogged REEMAY and the entire process becomes a huge waste of time and a significant waste of money. Plain water is not enough for multi-element filter units that allow for long duration cycles between cleanings if your wife runs around with aerosol sunscreen constatly glazing the kids, or your fill water has more than 14 grains per gallon. If you oversized your multi-element cartridge filter for your pool.....which is desirable....you can also feed 0.5 lb of diatamaceous earth per 100 sq. ft. of effective filtration area your filter is rated with into a skimmer to improve filtration effeciency and grab smaller particles of contaminents, but only do this if your pool is squeaky clean, your water chemistry is balanced, and you have zero turbidity. I run about a 40-50 ppm concentration of boron in my water via ant and roach killer after the initial super chlorination by the salt system at the beginning of the season, the boric acid balances out the ph spike from the chloride changing to chlorite. Sorry......TMI......but it works so well with minimal inputs after that.....and that is what we are looking for!

Where did you dump the acid bath water?

Use the TSP before the acid. TSP will remove oils and grease. A 10:1solution of muriatic acid will then remove the scale. If used first, the acid will set oil and grease, making cleaning more difficult.

Also before you go to put them back into the pool canister let them dry so the fins go back to normal

Maybe you should look into getting a sand filter. Much easier to take care.

I use an old toothbrush to help open up the pleats. Brush also helps to loosen the debris for the hose water.

I'm not trying to be rude here, but I'm always trying to find out a better way to do this task that has to be done at least 3 times a year. To be honest with you, that looks terrible. I use an Orbit Max 8-Pattern Nozzle, part number 26700 that you can find at Lowes that puts our far more water and likely pressure in a "Jet" than your tool. I HIGHLY recommend this nozzle. Additionally, my hose bibs are Arrowhead Arrow-breaker hose bibs (because I swapped them out) that supposedly put out more water than traditional hose bibs with added vacuum breakers. I did make my own filter holder using part of a broom handle, a toilet plunger, and weighted base for a table sun umbrella. I'm on a well with my pressure set to be within 40-60 PSI, but with my cycle stop valve I'm probably running at around 55 psi. The amount of water and likely pressure compared to yours is way over and beyond.

For cleaning I have also thought about using a 4x broad diameter pvc pipe to be the soaking containers for these cartridges, but not sure if PVC pipe comes in 8" diametere. (filters are 7"), and not sure if PVC would be acid / TSP safe.

TSP is an irritant to skin and eyes... Not sure I'd want that residue on my filters. There are other filter cleaners that might be less irritating...

I use a cheap multi-jet nozzle on the garden hose and set it to 'Flat' for cleaning my 100 sq ft cartridge filter. If I neglect the pool for a couple of weeks, it is sometimes as bad as the 'before' condition shown in the video but it only takes me about 10 -15 minutes to get it looking like the 'after' condition. Admittedly, my filter is not quite as tall but that time includes a second pass with the filter turned upside down then sometimes a third quick pass to clear any remaining debris. The secret is to use the nozzle about 6-inches approx. from the cartridge, using an up and down sweep. There's no way that you can EVENLY clean a whole filter using the narrow power jet and that is very obvious by the streaky finish after the 30-minute marathon session. I've never found any need to do any further filter cleaning so my pool is back up and running in about 20 minutes. Sorry to be a bit negative but I think you are wasting a lot of time and money (water, acid and TCP) when in less than 30 minutes you could achieve the same result.

Don’t do this

Nice job, they look new. I really don't know why anyone would buy a cartridge filter, except for the initial cost savings. The labor & water usage is huge.

muriatic acid is extremely strong and dangerous!!! also this will not get rid of body oils - it will set them into the element. you need tibuse 1 cup of laundrybdetergent per 5 gallons of water. let that soak for 24 hours and thoroughly rinse. then, if you have hard water deposits you can do your acid bath using alot of caution.

A made a wand from some plumbing parts i bought a Lowes. When i hooked it to my water hose. I was able to clean all four filters quickly in 45 minutes. I sprayed a cartridge cleaner on all four filters first. Then cleaned them off. Did not need acid and they came out clean and the looked almost new. The filters are about three years old😀

A spray off with Simple Green and a hose will make them clean as new. Acid washing is WAY TOO MUCH WORK!

I use a regular garden hose and aqua comb pool cartridge filter cleaning tool. Cleaning after only 10psi increase in backpressure and my filters never look this bad either :D

This is waaaay too drawn out. My wife does ours with a amazon sprayer on the garden hose and she gets in between each pleat and they look like new each time. These still look pretty dirty in between the pleats and the process took for ever. Theres no way to cheat the labor involved in cleaning the filters well. Take your time and do a good job and your pool will thank you.

So ., what is the problem with dirty filter? What symptoms we see that requires cleaning the filter. Or is just for fun? Thanks

I clean mine every 2 weeks with a garden hose and standard sprayer. Takes 5 minutes. Also, you shouldn’t have algae on your filters if your water is balanced.

I use my water with the acid to clean my filters all summer long! You do not have to put in clean and acid every time just use 2 garbage cans for the 2 different processes and save some cash using the same water and cleaner and acid over and over again and use a hose end attachment with a wider fan spray instead of a pin point to save some water and time.

Man I literally just cleaned mine the other day and took forever and I literally was just thinking before your video if my car wand would work

Interesting. Thought I was going to learn something new. I've been cleaning my 4 huge filters for years with a garden hose set on jet. Same process but no special tools. Somehow, I figured it out along with a million other pool owners (who do exactly that) by thinking about it for 30 seconds. Save the money. Clean as needed with what you have in your yard.

"Gloves for safety", yet it is not a rubber glove, means the acid still goes through the glove and onto your skin...

There is no chance I’m doing all that… how much is a new set?

The pool filter flosser attachment is a helpful tool to clean the cartridge. The nozzle he used packs more punch but I also worry about the damage to an aging filter

Bro way to much work, I just spray them with a garden hose and they turn out great, I get about 24 months out of them.

Really you need just reverse the water flow. You build something to clamp each filter in to a larger tub then using a pump you pump fresh water in to each one. You want them in a tub to keep them wet. Then after a while you open the lower drain to drain off any sediment. Then you add detergent which will help break down the oils and debris. Flushing it out then you add your acid and soak and then flush again and then final detergent and rinse. You filter housing should give you an idea on how to build your unit. In any case you might even be able to buy or get another filter housing and then just reverse the flow and see how that works. The oils is what really kills pool filters.

That's A LOT of muriatic acid! You should probably use half that amount, maybe even less! Your filter will be just as clean, but they'll last much, much longer. You're compromising the integrity of the paper filter and the bands with that much acid.

So do you like the shower you get with it? LOL I get the same results with a garden hose sprayer on fine stream. Thanks for the new technology

WHATS A QUICK FIX FOR A HAIRLINE CRACK ON Diverter Valves. Ijust got the blaster

You mentioned about the amount of water you are using. To reduce the amount of water as you are turning the filters over anyway just fill the bin to just above the halfway line on the filter then you'd easily be reducing the amount of water being used by a third! 👍

How often do you deep clean them? Abd how often do you find you need to replace them now?

I don't think you care much about that air conditioner or pavers or you wouldn't be putting your acid on them. Also, what do you do with the diluted acid. It will kill any plant you put it on.

Wow, beautiful filters! I'm in my 3rd season of pool ownership, also inherited with house and also uses cartidge filters. I recently tried an overnight soak of clothes washing powder detergent based off someone on RU-vid recommending it for cleaning their spa filters. They looked better and the PSI level on my gauge did come down a bit. I tried two different kinds. With the last kind, now my pool has bubbles when we swim! We could probably wash our clothes in it, ha! It also has a different "feel" that's hard to describe, but the same as last season. I don't know if the detergent will naturally go away or not. Any advice on that would be helpful. Also, I'm curious about your PSI readings before and after on the gauges. I bought four brand new filters this season (and a new gauge) and the reading was 13 PSI, so I set that as the starting point. Now, after cleaning the filters, the initial PSI reading starts at around 16 or 17 PSI and quickly goes up to around 20.

Have you thought about doing the acid bath before the first rinse and then just do the one rinse after the acid bath?

are those cloth gloves..?

That is not as strong than a hose with a sprayer and it’s a lot slower. Waste of money.

Is there a special tool to lift the lid on a pentair 200sqft cartridge pool filter? I always have difficulty lifting it off due to rubber ring

Those are disgusting. Why so much algae on them.

Have you tried just starting with the acid bath, and then rinsing pleat by pleat?

Year …sorry…not ur…

This worked great! I would think you shouldn't have to do this every time but would work great if you had let the cleaning lapse for a few months.