Welcome to the wonderful world of Pool Cartridge Filters and all the fun it entails. Their relatively low cost and maintenance comparative to DE and the better water purification compared to a sand filter are huge selling points. The only catch of cartridge filters is the sticky situation of replacing the cartridges. One of the hard parts for pool owners is knowing when to replace these cartridges, and that is why we are here to help.
Cartridge maintenance can be broken down into two categories, “Saving it” or “Chucking it.” The saving it category will contain the weekly maintenance chores of checking water pressure, light cleanings and the occasional deep clean. The “chucking it” category involves determining if the cartridge is worth saving or if it should be binned and replaced. This guide will give you a few key symptoms of a cartridge that should be replaced.
A High PSI
A spike in your pressure reading is a sign of mounting strain within the filter. A common cause of a high PSI reading is a dirty cartridge, which is usually remedied with a quick hosing off. If a quick clean does not fix the issue, try a deep clean, using an overnight soak with a cleaning agent such as Leisure Time Filter Clean. If the treated cartridge still spikes at a high PSI, it is due to be replaced.
Cartridges are made out of polyester material called Remar. When the Remar material becomes oversaturated, it restricts water flow and requires cleaning. Eventually, the material becomes so caked with dirt particles a simple hose down or chemical soak will not unclog the fabric. At that point, the only recourse is to replace the filter cartridge.
**Consult your owner’s manual for your cartridge cleaners optimal and critical service readings.**
Cracked End Caps
The plastic end caps on your cartridges act as bookends sandwiching the material into a tight compact form. End caps are made of heavy-duty plastic but can be susceptible to harsh water chemistry making them brittle.
Once an end cap begins to crack or chip, it best to replace the cartridge right away. If a cartridge with a broken end cap is repeatedly used, a piece of the broken material may circulate through the filter system causing equipment damage.
Flattening Of Pleats
When Remar becomes over-saturated with dirt particles the pleats will deform. This deformation is called flattening and greatly restricts water flow and cleaning capability. A broken or missing band will also cause pleat flattening.
Tattered, Frayed or Ripped Fabric
Through the natural wear and tear of water pressure, chemicals and dirt particles blasting the Remar, the cartridge material may begin to fail. Holes in the material will provide dirt a clear path to recycle back to your pool, making efficient filtering virtually impossible.
The sign of fraying or micro-tears in the fabric is usually a “furry” look to the surface. This furriness is caused by the tiny fibers ripping apart and standing straight on end. When this is noticed, be prepared to replace the filter cartridge because the micro-tears will eventually turn into one big rip.
Crushed Cartridge
These failures are normally caused by a catastrophic inner core collapse. The inner core of your cartridge is the plastic reinforcement cage that backs the pleats, preventing collapse. A failure of this type will cause the cartridge to resemble a crumpled soda can with pleats.
The likely suspects for this issue are an already cracked inner core, sub-standard cartridges, or a cartridge that was too small. The latter commonly occurs when a pool owner buys the incorrect cartridge size but installs it anyway.
Well, that is the dirt on old cartridges, if yours suffer from any of these symptoms it is time for replacements. If you need help tracking down the correct filter cartridge or have other pool-related questions, do not hesitate to give us a call at 877-372-6038
Get Your Replacement Cartridge Now
Matthew SimmonsTechnical Writer & Pool Product Expert
Swimming pool expert at InyoPools and host of Poolside Chat, brings over a decade of experience in the pool industry.
62 responses to “5 Signs You Need to Replace Your Filter Cartridge”
katalog
Hello. The salt/filter system runs daily for at least 6 hours using a variable speed pump. We have 2 filter cartridges that have been used interchangeably for about 4 years. The pool looks good and the routine water testing typically indicates minimal corrective needs. What would be the indicators that the filter cartridges need to be replaced?
I learned today that alot of my problems are because Im cleaning my cartridges reactively instead of proactively. Even though the cartridges are clean, Im still fighting bad water. Going to make that adjustment.
One of the things I have learned as an adult is preventative maintenance costs a lot less than full repairs. Get a routine, set reminders just make it part of your schedule, and you should notice a difference in the health of your pool.
My pool skimmer is not sucking in water and collecting the little particles of dirt and mosquitos on top of the pool. What could be the problem? Is it time to replace the filter? The pool does maintain clean through the main drains though.
First, make sure the skimmer line is open and clear; confirm that any diverter valves on the line are in the open position. Check your filter’s pressure gauge for pressure loss. Look for signs of air in your system, like: air bubbles pour from return lines, pump priming issues, large air bubbles in pump basket.
Or you can try readjusting return nozzles to stimulate flow, by pointing that all right or left.
If I have strong water circulation does that mean that the filters are clean enough? Pool has been green and cloudy. Tried the chemicals, but still cloudy. I had very low pressure and I cleaned the cartridge filters, didn’t notice any rips, now have plenty of pressure for circulation, but cloudy and somewhat green water. Should I replace filter. Cartridges have been in use about 4 months
Green water has less to do with the filter than it does with sanitation chemicals. You have green water because you don’t have enough chlorine in the pool. You need to do a shock treatment, filter, rinse and repeat a time or two to get rid of the algae. As for the strength of the flow, that is going to vary if the cartridges have been cleaned or not; or if the water is dirty (green water.)
Green water is algae. Cloudy green water s a sign your chemicals are working because the cloudiness is dead algae.
the suggestions just really work. we must follow these to solve this type of cartridge problems. the common issues are- A High PSI, Cracked End Caps, Crushed Cartridge, Flattening Of Pleats etc. to know more Epson Technical Support Canada. I am very much benefited by this post.
I just have a small 10′ x 30″ pool and the pump only has 1 tube going from the pump to the output in the pool. I vacuum it using a garden hose attached to the small vacuum. It sucks up the dirt and pushes the same dirty water back out through the catch net. How can I filter the dirty water? Thanks
In what way is it dirty? Is the water green or brown? If so, that is a water chemistry issue that needs to be dealt with chlorine or other balancer chemicals. If it is dirt particles then you can use a clarifier or a flocculant to help scoop up the dirt.
Hi. We have a Pentair filter system with 4 filters in it, about a year old, and we noticed that the filters were all cracked on the bottom end, so we replaced them all. About 4 months later, 2 are cracked again. We have 2-20 foot “solar” heaters that are the kind that water just runs through little tubes and heats up, and the plumbing was originally set up for a DE filter system, with a backflush valve, which we have left connected but don’t use. Something else that might be of help informaiton wise is that the PVC is mostly 1.5″ but in one small section it goes to 1.25″. We have a 1 HP pump and a pool with about 40,000 gallons, and the pressure is usually around 15 psi, although we opened the heater valve for a second and it got to 30psi just for a few seconds. These filters are very expensive so any insight is appreciated. Thank you!
is it ok to have psi at 15 my pool is new 14 days old and doesnt keep pressure at 10 seems not enough suction , how do i fix this , im thinking i got a lemon
Hello Sue – PSI readings are going to vary from pool to pool. The size of the pump, filter, and feet of head is going to change the normal PSI reading from pool to pool.
So is your clean filter PSI start at 10, and then slowly works it’s way up to 15?
Get new filter. I had same problem. I also used a bag of Burnout 3 and 1 big bag of arm & hammer baking soda. Now it’s really clear. Maintain chlorine level
My pool water is completely balanced, yet it is still cloudy. I purchased my cartridge filters in 2016 and they still appeared clean. Yet I cannot get rid of what appears to be fine dust particles on the pool. It is extremely cloudy. Do you think new filters will fix this problem?
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