Maintaining Your Swimming Pool Filtration System

Part of owning your own swimming pool is maintenance.  It may not be glamorous, but it has to be done if you wish to keep everything in operating order and wish to extend the life of your investment. A major aspect of pool maintenance is your filtration system.  A whole host of problems can occur if you neglect your filters.  These are some of the most common:

• Pool water becomes murky.  There are certainly other reasons this can occur, but after ruling them out by testing your pool water chemistry and making sure your water cycling feature is running long enough, you should check the filter.  Is it dirty?  Does it fit properly?
• Filter (and/or housing) is leaking.  You hear a dripping sound or notice water beside the system. Although your pool will probably not leak all of the water out, this can still be an annoying problem.  You may need to check and repair the belly band on a split tank type of filter.  Also, drain plugs are also known to leak, so make sure to maintain these as well.  If your filter housing has a hole in it, replacement is your only option.
• Filter seems to be washing debris back into the pool.  This is likely a backwash valve issue.  Make sure to inspect all of the valves and fittings for damage and repair or replace as needed.

There are 3 major types of filtration systems.  Here are general maintenance guidelines for each:

1. Sand Filter: This type should be backwashed whenever sand pressure rises 5-8 lbs. above normal.  The frequency depends of how heavily the pool is used.  A lightly used home pool may only need once each week.  Additionally, the sand should be changed every 3-5 years, again depending on use.
2. Cartridge Filter: Should be cleaned when pressure rises 5-8 lbs. above normal.  After safely removing filter, simply use a standard garden hose to spray out debris.  If the water alone does not remove embedded dirt and debris, it may be necessary to use specially formulated filter cleaner.  If this doesn’t work, you will need to replace the filter.
3. DE Filter: Backwash when pressure rises 5-8 lbs. above normal.  If this is needed more than every 3-4 weeks, then you may need to clean your filter.  Cleaning is needed generally twice during the season.  After backwashing, disassemble filter and all parts, clean with your garden hose, cleaner (as needed) or replace.

Maintaining your swimming pools’ filtration system is of utmost importance. Yes it can get messy and it’s not always fun, but by adhering to maintenance guidelines for cleaning and replacing filters, you can relax and enjoy your pool all season long.

Please visit Acepools.com, part of the Filters Fast family, for all of your swimming pool needs.