Filters Part 2: What's Inside Your Pool Filter
Part 2 of our filters series looks inside the tank. For Frisco and North Dallas pool owners, what is inside the filter explains why two pools on the same route can look so different: the media inside decides how fine a particle the water gives up before it comes back to the pool. In this video, Next Wave Pool Care opens both main filter types and explains the simple pressure rule that says when each one needs attention.
Open a cartridge filter and you will find pleated cartridges, like big paper accordions. Water flows through the pleats and the dirt stays trapped in the folds, catching bits as small as about 10 to 20 microns, barely anything you can see.
A DE filter works differently. Inside are tall grids coated in diatomaceous earth, a fine white powder, and the powder is the filter. It catches even finer material, down under 5 microns, which is why DE pools often look extra sparkly.
The 8 to 10 PSI Rule
How do you know when either one is dirty? Watch your pressure gauge. When it climbs 8 to 10 pounds above where it reads right after a cleaning, it is time. Cartridges come out and get hosed off. DE powder gets flushed out and replaced with a fresh coat.
And cartridges do not last forever. About three years is typical, and a worn out cartridge looks clean but lets dirt pass right through. Part 3 covers how to tell when a good cleaning is no longer enough.
Key Takeaways
A cartridge filter holds pleated cartridges that trap dirt in their folds, catching particles as small as about 10 to 20 microns.
A DE filter holds tall grids coated in diatomaceous earth powder, and the powder
itself is the filter, catching material down under 5 microns.
When the pressure gauge climbs 8 to 10 pounds above its reading right after a cleaning, it is time to clean: cartridges get hosed off, and DE powder gets flushed out and replaced with a fresh coat.
Cartridges last about three years on average, and a worn out cartridge can look clean while letting dirt pass right through.
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