When you splash around in your swimming pool during the summer, you will leave behind a ton of debris that your filter will pick up from the water. Your pool filter plays a crucial role in keeping its water free of debris and impurities, soy you need to keep it clean and well maintained. When summer turns to fall, which will eventually give way to winter, your pool will lie dormant for some time. It is during this time (i.e., the cold months) when you should clean your pool filter.
Even if your pool is relatively new, you should still maintain your pool filter regularly. That will go a long way towards the upkeep of hygiene, chemical balance, and water circulation in your pool. Maintenance extends the lifespan of your pool filter, enabling it to perform well for a much longer period. As long as your pool filters are working, you can prevent more expensive health and pool issues from arising.
Pool owners in Florida use different types of filters. Before you start cleaning and maintaining your filter, you need to know what kind of filter your pool has so that you’ll know how to do the cleaning and maintenance correctly. Below is a list of commonly-used swimming pool filters in Florida.
- Cartridge Filter
Cartridge filters have two parts: the coarse cartridge frame and a finer mesh structure. The former traps larger pieces of debris, whereas the finer mesh structure collects smaller dirt and fluid impurities, such as suntan and shampoo. These two components work together to ensure that only clean water enters your pool. Cleaning a cartridge filter is pretty straightforward. You only have to remove the cartridge, place it near your house’s drainage, and use a pressure washer to hose the debris off. - Sand Filter
Unlike a cartridge filter, sand filters become more effective as they gather more debris. That’s because sand filters are designed to incorporate into the filtering mechanism itself the sediment they trap. The filtered water passes through while the sediment gets stuck and becomes part of the filtering element of the sand filter. The downside with sand filters is that the small sediment they trap can get stuck in the pool filter’s pore spaces, reducing water flow in between those gaps. Cleaning your sand filter this autumn will help keep the pore pressure at an acceptable level.
To clean this type of filter, you first have to shut down the pump that brings it water. Once the pump is closed, attach the filter’s backwash hose and set your pump lever settings to “backwash.” Once you turn on your pump again, it will expel the dirt it accumulated last summer. A separate pipe will drain the water containing the dirt. Then, turn the setting back to “rinse” before you shut the pump off for the winter. - Diatomaceous Earth (DE) filter
A diatomaceous earth (DE) filter also has a backwash setting, like a sand filter. But these types of filters are made of the remains of siliceous microscopic organisms called diatoms. Because of these diatoms’ size, they can trap finer sediment than what sand filters and cartridge filters can. The high filtering efficiency of DE filters makes them the most expensive option among all filters. This is why those who own a DE filter need to work to extend the lifespan of their filter. DE filters can also become clogged over time, which contributes to reduced water flow. Cleaning a DE filter is like cleaning a sand filter. All you need to do is to shut your pool’s pump, activate the backwash setting, and rinse.
If you are short on time before the winter starts and holidays roll in, then it is a wise choice to hire a professional to help maintain your pool and its filter.
Purple Heart Pools is a top-rated pool and spa maintenance company in Jacksonville, get in touch today to see how we can help.
