ServicesFilter Cleaning
Pool Filter Cleaning in Coolidge
Your filter does the heavy lifting for clear water. When it clogs, the pump strains and the water goes dull. We open the tank, clean the cartridge, grids or sand the way that material needs, and check the parts while it is apart.
What a filter cleaning does for your pool
Every pool filter holds dirt until it can't. Then the pressure gauge climbs, flow drops and the water stops getting clean, no matter how much chlorine goes in. A proper cleaning takes the filter apart and gets the packed-in dirt, oils and scale out of the media.
How we clean it depends on what is inside. Cartridge, DE and sand filters are built from different materials, and each one fails in its own way. A cartridge needs its pleats rinsed and sometimes soaked. DE grids need to be pulled, rinsed and recharged with fresh powder. Sand needs more than a backwash once it starts to clump.
Desert dust and hard water load filters faster than most people expect, especially after a monsoon storm blows debris into the pool. A clean filter lets your pump run easier and your chemicals go further.
What we do on a filter cleaning
Cartridge filters
We pull each cartridge and hose the pleats from top to bottom, working between every fold. If the fabric is greasy from sunscreen or stiff with calcium, we soak it in a degreaser or a mild acid bath before rinsing. Polyester pleats hold up well, but they lose shape and tear with age, and we will tell you when one is done.
DE filters
We take out the grid assembly, rinse every grid and check the fabric for rips and the manifold for cracks. A torn grid sends powder straight back into the pool. After reassembly we add the right amount of fresh DE for your filter size. We don't rinse used DE into the street.
Sand filters
Backwashing clears the top layer, but sand can harden into clumps and let water channel through. We open the tank, check how the sand looks and feels, and break up or treat it as needed. Old, rounded sand stops trapping fine dirt, so we let you know if it is time to replace the media.
O-rings, gauge and valves
We clean and lube the tank O-ring so it seals and opens easily next time. We check the pressure gauge and air relief valve, since a stuck gauge hides problems.
Clean pressure reading
Once the filter is back together and running, we write down the clean starting pressure. That number tells you and us when the next cleaning is due.
Signs your filter needs cleaning
Pressure is up
Most filters need a cleaning when the gauge reads about 8 to 10 psi above its clean reading. If you don't know your clean number, that is reason enough to have it checked.
Weak return flow
The jets push less water and the skimmer barely pulls. A clogged filter is a common cause.
Cloudy water that won't clear
Chemistry looks right but the water stays hazy. The filter may be too full to catch fine particles, or a DE grid may be torn.
DE or sand in the pool
A puff of powder at the returns or sand on the floor points to a torn grid, a cracked lateral or a bad internal part.
Pump running hot or loud
A pump that works against a clogged filter runs harder and wears faster.
How the visit goes
- 1
Shut down and relieve pressure
We turn off the pump, close valves where needed and bleed the air from the tank before opening it. That keeps the lid and clamp from coming off under pressure.
- 2
Open and inspect
We remove the media and look it over before cleaning. If a cartridge is torn or a grid is split, we show you before we go further.
- 3
Clean the media
We rinse, soak or treat the cartridge, grids or sand based on what we found. Heavy calcium or oil gets a soak, not just a hose.
- 4
Reassemble and restart
We clean the tank, lube the O-ring, put it all back together and run the system. We check for leaks at the clamp and fittings and record the new pressure.
What sets the price
There is no single price for filter cleaning because filters are not all the same. The type, size and condition of your filter matter most. We look at your setup and give you the price before we start.
- Filter type
- A single cartridge is quicker than a DE grid assembly, which has to be broken down, inspected and recharged. Opening a sand tank to check the media is its own job.
- Size and number of elements
- Large cartridge filters with four elements take longer than one-cartridge units.
- Condition of the media
- Heavy oils or calcium scale call for a soak. Clumped sand takes more work to break up.
- Worn parts
- If a cartridge, grid, O-ring or gauge needs replacing, that part adds to the cost. We tell you first and you decide.
Filter cleaning questions
Something not covered here? (520) 462-9055
How often should my filter be cleaned?
Go by the pressure gauge more than the calendar. Around here, dust and hard water mean many cartridge and DE filters need a full cleaning a few times a year. Sand filters get backwashed often and opened up less. After a dust storm or a heavy pool season, check the gauge sooner.
Can't I just hose off my cartridge myself?
A quick hose-off helps between cleanings. It won't remove oils or calcium buried in the pleats, though, and those cut flow even when the cartridge looks clean. A soak every so often makes a real difference.
Which filter material is best?
Each has trade-offs. Cartridges filter finer than sand and use no backwash water, but need hand cleaning. DE filters catch the finest dirt but take the most care. Sand is simple and forgiving but lets more fine dirt through. If you are thinking about switching, our equipment installation page covers that.
Will you tell me if I need a new cartridge?
Yes. If the pleats are flattened, frayed or torn, or the end caps are cracked, cleaning won't bring it back. We show you what we see and you decide.
My water is green. Is a filter cleaning enough?
Usually not by itself. A green pool needs chemistry and a lot of filtering, and a filter gets cleaned several times along the way. That work is part of our green to clean recovery service.
Get your filter running clean again
Tell us what kind of filter you have and what the gauge reads. We will explain what it needs and give you a price before any work starts.