What repercussions occur from neglecting a pool cartridge filter and what can it cause to my pool and the swimmers in the pool?

We all know that a dirty filter can cause some minor inconveniences, like the pool cleaner doesn’t run as well, or the waterfall doesn’t shoot out as far, but did you  know that there are several other issues that can be caused by a bad filter that causes poor circulation and cleaning?

One of the most unsightly issues that come from a bad filter is a green pool. The pool filter is designed to remove impurities and dirt from the water, but when your filter is clogged with suntan oil and dirt it allows the contaminates to pass right on around the pleats in the filter and back into the pool. This means that even though you have placed a lot of chlorine in the pool, the algae is just coming right back in and over time it will settle to the bottom and cause your chlorine to work overtime to not only kill the new algae but work to fight the old algae as well. This will deplete your chlorine and allow an algae bloom.

When I am cleaning pools in Jacksonville Florida I try my best to save my customers money without causing the headache of a pool they can’t use. In the grand scheme of things a new filter is a drop in the bucket next to having to move your child’s birthday party to adventure landing because the pool turned green the day before the party!

The good news is there are several preventative steps to keeping your filter in top condition for a long time!One way is to regularly clean your filter. Depending on your filter size and pool usage you should clean your pool 1 to 2 times a month. If you are cleaning your filter more than that, you either have an undersized filter, or a bad pool filter that needs to be replaced.

Another thing you can do to extend the life of your filter is to use a filter cleaning agent like Natural Chemistry’s Filter Perfect, or you can purchase some Dawn dish soap from the dollar store and dilute it in water and use that…it “cuts through the grease”. If the filter cleaner doesn’t work you can try an acid and water solution. I try to never go more than a 50/50 mixture and the older the filter the more you should dilute the mixture.

So whether you are performing your own swimming pool maintenance or you have have a service (we have a great pool cleaning service in Jacksonville Florida), you need to pay close attention to your filter, it can keep your pool crystal clear if you take the time to do things right!

Here is a great article …5 Signs You Need to Replace Your Filter Cartridge