A dirty filter is the most common reason a pool looks dull when the chlorine reads fine. The filter catches dust, pollen, sunscreen, and tiny bits of algae. Once it’s packed full, that dirt stays in the water. We clean, repair, and replace cartridge, DE, and sand filters for homes and businesses across the Phoenix area. Call (623) 526-4945 to set up a filter clean or a repair visit.

Which Filter Do You Have?

Most pools in the Valley use one of three types. Each one gets cleaned a different way.

Cartridge filters are the most common type we see here. Water passes through pleated cartridges that trap dirt. To clean them, we take the filter apart, pull the cartridges, and hose every pleat clean. Cartridges wear out over time and need to be replaced when the fabric gets thin or the pleats start to tear.

DE filters use a white powder called diatomaceous earth that coats a set of grids inside the tank. DE catches the smallest dirt of the three. A full clean means taking out the grids, washing them, checking for rips, and adding fresh DE powder.

Sand filters push water down through a bed of special filter sand. You clean them by backwashing, which runs water backward to flush dirt out. Over the years the sand gets worn smooth and stops catching dirt as well, so it needs to be changed.

Not sure which one is on your pad? We’ll tell you on the first visit and show you how it works. We call that pool school, and it’s part of how we do things.

How Often Should It Be Cleaned?

In Phoenix, a cartridge or DE filter usually needs a full clean every few months. That changes with the seasons. Monsoon storms and dust storms can load a filter in a single afternoon, and a pool full of swimmers in July collects a lot of sunscreen and oils. Big trees near the pool add to it too.

The best guide is your pressure gauge. Write down the reading right after a clean. When it climbs about 8 to 10 PSI above that number, the filter is getting full.

When It’s a Repair, Not a Cleaning

Sometimes cleaning won’t fix it. These are signs a part has failed:

• Sand or DE powder blowing back into the pool
• Water leaking from the band clamp or tank seam
• A pressure gauge that’s stuck, broken, or reading zero
• A cracked tank or lid
• A multiport valve that leaks or won’t turn
• Pressure that jumps right back up after a clean

We fix these in-house. That includes swapping torn grids, worn cartridges, broken laterals in sand filters, O-rings, gauges, and valves. If the tank itself is cracked or the filter is too small for your pool, we’ll talk about a new one. We work on Pentair, Hayward, and Jandy filters, plus most other brands.

What a Clean Filter Does for the Rest of the Pool

A clogged filter makes the pump work harder, which wears out the motor sooner. It also cuts water flow, and low flow can keep a heater or salt cell from turning on. So a filter problem can look like a pump problem or a heater problem until someone checks. And when a pool turns cloudy, people often add more chlorine. Many times the real fix is a clean filter.

Questions We Hear

Can I just backwash my cartridge filter?

No. Cartridge filters don’t backwash. The cartridges have to come out and get hosed off. DE and sand filters can be backwashed between full cleanings.

Should I clean the filter myself?

You can, and plenty of people do. Turn off the pump and let the pressure out before you open anything. If you’d rather not deal with it, filter cleans are on our service price list, and weekly customers get the filter checked every visit.

My water is cloudy even though the chemicals are right. Is it the filter?

Often, yes. Cloudy water with good chlorine and pH usually means the filter isn’t catching the fine stuff. Our chemical balancing techs check both sides before guessing.

How long do filter cartridges last?

It depends on how big they are and how dirty your pool gets. In a lot of Valley pools, cartridges last a couple of years before the fabric wears thin. Hard water can leave a crusty scale on the pleats that hosing won’t remove. When that happens, a soak in a cartridge cleaner can help, but worn cartridges just need to be replaced.

Is a bigger filter better?

Up to a point. A filter that’s too small for the pool fills up fast and needs cleaning all the time. We match the filter to your pool size and pump so it can run longer between cleanings.

Book a Filter Clean or Repair

Call (623) 526-4945 or fill out our service request. We’ll get back to you and get a tech scheduled.

NextGen Pool Care is a licensed, bonded, and fully insured Arizona pool company. ROC #356379.