Rinsing pool filter cartridges with a garden hose every few weeks keeps your pool clear, and the whole job takes about 30 minutes.
Dirty cartridges make your pump work harder, raise your energy bill, and leave the water looking dull. You don’t need special tools or a service call — a garden hose, a nozzle, and about half an hour are all it takes. Here’s the exact routine that works, straight from Pentair’s own filter manuals.
What You’ll Need Before Starting
Gather these items first so you can work without stopping. Most are already in your garage.
- Garden hose with a straight-flow nozzle (not a pressure washer)
- Screwdriver (to open the air relief valve)
- Clean, flat surface to lay the cartridge on
- Commercial filter cleaner or TSP (only for deep cleaning)
Step-by-Step: Rinsing Your Cartridge the Right Way
This routine clears away normal dirt and debris and keeps flow strong between deep cleans. Pentair’s owners manual lays out the basic process, which works for the Clean & Clear, Clean & Clear Plus, and Clean and Clear RP filter families.
- Turn the pump off at the breaker or the timer so there’s zero chance it starts while you work.
- Open the manual air relief valve on top of the filter housing with a screwdriver and wait for the hissing to stop. This releases trapped pressure.
- Remove the clamp ring or band that holds the housing together, then lift the top off and set it aside on a clean surface.
- Pull the cartridge element straight up and out of the housing. Slide it into a large trash bag for the trip to your rinsing area so you don’t drag debris across the yard.
- Spray the cartridge top to bottom with the straight-flow nozzle held at a 45-degree angle. Work between the pleats — that’s where the dirt actually hides. Wash from the top down so gravity pulls the grime off.
- Inspect as you rinse: look for tears, holes, collapsed pleats, or cracked end caps. If you spot damage, the cartridge needs replacing, not more washing.
- A commercial filter cleaner
- 1 cup of trisodium phosphate (TSP) per 5 gallons of water
- 1 cup of dishwasher detergent per 5 gallons of water
- Pentair. “Clean & Clear Cartridge Filter Owners Manual.” Details the standard rinse procedure and cartridge removal steps.
That’s the full rinse. Put the cartridge back, clean and lubricate the lid O-ring with a silicone-based lubricant, and reassemble the housing.
Deep Cleaning: When Water Alone Won’t Cut It
Smell or grease on the cartridge means the rinse routine isn’t enough — oils and scale cling to polyester media no matter how hard you spray. You’ll know it’s time when the filter pressure climbs even after a thorough rinse.
Pentair’s cleaning guide recommends soaking the cartridge for at least one hour in one of three solutions:
After the soak, rinse the cartridge thoroughly with the hose and let it dry completely before reinstalling.
What NOT to Do When Cleaning
One mistake ruins cartridges fast: using a pressure washer. Stick with the garden hose. If you’re weighing whether to repair or replace your current setup, our tested roundup of the best cartridge filters for above ground pools compares the top models side by side.