How often should you clean a pool filter?

When the pressure says so: about 8 to 10 psi above the reading right after a clean. Write the clean pressure on the filter so you know. In summer, after storms or after an algae bloom, that comes around fast, often every week or two for a cartridge.

On our weekly pool service, the filter gets cleaned every visit.

Turn the pump off, open the air relief valve, pull the cartridge and hose it off between the pleats from the top down. Every few months, or after algae, soak it in a filter cleaner too. The steps are below.

No. A pressure washer tears the filter fabric and flattens the pleats, and a damaged cartridge lets dirt straight through. A garden hose with a spray nozzle is enough.

At the same 8 to 10 psi rise. Do not backwash on a schedule just to be safe. A sand filter actually traps finer dirt when it is a little dirty, and every backwash sends pool water out. Rinse after backwashing if your valve has a rinse setting.

Often a year or two with regular cleaning. Replace it when the fabric is torn or fraying, the end caps crack, the pleats collapse, or the pressure stays high right after a good cleaning.

Usually a dirty filter. Clean it first. If the pressure is still high on a clean filter, look for a partly closed valve on the return side or a clogged cartridge that needs replacing. Low pressure is the opposite problem: a clogged skimmer or pump basket, a low water level, or air getting into the pump.

In a Florida summer, long hours, and around the clock when you are clearing algae. Most pools do not need 24 hours a day otherwise, especially with a variable speed pump on low. See how long should a pool pump run in Florida, which also covers the energy side from ENERGY STAR.