The life of your Filter Cartridge depends upon you the consumer. A dirty, worn-out filter will fail its job of trapping spa contaminants, and will put undue strain on your spa's pump motor and heater. After about 6 months to a year of use, the pores in the filter media become distorted and enlarged, and begin to lose filtration ability.

The best indications of a "soiled" filter cartridge in need of a cleaning are an increase in pressure within the cartridge's housing canister or a visible decrease in the systems water flow rate.

Spa filter cartridge's should be rinsed and cleaned every month. The filter cartridge should be cleansed of coarse dirt and debris by pressure washing inside and out with a garden hose and apply the stream at a 45 degree angle to make sure all foreign matter is dislodged by spraying between each pleat. Fine particles of dirt are more easily removed from the filter pleats when the cartridge is dry, after hosing the cartridge, allow the filter to dry and either CAREFULLY BRUSH, but do not scrub the pleated surface areas; or apply a stream of compressed air to the filters outer surface to remove fine particles.

Algae, suntan oil, and body oils can form a coating on the filter pleats, which may not be thoroughly removed by hosing. Such a film of algae and/or oils will rapidly clog up the filter's pores thereby greatly reducing filtration. Therefore it is imperative to remove such materials from the filter element as soon as possible. We recommend soaking the cartridge in a solution of commercially available filter element cleaner such as Leisure Time Filter Clean or Leisure Time Spa Instant Cartridge Cleaner to remove algae and/ or oils from the filter media. Follow the manufactures' directions for the proper use of such (surfactant, soap) - cleaning solutions. Allow one hour for soaking and then hose the cartridge thoroughly before re-installing in the filter housing. If clogging persist due to either algae or oils readjustment of water chemistry is necessary to combat the problem. Avoid laundry detergents and household cleaners - you may have a major foaming problem with your hot tub.

TIPS:

• We recommend that filters be replaced yearly.
• Use the rotation method of filter maintenance: while your dirty filter is soaking in cleaning solution, replace it with a clean dry spare.
• Never use a power washer to clean filter cartridges, the extreme pressure will damage the media.
• Never use household bleach to clean filters. Although bleach may seem to do an adequate job of cleaning, it degrades and weakens the fibers in the filter media, greatly decreasing their life.