When Is It Better To Run Pool Filter Without Cartridge?

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Can I Run Pool Filter Without Cartridge?

Do you have a cartridge pool filter? What happens to the pool while you are cleaning the cartridge? Can you run the pool filter without a cartridge?

Yes. You can run pool filter without cartridge. Sometimes the process of cleaning the cartridge will take 24 hours or more. It is a lot better to run pool filter without cartridge than not run it at all.

The pump & filter of a pool are parts of the filtration system. The pump is like the heart and the filter like kidneys of a human circulatory system. 

Together they perform two important functions. Filtration and Circulation. There is no reason to stop the circulation if the filtration function is temporarily disabled. 

You will at least ensure that chlorine is reaching all parts of the pool. The pool will remain sanitized & disinfected. The circulation of pool chemicals such as algaecides, clarifiers and flocculants will help keep the pool clear.

So it is better to run pool filter without cartridge than not run it at all.

When Is It Better To Run Pool Filter Without Cartridge?

It is certainly not advisable to run pool filter without a cartridge for several days. Your pool will progressively become cloudier. Swimming will become unpleasant, even unsafe.

Never swim in a pool where you can not see the pool bottom. It is hazardous and increases drowning risks!

However, it is better to run pool filter without cartridge on following occasions:

While Cleaning the Cartridge

The cartridge needs to be cleaned whenever the pressure gauge reading exceeds 10 psi. 

The cartridge filter element can be cleaned by washing inside and out with a garden hose. (The cartridge is easier to clean when dry.) After hosing the cartridge, for best results, allow the cartridge to dry and carefully brush pleated surface areas to remove fine particles. Do not pressure wash as it can damage the filter element. 

Source: Hayward Owners Manual

The cleaning process can take some time, especially if you soak the element in a solution of filter element cleaner to remove materials such as suntan and body oils from the cartridge pleats.

The pool filter cartridge can also turn blue due to copper deposits.

While Waiting for a New Cartridge

The effectiveness of a filter cartridge drops with time. One day you will realize that cleaning the cartridge is not helping. The pressure gauge reading still remains high. It is time to replace the cartridge filter.

It is always a great idea to have a spare cartridge in stock. But there are times you do not have one. It happens to the best of us.

Getting a new cartridge may take a while. What do you do while you are waiting? It is better to run pool filter without cartridge. 

While Shocking the Pool to get Rid of Algae Bloom

What do you do when your pool is attacked by an “algae bloom” and has gone green. The only solution is to shock your pool, sometimes repeatedly for a few days, till you kill all the algae.

In this period you want circulation so that the shock can be broadcast throughout the pool. But you do not want filtration. The cartridge will get inundated with algae and will need to be cleaned, every now and then.

It is better to kill all the algae, sink them to the pool floor using a flocculant and then vacuum the debris to waste.

This is rather easy in the case of a sand or DE filter, as they have a multiport valve (MPV) with Recirculate and Waste positions. Both these settings let you bypass the filter media.

A Cartridge Pool Filter does not have a multiport valve (MPV). The workaround, in my opinion, is to take out the cartridge. You can then bypass the filter and achieve the equivalent of recirculate and waste functions.

The same method can also be used if your pool ends up with an unusually high amount of debris, say after a storm.

Recommended Cartridge Pool Filter and Pool Pump

Best Cartridge Pool Filter

The Hayward Star Cartridge Filter uses a convenient reusable polyester pool filter cartridge with a filter area of 120 square feet. It has heavy duty dirt-holding capacity for extra-long filtration cycles. Simply remove the filter cartridge & rinse with a garden hose when it becomes dirty. 

Durable filter tank is constructed of perma-glass XL, a glass reinforced copolymer, for ultimate strength, durability & long life. 

The Hayward Star Cartridge Filter includes Pressure indicator Gauge, manual air relief valve & convenient single lock knob to secure the filter tank.

Hayward W3C12002 StarClear Plus Cartridge Pool Filter, 120 Sq. Ft.

Best Pool Pump

The Hayward Super Pump large-capacity, technologically advanced pump blends cost-efficient design with durable construction, setting the standard for excellence and value. 

Super-sized 110 cubic-inch basket has extra leaf-holding capacity and extends time between cleanings. Rigid construction with load extender ribbing assures free flowing operation for heavy debris loads.

The Hayward Super Pump features a large see-through strainer cover, a super-size debris basket, and an exclusive service-ease design for extra convenience.

Hayward W3SP2610X15 Super Pump Pool Pump, 1.5 HP

Thank you very much for reading the post. I do hope you found it informative and helpful.