Maintaining and repairing your filtration system

• The pump: draws in and sends out the water.
• The filter (sand, cartridge or diatomaceous earth): traps particles.
• The 6-way valve: directs the flow for filtration, backwash, rinse, drain, recirculation, closed.
• The pressure gauge: shows the pressure, and so the filter's condition.

Good filtration means these 4 elements working together properly.

Do it as soon as the pressure rises 0.3 to 0.5 bar above the normal reading. In peak season, that's generally once a month.

• Turn off the pump.
• Set the valve to Backwash.
• Pump ON for 2 to 3 minutes.
• Pump OFF, valve to Rinse, pump ON for 30 seconds.
• Pump OFF, valve to Filtration, pump ON.

Note the new pressure: that's your new reference pressure.

A backwash clears out the big dirt but leaves oils, sun cream and limescale behind. Once a year (ideally in spring), it needs a chemical filter clean: degreasing product for cartridges, or a specific anti-limescale product for sand.

This is the step that restores original performance.

• Sand: every 4 to 5 years on average. Sooner if the water stays cloudy despite a recently washed filter.
• Cartridge: every 2 to 3 years. Watch for warping folds and fibres breaking apart.
• Diatomaceous earth: to be recharged after each backwash, depending on the model.

A sand change is carried out using the fixed labour rate for a filtration repair (€249), with the filter media quoted separately.

It's the part that wears out most quietly. Signs of a tired spider gasket:

• Sand coming back into the pool.
• Water flowing to waste even in Filtration position.
• A valve that becomes stiff to operate.

The spider gasket costs €15 to €30, but changing it means dismantling the valve. This is typically the moment to call a professional for a filtration repair.