Newbie with filter problem

Hi all, glad I found this place:) I just bought a 15x24 above ground pool and had it installed on 3/14... I have it up and running. The water is fine. My only problem is my filter isn't doing a good job filtering. I knew something was up when i slowly poured granular chemical in the skimmer and the pump blew most of it out into the pool. I have vac'ed the pool 3x only to have the bottom of the pool littered with dirt spots within an hour(the chems finally dissolved). The filter is a cartridge style . I have checked and cleaned the filter and it was a little dirty so i know its doing something. My question is how does the filter catch some of the dirt and not all of it?

The one thing i don't like about the set up is the pump is 3hp:eek: and the filter is only rated for 75 gpm. Could the pump cause blow by:confused:

I don't have much to offer but, yes, I have heard of the pump blowing debris THROUGH a filter but I think that only refers to a sand filter.....can't imagine that with a cartridge unless there's some damage.

The pump is HUGE if it's a true 3hp but, if you brought it as a set, I imagine it's actually smaller. Is it 220v? How many amps?

Some cartridge experts will probably be along soon to give you some help but I am a sand guy and can offer very little constructive help.:)

Dave S.

Sounds like the cartridge is either not seated properly or that there is a tear in it somewhere. Check between evey pleat. What is your pressure gauge reading? If it is very low there is a problem. Most of the cartridge filters I have seen ususally run in the neighborhood of about 15-25 psi when clean but then again I haven't seen that many of them. If the water is bypassing the cartridge somehow your pressure will be low.

3 hp on your size pool is like having a V-8 on a lawnmower! I personally will bet it's torn up your cartridge from being too big. Even if it's up-rated it's at least 2-2.5 hp and that is STILL far too big. Besides destroying your filter, it wastes electricity. I cannot imagine that that pump is matched to that filter.

I'd have them swap it for something smaller--a full-rated 3/4 or uprated 1 is PLENTY for your pool. In fact, I would think a full rated 1/2 horse would be the appropriate size for a 10,000 gallon pool, which I'm guessing yours is. Another good choice would be a 3/4 two speed pump. Both will save you a fortune on wasted electricity. Plus they'll run quieter.

Even the cruddy cartridge filter that my old 15'x3' EasySet donut used (with a 1/6hp pump) did far, FAR better than you are describing. Carts should filter better than sand, nearly as well as DE filters. Something is very, VERY wrong.

Go to Ben's PoolSolution.com and read the "bigger pump scam" article.

I agree with CarlD. I have an uprated 1.5 HP pump with my cartridge filtler which are both oversized for my 6600 gal pool and 300 gal spa but I have several water feature and the spa jets that need to be powered by it which is the reason my contractor went with them. I also have a sperartely plumed uprated 1 hp pump for the fiberoptics lighted water features (yeah, I just LOVE waterfalls and deck jets--call me a big kid!) that has an intake in the pool a bit below water level and an outlet that can be used for a pressure side cleaner instead of a booster pump just by turning the valve to shut off the water features and direct all the flow to the outlet. The point is my contractor oversized the filter to match the pump size I needed for the setup and it works like a dream.

Thanks guys. I am convinced that the pump is too large for the filter. I researched the pump on line , it is rated @ 160 gpm my filter is rated at 75gpm. My pool dealers response to this fact was "well we sold 100's of these without any problems". A rep is coming to look at it on Saturday(i hope). Although the filter is out matched it is catching most of the debris. What the filter can't catch looks like a fine "dirt/dust" that settles at the bottom of the pool in clumps here and there. I am thinking about trying to vac it again,accept this time I will have the filter discharge the sucked up water as apposed to recycle it. I am sure glad I put plenty of shut off valves :)