Is Your Pool Filter Working Hard or Hardly Working?

You spend a lot of money on chemicals, electricity, and water to keep your pool looking great. But if your filter is dirty, all that effort is going to waste. In Cedar Park, a clean filter is the difference between a crystal-clear oasis and a cloudy, uninviting pond.

Many homeowners think that hosing off their filter cartridges every now and then is enough. While that helps, it doesn't come close to a professional deep cleaning. At Centex Pool Repair, we see the results of neglected filters every day—and it usually leads to much more expensive filter repairs down the road.

Signs Your Filter is Overdue for a Cleaning

Your pool filter is a silent worker. It doesn't usually make a noise when it's struggling, so you have to look for the physical signs:

• The "Dull" Water Look: If your water isn't "sparkling" even though your chemicals are balanced, the filter isn't catching the tiny particles.
• High Pressure Gauge: Check the gauge on top of your filter tank. If it is 8-10 PSI higher than the "clean" pressure (the pressure it showed right after its last cleaning), it is clogged and restricted.
• Poor Circulation: If the water coming out of your return jets feels weak, or if your pool cleaner (like a Polaris) is moving slowly, the filter is likely the bottleneck.
• Algae Outbreaks: If you keep getting algae even with high chlorine levels, it's because the filter is full of organic matter that acts as a breeding ground for spores.

Why Cedar Park Water is Different

Cedar Park water, like much of Central Texas, is high in calcium. Over time, this calcium doesn't just stay in the water—it embeds itself into the fabric of your filter cartridges or the pores of your DE grids.

When calcium builds up, it "calcifies" the filter media, making it hard like a rock. A simple garden hose won't wash that away. We use professional-grade degreasers and acid-based cleaners (when appropriate) to dissolve these mineral deposits and restore your filter's flow.

Why DIY Hosing Isn't Enough

Hosing off a cartridge removes the big stuff—leaves, hair, and bugs. But the stuff that actually makes your water cloudy is microscopic: body oils, sunscreens, lotions, and fine dust.

These oils create a "biofilm" on the filter. Water can't pass through oil. If you don't use a professional degreaser to break down that film, you are only cleaning about 30% of the surface area of your filter. A professional cleaning involves a complete teardown of the tank, a chemical soak, and a high-pressure (but safe) detailed wash of every pleat and grid.

How Often Should You Schedule a Cleaning?

In Cedar Park, we recommend a professional filter cleaning every 4 to 6 months.

• Spring Cleaning: Essential to clear out the winter gunk and pollen before the heavy summer use begins.
• Mid-Summer/Fall Cleaning: After months of sunscreen, heavy bather loads, and summer dust, your filter is usually packed by September.

If you have a lot of trees (especially oaks or pecans) or if you have dogs that swim in the pool, you might need it every 3 months. Dog hair and dander are incredibly tough on pool filters!

What Does it Cost?

A professional filter cleaning service in Cedar Park typically ranges from $150 to $300, depending on the type and size of your filter.

• Cartridge Filters: Usually the most affordable to clean. Includes removing all 4 cartridges, degreasing, and cleaning the tank.
• DE (Diatomaceous Earth) Filters: More labor-intensive. Requires a full teardown, cleaning every individual grid, inspecting for tears, and recharging with fresh DE powder.
• Sand Filters: These don't get "cleaned" in the same way, but the sand needs to be replaced every 3-5 years. We offer sand changes as well.

Book Your Cedar Park Filter Cleaning

Don't wait until your water turns green to think about your filter. Let Centex Pool Repair take the dirty work off your hands. Our technicians will come out, perform a full filter service, and give your equipment a 10-point safety inspection while we are there.

Clear water is just a phone call away. We serve all neighborhoods in Cedar Park, from Twin Creeks to Buttercup Creek and beyond.