Intex Pool Filter Cartidge Keeping Your Water Clean, Or Maybe Not
Written: Jul 26 '09 (Updated Jul 26 '09)
Product Rating:
Pros: Inexpensive and that's about it
Cons: Terrible at removing fine particles, no alternative filter cartridges available.
The Bottom Line: Even though this product is fairly inexpensive, it doesn't do a very good job. There is no alternative filter so we are stuck with these.
hddan's Full Review: Intex Type A Pool Filter Cartridge Model # 59900
If you have a larger sized above ground inflatable ring type of pool, chances are that the Intex Type A Pool Filter Cartridge model # 59900 just may be the replacement filter that you need.
This type A pool filter cartridge is 8 inches tall and 4 1/2 inches in diameter. It really consists of nothing more than folded paper material and plastic. The paper is the part that does the filtering while the plastic is there to allow the filter to maintain its shape. The paper itself reminds me of the same stuff that coffee filters are made from.
This cartridge is designed to fit pool filter pump model numbers 02, 03R, 603, 604, 12R, 22R, 637, 637R, 638, 638R, 635 and 636. I believe that this is the largest sized filter cartridge that Intex makes, so when I am at the store buying a replacement or two it's easy to remember to just by the biggest filter cartridge that is available. I usually see them selling for anywhere from $5.00 to $8.00 each.
The cartridge is obviously designed to filter out dirt from your pool water as your pool pump forces water to flow through the filter cartridge. My experience has been that it really doesn't do all that good of a job. While this filter will easily remove larger particles from your water, it does a terrible job at removing fine particles of dirt. It is very easy to notice that when I am vacuuming the bottom of my pool that the filtered water that is returning to the pool is nothing more than a brown cloud of dirt that the filter cartridge failed in removing from the pool water. It seems that it only removes about 50% of what I have vacuumed up from my pool.
The problem here is that there is no alternative cartridge that you can use, if this is the one you need, you just have to learn to live with a filter that doesn't properly do its job.
It is suggested that you replace these filters after every 1 to 2 weeks of use, but I find that this isn't very cost effective. Instead of replacing the cartridges I simply remove it and hose it off with my garden hose and is almost as good as new again. I have actually only been using 2 filters per summer and the money I save on buying new cartridges easily pays for the rest of my pool chemicals that I need throughout the summer.
When all is said and done I think that this product should somehow be redesigned to work a little better. I would be willing to pay if little bit extra if it would do a better job, but for now I guess I'm just stuck having to use a product that just doesn't work very well.
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