Choosing The Right Replacement Filter Cartridge With Scott Gleason and Kevin Stewart from Pentair Pool

In this episode of the Pool Magazine Podcast, host Joe Trusty is joined by Scott Gleason and Kevin Stewart from Pentair Pool to discuss the importance of choosing the right filter cartridge replacement. The conversation dives into how Pleatco’s advanced filter cartridges can help pool professionals streamline maintenance, simplify inventory management, and reduce overall operational costs. Scott and Kevin also highlight the benefits of cartridge filtration over sand filtration systems, offering insights into efficiency, water clarity, and sustainability. Tune in for expert tips on optimizing pool care with the right filtration solutions.

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Transcript

[00:00:01.420] - Joe Trusty - Pool Magazine

Thanks for joining us on another episode of Pool magazine podcast. I'm your host, Joe Trustee, and today we're joined by Scott Gleason and Kevin Steward from Pentair Pool to discuss Pleatco's line of products. Scott Gleason is key account representative at Pentair Pool and the National Sales Manager for Pleatco business, and Kevin Steward is the aftermarket product manager at Pentair Pool. Pentair Pool helps the world safely and sustainably move, improve, and enjoy water, life's most essential resource. Pleatco is a trusted industry leader for filter replacement cartridges and cleaning products, helping pool owners enjoy clearer water and through it, peace of mind. It's a pleasure to have you both with us today on the show.

[00:00:42.800] - Kevin Stewart

Yeah, thanks for having us, Joe.

[00:00:44.430] - Scott Gleason

Yeah, Thanks for having us.

[00:00:46.310] - Joe Trusty - Pool Magazine

I figured a great way to dive into today's discussion would maybe be to have both of you explain how choosing the right replacement filter cartridge can help pool pros streamline their maintenance schedule.

[00:00:59.570] - Scott Gleason

Sure. There are some significant benefits that come with choosing the right replacement filter cartridge for your service offering. Time is a big one when looking to streamlining maintenance schedules. We understand pool cartridges can be time-intensive, especially when it comes to opening the pool for filter cartridge cleaning or having to perform an unscheduled visit due to filtration-related concerns. Pleatco has a solution to help you with that. Our cartridges are built with the Pleatco advanced point bonded filtration fabric, free flow cores, and in our ultra-line, the pure plate technology to maximize performance and customer satisfaction with minimal effort.

[00:01:42.340] - Joe Trusty - Pool Magazine

Can you maybe provide some specific examples of time-saving benefits that service providers can perhaps experience by using the appropriate replacement filter cartridge?

[00:01:52.020] - Scott Gleason

Well, yeah, I'm going to go back to the features of our cartridge. When combined, these three features work in harmony to achieve greater dirt capturing ability and evenly distributed dirt loading across the filter cartridge. This increases the time it takes for flow resistance to build across our cartridges and reach the differential pressure in the pool filter that indicates the need to clean it. In other words, the right filter cartridge means less frequent and quicker service events, especially when cartilage cleaning is needed.

[00:02:24.650] - Joe Trusty - Pool Magazine

Thanks for that. How does the selection and standardization of replacement filter cartridges typically contribute to simplifying inventory management processes?

[00:02:35.610] - Kevin Stewart

Yeah. By standardizing cartridges and simplifying inventory management, it minimizes the need for pool professionals to stock multiple brands of replacement filters, ultimately saving time and money. Our innovative replacement cartridges are designed to offer you versatility and convenience by fitting into filters from most of the major pool brands and manufacturers. Whether you primarily We're primarily serviced Jandy, Hayward, Pentaer, or Waterway filters, we have you covered to meet the varied equipment setups of your customers. For those of you who also offer spa services, we carry cartridges for many of the major spa brands as well. I would like to specifically point out our Pleatco advanced ultra-line here, which has been optimized to fit a broader range of filters, in many cases combining multiple of our advanced cartridges into one. You can find some more details on our website and the Pleatco Ultra Universal Fit Guide for those.

[00:03:35.030] - Joe Trusty - Pool Magazine

Well, thanks for that, Kevin. I mean, in what ways can selecting the correct replacement filter cartridge help in reducing overall operation costs for service pros? I mean, can you elaborate on any of those cost-saving measures or insights that arise from using the right filter cartridge in service?

[00:03:54.170] - Scott Gleason

Well, yeah. I mean, there's a customer base out there that is simply looking for the cheapest solution when really it might not be the right choice as quality contribute to pay for itself. Lower quality alternatives may require more frequent service calls or filter cleanings, which means pool owners spend more time waiting for a pool pro to come out and less time enjoying their pool. By introducing them to the right filter cartridge, you can ensure your customers are enough to provide repeat business, share positive reviews, and make referrals. All important. They love their cleaner, clearer water, so it's an easy boost for your business.

[00:04:45.470] - Joe Trusty - Pool Magazine

That's a smart idea. I mean, what features should service pros be looking for in a replacement cartridge to extend their cleaning cycle?

[00:04:52.940] - Kevin Stewart

I think first and foremost would be an efficient quality media that can be easily rinsed and reused. At Pleatco, we use a point bonded filter fabric that's made up of finer fibers when you compare it to our competition. They're bonded together in a uniform specific pattern with the purpose of delivering stability, greater dirt capturing and easier rinsing. I would also say a sturdy open flow core design in the center of your cartridge to complement that media is pretty important. We have a free flow design that utilizes rectangular openings versus circular ones. So we've maximized the space for water to move through more of the fabric and reduce operating pressures on the pool pad system. And then our ultra-line has pure plate technology which ensures our cartridge pleats are evenly spaced and avoid bunching. This allows for an evenly distributed dirt loading process across the filter cartridge, and it also keeps the pleats open for a quick and easy cleaning process when spraying them down. So with these features working together, your customers will enjoy water clarity that a lot of people have come to expect, and you can enjoy extended times between cleanings. And when you do have to service the pool filter, you can expect cartilage cleaning to be a lot faster.

[00:06:18.500] - Joe Trusty - Pool Magazine

How do those cartridges contribute to reducing the maintenance time and accommodating a busier service schedule? We all know pool pours are really busy right now.

[00:06:28.430] - Scott Gleason

Yes, extremely really busy, especially this time of year. With that, making a special trip to a customer's backyard to address a filtration concern or performing a filter clean can feel tedious, especially this time of year, like you said, Joe. I wouldn't want anyone to skimp on quality. Choosing a filter cartridge known for excellent dirt capture and stability is It's very important. It can save a lot of time, especially this time of year. After all, low-quality alternatives may require those more frequent cleanings, service calls or replacements, which means more frequent calls for you, the service tech. Features like your plate technology in our ultra-align help prevent bunching and make rinsing very, very quick and easy, almost a breeze. So you can make those cleaning calls as simple as removing, rinsing, replacing, and you're off to the next call.

[00:07:42.130] - Joe Trusty - Pool Magazine

What do you guys feel are the key advantages of replacing maybe a sand filtration system with a cartridge filtration system for efficiency and filtration quality's sake?

[00:07:55.610] - Kevin Stewart

Yeah, that's a good question, and we get it a lot. Cartridge filtration continues needs to be the most common across the entire industry, but we know the types of filtration systems used can have some regionality to them. So while there's many reasons to switch, a couple that we believe are the most valuable would be, first off, water clarity. Cartridge filtration allows the pool owner to achieve better water clarity through the point bonded media we spoke about so much today. It allows you to filter particles out of the water that are nearly twice or two times smaller when compared to a sand filtration system. Cartrijs also typically provide more square footage of media to filter the water through versus sand media. So this would allow you to extend your cleaning cycle, potentially going months between cleanings with cartridges, where backwashing can be required as frequently as a weekly basis. And then because Kartrijs filtration eliminates that need to backwash, whenever you backwash, you lose chlorinated or chemically treated water, and you need to replace that and retreat it. By eliminating this, it's a positive as the availability of water continues to come at a premium, especially in areas with water conservation efforts.

[00:09:14.110] - Joe Trusty - Pool Magazine

Well, thanks for that. You made some great points there, Kevin. Are there specific scenarios or pool types where a cartridge filtration is particularly advantageous over, say, your traditional sand filter?

[00:09:27.400] - Scott Gleason

Oh, yes, absolutely. Aside from wanting the benefits that we've talked about, cartridge filters are often recommended in residential settings with space constraints on filter size, in saltwater or low usage pool applications, and also in regions with water conservation concerns. That's a big one these days. We need to protect our water, so having a A filtration option that conserves more water than others is very important.

[00:10:09.400] - Joe Trusty - Pool Magazine

That's a good point. It's definitely a hot topic issue right now there, Scott. What are some essential safety measures that you guys feel service pros should follow when handling a replacement, cleaning a filter cartridges?

[00:10:23.110] - Kevin Stewart

Yeah. So safety is essential and very important to us. I think the best place to look would be in the... Sorry, I'm going to start over. Safety is essential to us and very important at Pantera. You can find safety information on your filters and other pool products that you're working with in the installation and user guides provided by the manufacturer. With any product, I think it's important to note that you should check the warning labels before using it, as these labels typically highlight anything you need to be made aware of, from steps you can take to reduce risk risks to possible operational errors that you can avoid. Any additional resources that I would recommend would probably be found at our Self Health Filter Safety Hub, which is located at pentair. Com for /poolfiltersafety.

[00:11:18.270] - Joe Trusty - Pool Magazine

Kevin, Scott, thanks so much for stopping by and sharing your expertise with us today on the show. Really appreciate having you on.

[00:11:25.290] - Kevin Stewart

Yeah, thanks.

[00:11:26.090] - Scott Gleason

Thanks again. Yeah. Thank you very much for having us on. We greatly appreciate it, too.

[00:11:30.370] - Joe Trusty - Pool Magazine

As an industry leader in spa space, Pentair Pool is driven to help people safely and sustainably enjoy water. Their solutions include industry-leading pumps, automation, lighting, heating, and filtration technology that helps customers enjoy a smarter and more sustainable pool. Pleatco compliments Pentair's innovative product solutions with quality and cutting-edge pool and spa filtration technology. For more information, visit www.pentair.com/pleatco. Thanks again. Scott Gleason and Kevin Stewart for joining us. We'll catch you next time on another episode of Pool magazine podcast.