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Being the first of the month, I changed The Moss™ in my pool, removed the four paper filters that were
loaded with cottonwood seeds – removed the four filters that were soaking in Breakaway^® and a little bleach for the past month – rinsed off the Breakaway^® and inserted them in the filter body. The dirty
filters went in the plastic garbage can filled with water, half a bottle of Breakaway^® and a cup of bleach.

As I rinsed the filters I remembered that these are now three years old and in great shape. Before I discovered Breakaway^®, my spa filters lasted a year at best. I had two, would remove the dirty one and rinse it off, replace it with the “cleaner” dry one, set the one I just removed next to the spa.

These filters aren’t cheap.

As I learned more about the biology of organic contamination and had practical experience flushing spas with Breakaway^®, I learned that as soon as the removed organic contamination dries it is almost impossible to remove. If I kept it wet it was easier to remove. Then, in a moment of inspiration, I looked at the dried spa filter and understood why they only lasted a year. I was promoting the build up of organic contamination every time I let it dry out. The dried organic contamination plugged the pores in the paper decreasing its effectiveness as a filter. That’s when I decided to never let the filter dry out and use Breakaway^® to soak the dirty filter so the organic contamination would loosen and be removed when I rinsed it before its next use.

My spa filters in my two-person spa at the farm are over five years old and still going strong.

At a pool and spa show we had a booth across from a filter company. During a lull in the afternoon, I talked to their sales rep and told him about my experience. I asked him if keeping the filters wet did any damage. He smiled and said “no” but don’t tell anyone. We want them to dry out so they have to be replaced.

In the winter, I store all my pool filters in the pool with Winter Moss™. They are ready in the spring to go to work along with my PoolMoss^® to provide another summer of perfect water.