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Pleatco: Bandless Spa Filters

How Pleatco Advanced Spa Filters have raised the bar

Achieving greater dirt-holding capacity, longer cycle times and better flow characteristics for spa cartridges were all key factors in the development of the Pleatco Advanced Spa cartridges, says Scott Gleason, vice president of business development for Pleatco in Glen Cove, New York. Created to function optimally in a hot water environment, he says the Advanced Spa filter line differs significantly from other spa filters on the market.

With the higher temperatures in spas, Pleatco wanted to develop filters that fit the needs of spas specifically and came up with a number of new features for its Advanced Spa cartridges. The filters are constructed of a large number of extremely fine fibers, which optimizes water flow, enhances dirt-holding capacity and lengthens filter life.

“The high water temperature [in spas] breaks down body oil and other organic contaminants very easily, thereby resulting in a challenge for filtration fabrics,” says Scott Bittner, senior vice president of sales for Pleatco. “The Pleatco Advanced fabric was carefully designed to function better in the hot water environment against oil and high bather load compared to other filtration fabrics.”

In addition, Gleason says the Energy Efficient Free Flow Core creates better use of the pleated filtration material and promotes greater flow through the cartridge as it becomes loaded with debris. Other spa filter cores are typically constructed of PVC pipe material with holes drilled in it; this gives the water access to about 18% of the filtration fabric. The Pleatco Advanced core has much larger open areas (50%) that allow more water to access the filtration fabric.

These advancements to the spa filtration system result in higher efficiency, less wear on the pump, lowered energy use, easier cleaning, money savings and reduced waste. Eric Cassidy, vice president of sales and operations at Valley Pool & Spa in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, has seen the benefits and his customers have too.

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“The Pleatco Advanced Spa Filter has been well received by our team and customers,” Cassidy says. “Most dealers undervalue the filter segment of retail sales and just think a filter is a filter. When you explain the difference between a Pleatco Advanced filter and some of the substandard options out there, customers just about always choose the Pleatco from us. The unique type of filtration material resonates with the sales staff and customers, and has the performance and longevity to back it up when in use.”

This year, Pleatco is taking the Advanced series a step further with the Pleatco Advanced ULTRA. Bittner says the ULTRA Spa cartridges are made with the company’s new patent-pending Pure Pleat technology, which has taken the Pleatco Advanced product to a whole new level of performance. “Stronger pleats, more efficient use of our Advanced Point Bond filter media and enhanced flow dynamics are all benefits of the Pure Pleat technology,” Bittner says.

By combining the best of their Advanced filters (the Energy Efficient Free Flow core and Advanced Point Bonded filtration media) with the new Pure Pleat advancement, Pleatco has created a filter with all the benefits of the original Advanced Spa cartridge, but with the added ability to capture even more dirt. As Gleason explains, ULTRA’s Pure Pleat technology “enhances pleat stability and, as the industry’s first bandless cartridge, opens the pleats to capture more dirt and maintain optimum flow.”

Gleason and Bittner see the Advanced ULTRA filter being a huge asset to spa owners. Installing an ULTRA cartridge means “longer run times between cleanings, better flow and less time cleaning the cartridge because Pleatco Advanced ULTRA releases the dirt easier and faster,” Bittner says. “Spa owners spend less time maintaining the cartridge and more time enjoying the spa.”

The Pleatco Advanced ULTRA is not available online but is available for purchase through authorized distributors, dealers, retailers and service professionals.

When it comes to winning fans with their advancements and commitment, Pleatco seems to be on the right track. “When we choose vendors for product categories, industry involvement and ease of doing business is always a conversation point and deciding factor,” Cassidy says. “Pleatco delivers on both of these fronts, as they are the only filter manufacturer that has the high-level involvement on bettering the industry.”