How do you wash filter socks?

[ralphie16]

People write that they toss them into the washing machine with bleach. But doesn't the plastic ring break in the washing machine or worse yet damage the machine? Do you put it on gentle cycle? Hot or cold water? Anything else I need to know?

 

[snulma1]

I wait till I get about 3-4 of them and then wash them all at once, but I don't use bleach. I turn them inside out, throw them in a normal cycle with nothing but hot water and set it for an extra rinse. Then just let them dry.........Voila good as new!

 

[michaeljames]

I use bleach on mine, just regular cheapo bleach then do the double rinse cycle after that i always rinse them with RO/DI water right before I go to use them

 

[Craig Lambert]

I do the same as snulma1, except that I run the machine once through the rinse cycle first to make sure any risidual soap from laundry loads is removed first. I rinse them in cold water so as to avoid using water from the water heater for the final rinse.

 

[ralphie16]

any problems with the plastic ring? i got my bags from filterbags.com and they have this large plastic ring on them. its monofilament, so its ok to wash too ?

 

[ralphie16]

how often do you guys change them and what micron rating do you have?

what size 4" or 7" i have both drains going into a single 7" diameter sock, is this ok?

 

[Craig Lambert]

I use these:
http://www.marinedepot.com/ps_ViewI...ter_Media_Mechanical_Socks~vendor~~tab~2.html

They are 7"X16" 100 micron.


One over the drain line entering the sump, and one over the exit of the skimmer. I change them once per week and have 0 Nitrates.

 

[michaeljames]

I use the 7" 100 micron bags and wash/replace with every water change about once weekly, I've never had any issues with the rings being damaged

 

[2turtles]

100 micron here. Change them once per week, (used to have the change them twice as they would get clogged) I pre-rinse the washer (complete wash cycle) and throw them in. First complete wash cycle is with bleach and second complete cycle is with nothing added. No problems with the washer or the filters

 

[opiumpipez]

100M 7" here. no ring (drawstring).

i have 3 that i use to rotate. i was them about once every two weeks. no nitrates.

i usually wash the filter socks in hot water once or twice.

 

[KyleO]

7" 100 micron here also, with a few more to rotate but I have found that it takes about 2 minutes outside with the hose nozzle on jet to clean up nicely.

I don't want to run a full wash for something so small and don't want to wait for a few to wash them. If you do it when still wet from the sump they clean up nicely.

 

[wickedfood]

Why not just boil them in a pot of water on the stove?? Then you won't have to worry about detergent residue from the washer.

 

[flyyyguy]

I dont use themn anymore...but when I did I installed plastic zippers in them. (8 x 16 100micron bags)

I would open them up flat and spray them out in 30 seconds good as new.

I would be seriously embarassed if anyone ever caught me on film wrestling with these things trying to spray them out well before I did this. :lol:

 

[samtheman]

I don't use them either?

 

[tcwayne]

I use them, 7" 100 micron. Every couple of days I change. I rinse thoroughly soak in a bucket of hot water and bleach for a day. Then I rinse thoroughly again, let dry in the sun and then rinse with filtered water. Works for me and I do not use the washer because the wife would wank.

 

[down and outman]

I have a large 100 micron that I use occasionally. I turn it inside out and hose it outside and let it dry. My wife would kill me if I got it near her washing machine as nasty as it gets.

 

[xtm]

I got sick and tired of having to clean them out once a week, sometimes twice a week so I stopped using them. Back then I would turn them inside out and blast them with hose. I'm always paranoid to use bleach so I never used it....ever

 

[Randy1]

I just plain stopped using them, no real benefits and too much troulbe might want to think about it.

 

[KyleO]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=10937952#post10937952 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by xtm
I got sick and tired of having to clean them out once a week, sometimes twice a week so I stopped using them. Back then I would turn them inside out and blast them with hose. I'm always paranoid to use bleach so I never used it....ever

I agree that they are a pain to change but the good thing is that it keeps me on top of the water changes......I change them every 3 or 4 days and never let 2 changes go without at least a small water change.

I also needed a prefilter for my Ozone reactor and it was just easier all the way around to just draw the "filtered" water from my sump and let the other overflow with no filtering feed my refugium.

 

[billgraf]

I don't use them, but when I did I would just turn them inside out and spray