DIY Filter Cleaner for Hot Tubs and Swim Spa filters - Video

Tired of buying expensive filters for your hot tub or swim spa? Out of mostly scrap and a couple hours time, I made a filter cleaner. No bending over and manually trying to hold the filters. A $200-300 model gave me the idea. I use a low pressure washer. Too much pressure may tear the filters apart.

Feel free to leave comments and suggestions. I didn't really spend much time thinking about alternatives.

I only had to buy the two pillow blocks and a short 1” bar shaft. It spins either direction depending on which side of the filter you hit. This is necessary to ensure you clean both sides of the pleats in the filters.

I used a 5 gallon bucket, scrap 2-by lumber, two pillow block bearings, a short 1" bar for shaft, and 2 pieces of schedule 40 pipe. The bucket was to keep the filter up off the ground a bit so my back doesn't get cramped leaning over.

* I cut round pieces of 2x12 for the bottom and top of bucket and a smaller round piece of 2x6 that the filter sets on.
drilled a 2" diameter hole in the round 2x6 piece
* The 2x12 pieces are fastened to each other on 4 - 9.5" pieces of 2x4s.
* Mounted the pillow block on the top bucket piece, then dropped the whole assembly into the bucket.
* I screwed the bucket to the round 2x12 pieces from the outside in many places top and bottom of bucket.
* Put the shaft into pillow block on top of the bucket
* Mounted the pillow block to the bottom of the round 2x6 piece
* Set it on top of the shaft mounted to the top of the bucket.
* Tightened all the set screws on the pillow blocks.
Note: This assembly will wobble but that is OK as it allows the filters to be set on and taken off the 2" PVC shaft mounted later.
* set the 2" diameter PVC pipe in the 2" hole and toe screwed the PVC to pinch it into place
* Cut a tight fit 2x4 slot into top board of bucket
* Drove the 2x4 upright into the bucket and Screwed the upright to the bucket

Note,: this is at an angle so I had to use a level to located the next pieces

* Mounted 2 pieces of 2x4 to the upright making sure the are level with other and level to the ground
* Drilled a 2" hole in another short piece of 2x4 and screwed it on top of the two previous pieces.

When using the cleaner, a smaller piece of PVC that fits inside the 2" diameter piece lines everything up and holds the filter in place and in line.