Cartridge filter vs. spin-down filter

[J. Walter Weatherman]

Hi all,

I recently moved into a house with a sediment filter (10" canister style). The filter housing is about 15 years old, and has a very slight leak. I had taken it apart to inspect the o-ring, and noticed the top of plastic cartridge is quite chewed up and degraded.

While a new o-ring would likely solve the immediate issue, given the age and condition of the unit, I'm considering just replacing it with something new. My question:

The previous owners had been using a 50-micron filter, which I swapped out for a graduated 5-50 micron filter. In both cases, the unit has been trapping some sediment and iron (water is .2 ppm per recent testing). I change the filters about once a month.

I've noticed there are spin-down filters that go down to 50 microns or so. At the thought of not having to buy and replace filter cartridges every month, I was considering the possibility of replacing the unit with a spin-down filter. Does anyone have any practical experience or advice in this area? Do the sediment filters not work as well as claimed in practice? Would I constantly be disassembling, cleaning, or replacing the screen in the unit? Should I just stick with a cartridge-type filter?

Thanks!

 

[Ryan Symons]

They work to catch the big stuff. They flush good with sand type sediment. Any sediment that gets stuck in or on it can require disassembly and cleaning. Stainless steel screens are more durable than the plastic ones