Can You Pressure Wash Filter Roller Fleece

reefsaver · Feb 24, 2023

I was wondering if you can use a pressure washer on filter roller fleece as you would with a filter sock once it’s dirty.
I have no specific brand in mind, just wondering if I’ll have to replace the fleece rollers all the time or if I can really wash them hard as I do with my current filter socks.

blaxsun · Feb 24, 2023

I mean, maybe... I prefer just tossing mine (necessary evil of not having to wash filter socks).

Reeferbadness · Feb 24, 2023

i've been pressure washing mine for years - first I soak them (let them dry when i pop them out, i have 2 tanks with 4 socks on 1 (Redsea 750 XXL) and 2 socks on another - and once i go through most of the socks, i then soak them in hot water and a little bleach for a day, then turn them inside out and let them soak again for a day and them pressure wash them all (about 34 at last count). They seem to hold up well - usually lasting about 1 year of monthly washes before need to toss them out.

reeftivo · Feb 24, 2023

i don't use fleece but i would suspect NO, you probably won't be able to work with it once pressure washed. you could most likely get it clean but the pressure of the water would probably fluff and loosen the fleece too much to function properly in the rollers

reeftivo · Feb 24, 2023

Reeferbadness said:
i've been pressure washing mine for years - first I soak them (let them dry when i pop them out, i have 2 tanks with 4 socks on 1 (Redsea 750 XXL) and 2 socks on another - and once i go through most of the socks, i then soak them in hot water and a little bleach for a day, then turn them inside out and let them soak again for a day and them pressure wash them all (about 34 at last count). They seem to hold up well - usually lasting about 1 year of monthly washes before need to toss them out.

do you use an actual portable pressure washer? I would think that would really loosen the weave in the fleece-hmm?

i pressure washed my filter socks back in the day and they were noticeably thicker and fluffier after blasting them.

EeyoreIsMySpiritAnimal · Feb 24, 2023

Reeferbadness said:
i've been pressure washing mine for years - first I soak them (let them dry when i pop them out, i have 2 tanks with 4 socks on 1 (Redsea 750 XXL) and 2 socks on another - and once i go through most of the socks, i then soak them in hot water and a little bleach for a day, then turn them inside out and let them soak again for a day and them pressure wash them all (about 34 at last count). They seem to hold up well - usually lasting about 1 year of monthly washes before need to toss them out.

That's not what the OP is asking!

Reeferbadness · Mar 3, 2023

EeyoreIsMySpiritAnimal said:
That's not what the OP is asking!

I see now, roller fleece, new lingo, but I get it. U r correct sir.

exnisstech · Mar 3, 2023

It would be a kind of defeat the purpose of a roller I think

EeyoreIsMySpiritAnimal · Mar 3, 2023

Reeferbadness said:
I see now, roller fleece, new lingo, but I get it. U r correct sir.

U r not correct, ma'am

mdb_talon · Mar 3, 2023

exnisstech said:
It would be a kind of defeat the purpose of a roller I think

If the goal is to never clean anything sure. If the goal is go extended periods of time without having to switch socks in and out every few days yet get the benefits of mechanical filtration then it makes perfect sense to want to clean your filter rolls.

reefsaver · Mar 4, 2023

My current filter socks can take a pounding from the pressure washer even at 0 degrees basically touching them. But I plan on going on holiday soon and have been thinking about getting a fleece roller although now the question is more what brand makes the most robust, durable, washable and reusable fleece.

TangerineSpeedo · Mar 4, 2023

Somebody on here has actually been successful throwing theirs in the wash.
I considered it for a sec and then I was like " I ain't got no time for that... all that unrolling and rolling.."

Mperry622 · Mar 20, 2023

I struck gold when my wife had a minor defect with our Samsung washer, She got a new one and they had her send a pic of the power cord cut

(lol really hard thing to fix) I would get divorce threats any time I washed my reef socks, even after days of soaking and prewashing.. I ran a hot water line and just run on "eco cold" I add a capful of bleach and add the extra rinse. I was on reef diapers for a bit but after going to bio-pellets my 3 days of changing filter sock changed to swapping 2 4" out daily.. I have taken them from the washer and put right into my sump with zero issues. Tried Power washing and it does get them just as clean with much more of a mess and it seems to wear them out(fluff them) too much. My 2 cents

thewedge · Mar 20, 2023

I feel like at that point just using filter socks would be much easier than unrolling a nasty a spool of fleece that would probably get destroyed anyway.

reefsaver · Mar 20, 2023

Even if it was a pretty painful process, I would go out of my way to unroll and reroll if it saved me driving to the LFS spending cash. I could see myself rolling fleece from one reel to another with a flat gap between them to pressure wash as I reel. Although I'm not sure if the fleece could handle it. Really it's about reducing maintenance cost.

I do think a high quality reusable fleece with tough material is an achievable product, even if the reel only lasted a month of filtration on average I would use it.

EeyoreIsMySpiritAnimal · Mar 20, 2023

reefsaver said:
I do think a high quality reusable fleece with tough material is an achievable product, even if the reel only lasted a month of filtration on average I would use it.

Invent this, make millions, and hire someone to do your tank maintenance!

alann · Apr 8, 2023

Interesting idea, but I feel like it's just easier to buy a new one. You either take the cheaper path of socks, or the more expensive but low-maintenance path of roller mats.