Hayward SwimClear Single-Element Cartridge Filter

The SwimClear single-element is Hayward's one-cartridge filter: a tall black filter with a removable head held on by a threaded Easy-Lok ring, and one pleated cartridge inside. Hayward's 2026 manual and sell sheet list three sizes, the C100S, C150S and C275S. The C150S also comes as the W3C150S, Hayward's Open Line version for online sale.

It isn't the four-cartridge SwimClear, the C2030 to C7030. The two share only a few small parts: the adapter nut, the drain plug and the union connection kit.

The C275S replaced the C200S

Hayward's 2023 sell sheet and the older Rev E manual list a C200S as the largest size. The 2026 sell sheet and the Rev G manual list a C275S instead, and call it the largest single-element residential cartridge filter on the market.

The two are closely related. Both manuals give the largest size the same filter head, CX200B, and the same diffuser, CXFDA200, and all sizes share one filter body, CXFBA1001. The cartridge is what changed: CX200XRE in the C200S and CX275XRE in the C275S. The sell sheets give both the same 38¾ inch height and 40 lb carton weight.

Hayward still has a C200S product page, but it links only the older documents.

Flow ratings, and the limit Hayward sets

Hayward's performance chart rates each size two ways:

• Residential, at 1 GPM per square foot: C100S 100 GPM, C150S 120 GPM, C275S 200 GPM
• Public and APSP-15, at 0.375 GPM per square foot: C100S 38 GPM, C150S 56 GPM, C275S 100 GPM

The residential figures stop short of the arithmetic on the two bigger sizes: 150 and 275 square feet at 1 GPM would be 150 and 275 GPM.

The same sell sheet footnote says flow depends on the pump and piping, that 2 inch pipe is recommended at 90 GPM or more, and that Hayward doesn't recommend flow above 150 GPM. So the C275S's 200 GPM rating is past Hayward's own limit; at 150 GPM or less it runs below 1 GPM per square foot. The filter sizing guide covers matching a filter to the pump.

Where it goes and the room it needs

The cartridge lifts out the top once the head is off, and Hayward's manual gives the minimum clearance above the body:

• C100S: 12 inches
• C150S: 15 inches
• C275S: 18 inches

The manual's clearance table gives 12 inches at the side for all three. Hayward's product pages say 18 inches.

From the manual:

• Keep it close to the pool, as local codes allow, with as few fittings as possible, since fittings resist flow.
• Pick a well-drained spot that won't flood in rain, on a solid, level surface.
• Put it in the shade if that's practical.
• Bolt it down through two of the four mounting holes, on opposite corners of the base. Don't overtighten the fasteners, because Hayward says the base can crack at the mounting points.
• Above the pool's water line, the pump has to be self-priming.
• Below the water line, add valves so pool water can't flow back into the filter when you open it.

Plumbing it

The filter comes with 2 inch x 2½ inch union sockets for solvent welding. The 2 inch side is a pipe socket; 2½ inch pipe needs a standard 2½ inch coupling. For 1½ inch pipe, Hayward sells socket connectors, SPX1500JS, and threaded ones, SPX1500JT.

• Slide the union nut onto the pipe first, threads facing the filter, before cementing the connector on.
• Fit the face seal, then screw the union nut onto the body. The inlet connection is the one above the pump discharge.
• For threaded connections, use plastic adapters with three turns of PTFE tape on the male threads. Tighten hand tight, then one more full turn with a strap wrench. Hayward says tightening further is unnecessary and could break or damage the valve body.
• Check every joint for leaks before running it.

Replacing a StarClear Plus? Hayward's upgrade guide notes the SwimClear's outlet sits at the same height as the StarClear Plus's. Its steps connect the new filter's outlet union first, then pipe the pump outlet to the filter inlet, with 45 degree plumbing recommended there.

Starting it up

1. Close the drain, open the air relief valve, and open the suction and return valves.
2. Make sure the lock ring is locked and latched.
3. Stand clear of the filter, then prime and start the pump.
4. Close the air relief valve once a steady stream of water comes out, not air or a mix of air and water.

Hayward's warnings: never run or test the system above 50 psi, and don't change valve positions with the pump running.

Cleaning the cartridge

Clean or replace the cartridge when the gauge reads 7 to 10 psi above the starting pressure, or when flow drops below the rate you want.

1. Shut off the pump. If the filter is below the pool's water level, close valves so pool water can't flow back.
2. Remove the drain plug and open the air relief valve to let the filter drain.
3. Press the safety latch and unscrew the lock ring counterclockwise, then lift off the head with the ring attached. Set the head on a flat surface, resting on its handle.
4. Lift the cartridge out.
5. Hose it inside and out. Hayward says it's easier to clean dry, and that brushing the pleats after it dries gets the fine particles out. Don't pressure wash it.
6. For suntan and body oils, soak it for an hour in filter element cleaner, in a plastic container, then hose it thoroughly.
7. Clean the o-ring in the head, the seal area on the body, and any debris in the bottom of the body.
8. Set the cartridge back in so it sits evenly on the hub in the bottom of the body.
9. Put the head on with its o-ring in place and clean, and tighten the lock ring clockwise until the latch fully engages.

Hayward's manual says Baquacil and other non-chlorine systems need more frequent cartridge cleaning, and to follow that maker's instructions for the chemicals.

You can vacuum straight into the filter; clean the cartridge afterward if it needs it. The filter cleaning guide covers cartridge care in more depth.

Cartridges

• C100S: CX100XRE
• C150S: CX150XRE
• C275S: CX275XRE
• Earlier C200S: CX200XRE

On the C100S product page, Hayward's support team answered that a new C100S comes with a CS100E cartridge, and that the replacement to buy is the CX100XRE. Hayward's warranty treats cartridges as wear items, covered only for manufacturing defects.

Winterizing

Where freezing is expected, Hayward says to drain the filter and/or remove it and store it indoors. Take out and clean the cartridge, put it back in the tank, and fully tighten the lock ring for storage. Closing a pool for winter covers the rest of the system.

Don't blow the system out with compressed air. Hayward's manual says compressed air can make parts explode, and to use only a low-pressure, high-volume blower, below 5 psi, when purging the pump, filter or pipes.

Expert Line or Open Line

The C100S, C150S and C275S are Expert Line, sold through pool professionals and stores, with three years of parts and one year of field labor on an in-ground pool. The W3C150S is Open Line, approved for online sale, with one year of parts and no labor. Hayward's product pages give the two C150S versions the same dimensions, weight and public flow rating.

When checked, Amazon had no listing for the W3C150S filter, only cartridges, most of them other brands' copies, so this page has no store link. Hayward's warranty covers only products bought from Hayward or an authorized seller.

Where Hayward's documents disagree

• The 200 GPM rating. The sell sheet and chart rate the C275S at 200 GPM residential, while the same sell sheet says Hayward doesn't recommend flow above 150 GPM.
• The manual's older rating. The Rev G manual's general information still gives a residential rating of up to 7,200 gallons per hour, which is 120 GPM, while its own table lists 200 GPM for the C275S.
• The C275S public turnover. The 2026 sell sheet lists 96,000 and 120,000 gallons at the C275S's 100 GPM public rate, the same figures as its residential row. At 100 GPM, 8 and 10 hours give 48,000 and 60,000 gallons, which is what Hayward's chart and product page show.
• Side clearance. 12 inches in the manual, 18 inches on the product pages.
• The C150S height. 33.25 inches on the product page, 33¾ inches on the sell sheet.
• When to clean. The manual says 7 to 10 psi above the starting pressure. On the C100S product page, Hayward's support team answered 10 to 15 psi.
• Metric slips in the manual. Its table gives the C100S as 10.8 square meters, where 100 square feet is 9.29, and gives 410 liters per minute for both the C100S's 100 GPM and the C275S's 100 GPM public rate, where 100 GPM is about 379. The C100S public rate is 37 GPM in the manual and 38 on the sell sheet and chart.
• The C275S product page. Its design file links are for the C200S, and Hayward's parts lookup returns no parts list for the C275S; the Rev G manual has one.