The Brand Story
Filbur: The Quiet Work of Keeping Pool Water Clear
Most pool owners meet their filter only when something goes wrong: the water turns hazy, the pressure gauge creeps up, and somebody pulls the lid off the tank to find a cartridge packed with a season's worth of sunscreen, pollen and grit. Filbur has built its business on that moment. For more than two decades the company has made the pleated cartridges and D.E. grids that slide back into those tanks, built to the dimensions of the original parts so the filter works the way its maker intended.
Chapter 1 · 1996
Starting with custom spa cartridges
Filbur traces its customer work to 1996, when it introduced its first line of custom spa cartridges. Its early focus was the manufacturers themselves: Filbur made cartridges and grids for OEMs, distributors and dealers, building each one to the original equipment specifications. A company catalog from 2011 sums the approach up with a short tagline, "First with OEMs," and describes more than 1,200 standard cartridge configurations built to OEM specifications.
Chapter 2 · The Kemflo connection
A filter maker with a wider family
That same 2011 catalog describes Filbur as a subsidiary of Kemflo International, with its headquarters and facility in Buena Park, California, supported by Kemflo facilities in Pingtung, Taiwan, and Nanjing, China, which added manufacturing and design capacity. Today, industry directories list Filbur Manufacturing at an address in Lake Oswego, Oregon, and describe it as a supplier of filter cartridges and D.E. grids, with a catalog of more than 700 pool and spa filters and grids and the ability to produce custom parts.
Chapter 3 · How it works
Pleats, cores and cloth
A pool cartridge is simple to look at and fussy to get right. Filbur's cartridges use spun-bound polyester filter media pleated around a reinforced, extruded PVC core, with end caps sized to seat exactly in a given filter tank. More pleats and more square footage mean more room to trap dirt before pressure climbs and cleaning is needed. The company also offers FILBUR Freedom antimicrobial cartridges, designed to resist bacteria, odors, algae and mold and to rinse clean more easily.
D.E. grids work differently. Each grid is a fabric-covered frame that holds a thin coating of diatomaceous earth powder, and the powder does the fine filtering. Filbur's grids use a proprietary cloth, heavy-duty stitching and reinforced skeletons, and the company reports that a leading distributor found they held more dirt with lower pressure drop than competing grids.
The Lineup
What Filbur builds today
Filbur's range covers replacement pool and spa filter cartridges, antimicrobial cartridges, D.E. grids, complete D.E. filters, Micro-Klean fill filters for topping off spas, and Pure 'n Clean cleaner for cartridges and grids. Here is what HVAC365 carries:
- D.E. filter grids: replacement grid sets made to fit popular filters, including products for the Pentair Quad D.E. 60.
- Replacement filter cartridges: pleated cartridges built to the dimensions of the original part, such as the First Choice replacement for the Hayward SwimClear C-3025.
- D.E. pool filters: filter equipment for pools that use diatomaceous earth.
- Filters and sanitizers: the full range of Filbur filtration parts alongside other pool water care equipment.
At a Glance
Filbur by the numbers
- First custom spa cartridges
- 1996
- Parent company (2011 catalog)
- Kemflo International
- Listed address
- Lake Oswego, Oregon
- Filter media
- Spun-bound polyester
- Catalog
- More than 700 filters and grids
- Focus
- Pool and spa cartridges and D.E. grids
Questions
Frequently asked questions about Filbur
Who makes Filbur filters?
Filbur Manufacturing makes pool and spa filter cartridges and D.E. grids. A 2011 company catalog describes Filbur as a subsidiary of Kemflo International.
Are Filbur cartridges built to original equipment dimensions?
Yes. Filbur has long made cartridges and grids for OEMs, distributors and dealers, building replacements to the original equipment specifications so they seat properly in the filter.
What is a D.E. filter grid?
A D.E. grid is a fabric-covered frame inside a diatomaceous earth filter. The grid holds a coating of D.E. powder, which traps fine particles as water passes through.
What is FILBUR Freedom?
FILBUR Freedom is the company's antimicrobial cartridge line, designed to resist bacteria, odors, algae and mold and to be easier to clean.
How do I match a Filbur replacement cartridge?
Match the original cartridge or filter model number, then confirm the length, outside diameter and end cap openings against the replacement before ordering.
