The Brand Story
Sta-Rite: The Filter Tanks Pool Techs Still Open Every Week
On service routes across the country, a pool technician pulls up beside a tall, two-piece filter tank, releases the clamp band, lifts the lid and reaches for the pleated cartridge inside. The name molded on the tank is Sta-Rite. The brand has outlived the corporate structures around it, passing from a Wisconsin utility holding company to Pentair, and its System 2 and System 3 filters remain a familiar sight on residential equipment pads.
Chapter 1 · Before 2004
A Wisconsin water-systems brand
For years Sta-Rite was part of WICOR Industries, the water-systems business connected to Wisconsin Gas and later to Wisconsin Energy, which absorbed WICOR in 2000. Under that roof Sta-Rite built water pumps, filters and pool equipment, sitting alongside sister brands SHURflo and Hypro.
Chapter 2 · 2004 to today
Joining Pentair
In July 2004 Wisconsin Energy sold WICOR's non-energy businesses to Pentair for $850 million. Pentair had been founded in Minnesota in 1966 by five former Litton Industries employees. Sta-Rite became part of its pool and spa family, and the brand's filter designs carried on under Pentair ownership, with replacement parts and cartridges still built to fit tanks that have been in service for years.
The Lineup
What Sta-Rite builds today
Sta-Rite is best known today for pool filtration, and its modular tank design means a worn cartridge or a cracked valve can be replaced without replacing the whole filter. HVAC365 carries Sta-Rite filters, cartridges and valves for in-ground and above-ground pools:
- Cartridge filters: the System 2 PLM modular cartridge filter, including the 200 square foot, 150 gpm model, and the System 3 modular cartridge filter at 300 square feet and 100 gpm.
- Replacement filter cartridges: PLM100, PLM200 and PLM300 cartridges in 100, 200 and 300 square foot sizes.
- D.E. pool filters: System 2 PLD and PLDE models, such as the 36 square foot, 55 gpm PLD and the 48 square foot, 72 gpm PLDE for in-ground pools.
- Multiport and filter valves: a 2-inch side-mount six-position multiport valve with unions.
A Closer Look
Cartridge or D.E.?
Sta-Rite builds both of the filter types most common on residential pools, and the difference is mostly about maintenance. A cartridge filter traps debris in pleated fabric. There is no backwashing; the cartridges come out a few times a season to be hosed clean, which saves water and suits pools where the owner or service tech prefers a simple routine. A D.E. filter coats internal grids with diatomaceous earth, a powder made from fossilized algae, which catches finer particles than either sand or cartridge media. It needs periodic backwashing and fresh D.E. after each backwash, and spent D.E. must be handled according to local rules. Both types are sized by filter area in square feet and by maximum flow in gallons per minute, which should be matched to the pump.
At a Glance
Sta-Rite at a glance
- Parent company
- Pentair, since 2004
- Previous owner
- WICOR Industries
- WICOR sale price
- $850 million
- Sister brands in the deal
- SHURflo and Hypro
- Pentair founded
- 1966, Minnesota
- Known for
- System 2 and System 3 pool filters
Questions
Frequently asked questions about Sta-Rite
Who owns Sta-Rite?
Sta-Rite is owned by Pentair. Pentair acquired it in July 2004 when it bought WICOR Industries, the water-systems business of Wisconsin Energy, for $850 million.
Is Sta-Rite the same as Pentair?
Sta-Rite is a brand within Pentair. Pentair bought it in 2004 and continues to sell Sta-Rite filters and replacement parts alongside its own Pentair-branded equipment.
What is the Sta-Rite System 2 filter?
System 2 is Sta-Rite's line of modular pool filters, offered as PLM cartridge models and as PLD and PLDE D.E. models. The PLM cartridges come in 100, 200 and 300 square foot sizes.
What is the difference between a cartridge filter and a D.E. filter?
A cartridge filter traps dirt in pleated fabric and is cleaned by hosing off the cartridges, with no backwashing. A D.E. filter uses diatomaceous earth on internal grids for finer filtration but requires backwashing and recharging with fresh D.E.
How do I pick the right Sta-Rite replacement cartridge?
Match the cartridge to the filter model on the tank label, such as PLM100, PLM200 or PLM300, which correspond to 100, 200 and 300 square feet of filter area.
