I have also found that the filters are not lasting for a year as promised by the customer service people at LA Spa. I was told by the dealer, who sold me the hot tub, to wash them every 3 months with the 1/4 cup of bleach. When they shredded after washing them the second time, I returned them to the dealer, who replaced them with new and improved filters, at no charge. Needless to say these did not last long either. In December 06 I ordered yet another set of filters directly from LA Spas with instructions to wash them monthly with a small amount of detergent, not bleach. Once again I was told they had improved the filters since the last time I had purchased them and they should last a year. I just shut down the spa for the summer and when I pulled the filters out they had holes in them. My last spa had the pleated filter and I really thought the AquaKleen type of filter was going to be a better way to go. I never dreamed I would be spending so much money to replace these filters. I would advise anyone who was considering buying this type of filter system to keep in mind it will cost $400 a year for filters.