Unicel C-7626 | 25 sq ft Hayward Star-Clear C250 Filter
Excluded Brands
The following brands are not eligible for LTI discount codes (including WELCOME). They go on sale only during manufacturer-authorized promotions:
- Gozney — pizza ovens and accessories
- OHCO — massage chairs
- Positive Posture — massage chairs and recliners
- Nomadix — outdoor lifestyle products (towels, blankets, accessories)
Excluded Products
The following individual products are also not eligible for discount codes:
- Any product that already has a price markdown — items on sale or clearance can't stack additional discounts on top
- FreshWater Salt System Replacement Cartridge (single)
- FreshWater Salt System Replacement Cartridge (3 Pack)
- Route Protection Insurance — third-party shipping protection, not eligible for our discounts
- Bullfrog A / R / X Series 10-00282 Filter Cartridges
- Bullfrog STIL Series 10-00281 Filter Cartridges
- FROG® @ease Sanitizer System for Bullfrog Spas
- FROG® @ease Replacement Cartridge for Bullfrog Spas (3 Pack)
- Bullfrog Simplicity™ Flat Filters for M Series (4 Pack)
- Filter Core Cage & Cap Assembly for Bullfrog Spas
- Fireplaces (gas, wood-burning, and fireplace inserts)
- Electric Fireplaces
- Gas Vent Pipe
- Pellet Vent Pipe
- Fireplace Fronts
This list can change. Manufacturers occasionally add or remove products from their MAP-protected lists. We update this page when they do, but the most accurate way to confirm whether a discount applies to a specific item is to add the item to your cart and try the code at checkout. If the code doesn't work, the item is excluded. If it does work, it's eligible.
The Unicel C-7626 is a 25 square foot replacement cartridge for the Hayward Star-Clear C250 filter, replacing OEM part number CX250RE. Unlike a cartridge that sits in a spa's skimmer well, this one lives inside a pressurized filter tank — a sealed vessel plumbed into the circulation line, with a clamp band holding the lid down and a pressure gauge on top telling you how the filter is doing.
That gauge changes everything about how you own this filter. On a spa cartridge you judge cleaning time by feel — the jets seem weaker, the water looks a little off. Here you have an actual number. A clean cartridge produces a specific tank pressure, and as debris accumulates that pressure climbs measurably. You are not guessing, and you are not waiting for a symptom. You are watching a gauge tell you exactly where the filter stands.
The cartridge itself is built for a different kind of dirt than a spa filter faces. It carries 111 pleats of 4 oz Reemay polyester — the lowest pleat count and the heaviest media of any cartridge in the Unicel spa range, and that combination is deliberate. Pool and outdoor water carries leaves, grit, insects, pollen, and windblown debris alongside the oils and organics a spa deals with. Coarse debris tears light fabric and jams into tightly packed pleats. Heavier 4 oz fabric has more fiber per unit of area, so it holds more dirt and survives more cleaning cycles, and the wider spacing between fewer pleats lets a hose actually flush that debris back out instead of driving it deeper.
Both ends are 3" open with molded gaskets — rubber sealing rings formed integrally into each end cap, which compress against the seats inside the tank to close off any path around the media. Nothing separate to fit or lose. Made in the USA by Meissner Manufacturing, with more than 45 years behind the Unicel name.
Pro Tip — write down your clean pressure the day you install this cartridge. Start the pump, let it run a minute, and note what the gauge reads with a brand-new, clean filter in the tank. That number is your baseline, and it is the most useful piece of information you will have all season. When the gauge climbs 8 to 10 PSI above that baseline, it is time to clean the cartridge — not sooner, which wastes effort, and not later, which starves flow and makes the pump work against a restriction. Write the baseline on a piece of tape stuck to the tank. Baselines drift slightly as a cartridge ages, so reset the number each time you install a new one.
UNICEL®
UNICEL® Brand FAQs
Who makes Unicel filters?
Unicel filters are made byMeissner Mfg. Co., Inc., a family business that began as a small contract sewing operation in thelate 1950sand moved into pool filtration through the 1970s. By the end of that decade the company was producing cartridge filters for the industry'soriginal equipment manufacturers, and in1985it introduced the Unicel brand as aftermarket replacements. It's still owned and operated by the Meissner family today.
Are Unicel filters as good as the original manufacturer's filter?
Unicel builds its cartridges tomeet or exceed original equipment specifications— and that's a meaningful distinction here, because the company produced cartridges for the industry's OEMs before it ever launched its own brand. Unicel cartridges usedurable, chemical-resistant end capswith an exact fit,high-capacity media,uniform pleatsfor optimal flow, and asolid corethat resists collapsing under pressure.
Where are Unicel filters made?
Unicel filters are manufactured inCalifornia, with components sourcedexclusively in the United States. The line comprisesnearly 500 products, covering replacement cartridges, D.E. grids, filter discs, and related parts.
How do I find the right Unicel filter for my spa?
Unicel cartridges areinterchangeable with all major filter brands, and each one cross-references to a list of original equipment part numbers. The most reliable method is topull your current cartridge and read the part number printed on it, then match it to the Unicel cross-reference. If the number has worn off,measure your old cartridge— diameter, length, and the size and style of the openings at each end — and match those instead. Also confirmhow many cartridgesyour spa uses.
How long does a Unicel filter last?
Cartridge life depends on how heavily the spa is used, yourwater chemistry, and how consistently you clean the filter. Many Unicel cartridges useReemay® polyester media, whosetrilobal fibersprovide considerably more surface area than standard rounded fibers — which increases dirt-holding capacity and extends the time between cleanings. With regular rinsing and periodic deep cleaning, a well-maintained cartridge commonly serves a year or more.
When should I replace my filter instead of cleaning it?
Replace the cartridge when thecycle between cleanings becomes noticeably shorter, when you seelow water flowor high differential pressure, when the media has atear, or if thecenter core collapses. Pleats that stay permanently flattened or discolored after a proper cleaning are another sign the cartridge has reached the end of its service life.
About UNICEL®
Unicel is the nation's leading manufacturer of replacement filter cartridges for pools and spas — and the story behind it is a genuinely American one. In the late 1950s, Richard T. Meissner started a small part-time contract sewing operation. Through the 1970s, Meissner Mfg. Co., Inc. moved into swimming pool filter bags, then D.E. grid element covering, and by the end of that decade the company was producing cartridge filters for the industry's original equipment manufacturers.
That's the detail that matters most: Unicel was building the filters that went into new spas long before it sold a replacement. In 1985, the company introduced the UNICEL brand so dealers and technicians could source elements built to O.E.M. specifications from a single place — even for equipment brands they didn't carry. Today the line spans nearly 500 products, all manufactured in California with components sourced exclusively in the USA.
By staying focused on one thing — filtration — Unicel has built deep expertise in a critical corner of the industry, from media development to cartridge design. Every cartridge is built with chemical-resistant end caps for an exact fit, high-capacity filter media, uniform pleats for optimal flow, and a solid core that holds its shape under pressure. Meissner Mfg. Co., Inc. remains owned and operated by the Meissner family, still recognized for quality and service. American-made products, world-class service.
