Unicel 6CH-940 | 45 sq ft Top Load Spa Filter

By Unicel
SKU: 6CH-940
$54.99

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Check out the Filter Guide to see if this filter fits your hot tub model.

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Description

The Unicel 6CH-940 is a top-load spa filter cartridge delivering 45 square feet of filtration across 225 pleats of Reemay® polyester media, capturing debris down to an average of 20 microns. Built to meet or exceed OEM specifications, it drops straight into a wide range of spa systems.

Filtration is the quiet backbone of clean spa water. Every soak leaves behind body oils, lotions, hair, and fine debris, and the cartridge is what removes all of it before it clouds the water, feeds bacteria, or coats your plumbing. When a filter is worn or clogged, the effects spread everywhere: dull water, higher chemical use, softer jets, and a pump and heater straining against restricted flow.

The top-load design is what makes this cartridge so easy to live with. A semi-circular handle molded into the top means you simply grip and lift — no wrestling a slippery cartridge out of a deep filter well — while an injection-molded 1-1/2 inch SAE threaded bottom screws securely into the housing for a tight, leak-free seal. Combine that with Reemay's trilobal fibers, sharp uniform pleat folds that maximize flow and minimize pressure loss, and chemical-resistant end caps, and you get a filter that's as easy to maintain as it is effective. Made in the USA.

Pro Tip: This is a top-load cartridge — check yours before ordering. Unlike the open-ended cartridges that simply drop into a filter well, the 6CH-940 has a handle on top and a 1-1/2 inch SAE thread on the bottom that screws into the housing. That connection style matters more than square footage: a cartridge with the right filtration area but the wrong bottom fitting won't thread in or seal, and unfiltered water will bypass the media entirely.

Brand

UNICEL®

Key Features
  • 45 sq ft of filtration — full OEM-spec filtration area across 225 pleats
  • Captures down to 20 microns — removes particles far finer than the eye can see
  • Top-load design — semi-circular handle makes removal and cleaning effortless
  • 1-1/2 in SAE threaded bottom — injection molded for a secure, leak-free connection
  • Reemay polyester media — balances dirt-holding capacity, cleanability, and chemical resistance
  • Made in the USA — built to meet or exceed OEM standards
How It Works

Water is drawn through the cartridge's pleated media as your spa circulates. Pleating creates the capacity: folding the fabric into 225 pleats packs 45 square feet of filtering surface into a compact cartridge 6 inches across and 8-1/4 inches tall. More surface means water passes through more slowly and thoroughly, capturing finer particles, and it means the filter holds far more debris before flow starts to drop off.

Two design details do the heavy lifting. First, the Reemay media: its fibers are trilobal — three-lobed in cross-section rather than round — which packs considerably more surface area into the same material, giving more places for dirt to be captured and a smooth surface that releases it readily when rinsed. Second, the pleat geometry: sharp, evenly spaced folds let water reach the full depth of every pleat, so the entire surface does filtering work instead of some folds being pinched shut. That's what maximizes flow, minimizes pressure loss, and lets the cartridge hold more debris between cleanings.

Pro Tip: A clean filter protects your equipment, not just your water. As the pleats load up with body oils, your pump has to work harder against the restriction, and reduced flow across the heater can trigger flow-related errors. Regular rinsing and periodic deep cleaning is the cheapest protection there is for the expensive parts of your spa.

Directions for Use

Installation

  1. Turn off power to the spa at the breaker before servicing the filter compartment.
  2. Open the filter lid and clear any debris from the compartment.
  3. Lift the old cartridge out by its handle, unthreading it from the base connection.
  4. Lower the new cartridge in with the threaded end facing down and turn it until the 1-1/2 inch SAE thread is seated snugly. Hand-tight is enough — over-tightening can damage the fitting.
  5. If your system uses two cartridges, replace both at the same time so they wear evenly and flow stays balanced.
  6. Close the lid, restore power, and run the circulation to confirm normal flow.

Routine Cleaning

  1. Every two to four weeks: lift the cartridge out by the handle and rinse gently with a garden hose, working between the pleats from top to bottom. A soft brush cleaning tool helps.
  2. Periodically: soak or treat the cartridge with a dedicated filter cleaner to dissolve the body oils and buildup a rinse can't remove, then rinse it off.
  3. Let it dry fully before returning it to service whenever possible.

When to Replace

  • The cycle between cleanings gets noticeably shorter
  • Low water flow or high differential pressure
  • The media has a tear
  • The center core collapses

Cartridge life depends on routine maintenance and your spa's water chemistry.

Pro Tip: Skip the pressure washer — a garden hose is the right tool. It's tempting to blast a dirty cartridge clean, but high-pressure water drives debris deeper into the media and can tear the pleats or damage the fibers, permanently reducing how well the filter works. Steady hose pressure worked patiently down each pleat gets it cleaner and keeps the cartridge intact far longer.

Specifications
  • Brand: Unicel (Meissner Mfg. Co., Inc.)
  • Part Number: 6CH-940
  • Product Type: Top-load replacement spa filter cartridge
  • Filtration Area: 45 sq ft
  • Pleat Count: 225
  • Filtration Rating: Captures debris to an average of 20 microns
  • Media: Reemay spunbonded polyester, 3 oz basis weight
  • Outer Diameter: 6 in
  • Length: 8-1/4 in
  • Top: Semi-circular handle
  • Bottom: 1-1/2 in SAE thread, injection molded
  • End Caps: Durable plastic, chemical-resistant, exact OEM fit
  • Fits: Maax Spas, Elite Spas, Vita Spas, Catalina Spas, Charisma Spas, Leisure Bay Spas, Bullfrog Spas, Dynasty Spas, Sunrise Spas, Master Spas, Waterway Plastics, Custom Molded Products, and more
  • Cross-References: Pleatco PWW50P3, Filbur FC-0359, Waterway 817-0050, 25252, 378902, 03FIL1400
  • Quantity Needed: Some larger housings use two cartridges side by side — check before ordering
  • Cleaning: Rinse gently with a garden hose every two to four weeks; deep clean periodically with filter cleaner. Do not pressure wash.
  • Origin: Made in the USA
  • Shipping: Standard ground; not classified as a hazardous material

  • Outer Diameter: 6"
  • Length: 8-1/4"
  • Top End Cap: semi-circular handle
  • Bottom End Cap: injection molded 1-1/2" SAE thread
  • Pleat Count: 225
  • Media: 3 oz.
  • Filtration Square Footage: 45 sq. ft top load
Compatibility

The 6CH-940 is one of the most widely used top-load cartridges in the spa industry. It fits Maax® Spas, Elite Spas, and Vita Spas, along with a broad range of other systems including:

  • Spa brands: Catalina Spas, Charisma Spas, Leisure Bay Spas, Bullfrog Spas, Dynasty Spas, Sunrise Spas, Master Spas
  • Equipment makers: Waterway Plastics, Custom Molded Products

It's cross-referenced as Pleatco PWW50P3, Filbur FC-0359, and Waterway 817-0050, along with numbers 25252, 378902, and 03FIL1400.

Because this cartridge spans so many brands, the surest way to order correctly is to read the part number off your current cartridge, or verify the connection style — handle on top, 1-1/2 inch SAE thread on the bottom — along with the 6 inch diameter and 8-1/4 inch length. Also confirm how many cartridges your system takes: some larger housings run two cartridges side by side. For upkeep, pair it with a dedicated filter cleaner for periodic deep cleaning.

Most products purchased from our online shop within the last 30 days are eligible for return. Please review our return policy to see the list of items that cannot be returned.

Some major items that are non-returnable:

  • Gift cards
  • Electronics
  • Pumps / Motors
  • Hot Tubs
  • Closeouts
  • Fireplaces
  • Electric Fireplaces
  • Massage Chairs
  • See return policy below for full list of non-returnables.

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.