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Unicel C-2020 Replacement Pool Filter Cartridge
Unicel®, Pleatco®, Filbur®, Pentair®, Hayward®, Jandy® and Sta-Rite® are trademarks of their respective owners, used solely to indicate compatibility. This is an independent replacement cartridge, not manufactured by or affiliated with those companies.
One cartridge, 2 part numbers
Pool cartridge numbers are a maze by design: the equipment maker stamps one number, and each aftermarket brand prints its own on the same physical cartridge. This page is the cross-reference for the Unicel C-2020 — every number below resolves to the identical cartridge, confirmed by matching physical specs across independent retailer listings. Whatever number is printed on your old filter or your tank’s parts diagram, if it appears in this table, this is your replacement.
| Number system | Part number | What it is |
|---|---|---|
| Unicel | C-2020 | the number this page is built around |
| Hayward | CX3035F | equipment maker’s number |
We only claim a match when the numbers agree on three things at once: the physical footprint (diameter and length), the end-cap geometry, and the same equipment list. One field off and the number is out of the table — that discipline is why this table is short and trustworthy instead of long and wrong.
Physical specifications
The physical cartridge runs reinforced polyester media, with a open, molded gasket top and a open, molded gasket bottom. These are the three fields the pool industry indexes cartridges by — diameter × length for the physical lookup, square footage for the flow tier — and they are copied from the cartridge itself, not from marketing copy. If your old cartridge tapes out to these dimensions with the same end-cap arrangement, the number on its frame does not matter: this is the replacement.
Tanks this cartridge drops into: CX3035F, DEP 500, Pro-Grid, SwimClear. The tank model is on the label plate near the union collar — match it, or match the OEM number from the plate to the table above, and the fit is confirmed from either direction.
Cleaning and replacement cadence
A reinforced polyester-media cartridge is built for multiple wash cycles, not one-and-done. The maintenance rhythm that maximizes life: hose-rinse from top to bottom along the pleat seam every 1–2 weeks in season (never a pressure washer — it flattens the fibers permanently), acid-soak when the pressure gauge stops responding to rinsing, and replace when the gauge won’t drop even after a full acid cycle or the pleats feel crisp instead of fuzzy. The full walkthrough — rinse technique, soak mix, and the four replace-it signals — is in how to clean a pool filter cartridge.
How do I confirm the C-2020 is my cartridge?
Pull the old cartridge and take two measurements: outside diameter and overall length, end-cap to end-cap. Then check the end caps — the arrangement has to match, not just the size. If the numbers land within an eighth of an inch and the caps agree, it is this cartridge tier. If the frame still has a legible part number, that is even better: match it against any row of the cross-reference table above.
What do all these different part numbers mean?
They are the same physical cartridge sold in different boxes. The equipment maker (Pentair, Hayward, Jandy, Sta-Rite) assigns one number; aftermarket brands — Unicel, Pleatco, Filbur — each print their own on an identical insert, including the Unicel C-2020 this page is anchored on. Retailers list them all separately, which is why the same filter can look like six different products. Our cross-reference table collapses them into one page so you can buy on price and fit instead of brand.
How many times can I wash it before replacing it?
Plan on 4–6 rinse cycles per season and one to two full seasons of life. Hose-rinse weekly in peak season along the pleat seams; acid-soak only when the gauge stops responding (typically twice a season). When pressure won’t drop even after an acid bath, the media is spent — see the four replace-it signals in our cleaning guide.
Will this fit my tank even though it’s not the OEM brand?
Fit is geometry, not branding. This cartridge matches the OEM part on every physical dimension — the diameter and length, the end-cap arrangement — which is exactly how the aftermarket industry works: Unicel, Pleatco and Filbur cartridges fit OEM tanks because they are built to the OEM cartridge’s dimensions. The numbers in the table above are the factory’s own references for this exact cartridge.
Shop by equipment brand: Hayward cartridges · Pentair cartridges · Jandy cartridges · Sta-Rite cartridges · Spa cartridges
How to clean a pool filter cartridge → (acid soak, hose-rinse rules, when to replace)