Bought a new AG pool; now need to figure out pump and fitler

[K9SwimCoach]

I just bought a 13'x25'x4' Tuff Pool and need to figure out what pump to get and what size sand filter.

I plan on running the pump 24/7 because I'll have two 2x20 solar panels and because the pool will be used daily (mostly by dogs). The pipes running between the pump, pool, and solar panels will be less than 10' long as everything will be close to one another.

Three pool supply retailers recommend getting a variable flow or variable speed pump because they're energy efficient. After doing some research on this forum, it seems I may not have to get a pricey variable flow/speed pump because a 2 speed pump will suffice, especailly if it runs on low most of the time. Would it be better to buy the pricey variable flow/speed pump because they are more energy efficient than 2 speed pumps?

Second question: What size sand filter do I need? If I have this right, I think the surface area of the filter determines the hp of the 2 speed pump.

I thank you in advance for any advice.

Louisa

[AnnaK]

Hi Louisa,

I have a 15x30 AGP with functional water depth 4', approximately 12,500 gallons. It is used primarily by German Shepherd dogs.

It has a 1 HP 2-speed pump which runs 6 hours during the night on low speed. It is also on when the dogs are in the pool and about an hour after to skim the hair off the surface. Filtration is via a 19" sand filter which holds about 200 pounds of sand. I opted for a sand filter rather than cartridge because sand is easiest to clean. As it has turned out over the past 7 seasons I seldom have to backwash. The hair gets trapped nicely in the skimmer basket and the PoolSkim device. Some of it does sink to the bottom where it gathers in soft clumps and is easily scooped out.

We insist that dogs who use the pool have been brushed and that their nails are trimmed. If the owners don't do it, we will. One of our dogs tends to walk on the bottom with his hind feet and "swim" with his front paws. That dog has to wear booties on his hind feet.

To date, there is no damage to the liner anywhere despite the elegant turns our 'Esther Williams' dog likes to do whereby he pushes off the side of the pool after retrieving his toy.

For your size pool a 1 HP pump would be plenty. Running it on low speed will save a great deal of electricity expense. I previously had a 1.5 HP which overpowered the sand filter and damaged the multiport gasket which we had to replace each year.

Hope this helps a little.

[Watermom]

Actually, I think you can get by with a smaller pump than a 1hp. I'll ask Ben to offer an opinion on this for you.

[AnnaK]

That's a good idea, to get Ben's input. I gather Louisa's pool will be a commercial enterprise used to swim dogs. That presents an entirely different filtration issue from a pool used by children. She won't have to deal with urine (dogs don't pee while actively exercising) but she will have a lot of dog hair. No sun tan lotions but dander, instead. In my mind, for her 9,000+ gallon pool she'll want a pump and filter that does the job reliably well, not just something that'll get her by.

Louisa, be ready to do a lot of refilling and adjusting the chemical levels. The dogs will drag out an inordinate amount of water each time they exit the pool.

[Watermom]

The dogs will drag out an inordinate amount of water each time they exit the pool.
And, if you are nearby ........ share it with you! ;)

[AnnaK]

So true. Some days, you don't even need to get in the pool to get soaked and refreshed.

[K9SwimCoach]

That's a good idea, to get Ben's input. I gather Louisa's pool will be a commercial enterprise used to swim dogs. That presents an entirely different filtration issue from a pool used by children. She won't have to deal with urine (dogs don't pee while actively exercising) but she will have a lot of dog hair. No sun tan lotions but dander, instead. In my mind, for her 9,000+ gallon pool she'll want a pump and filter that does the job reliably well, not just something that'll get her by.



You're correct in that the pool will be used in my business for dog swimming. I have an indoor swimspa that is used for canine hydrotherapy and the larger AGP will be used for more athletic dogs. My 3000 gallon swimspa has a 3/4 hp 2 spped pump that seems to work well with the 175 pound sand filter for getting the water pretty clear after a full day of furry dogs.

Yes, dogs will get water on everything. Even on places you wouldn't think. When they shake, water really travels great distances. And no one ever leaves the dog spa with dry clothing!

I would love to get by with a 2 speed pump, but another pool retailer told me that it will be hard for me to get a 1 HP pump because they're not energy efficient and being in California, it's a problem. According to him, oversizing pumps has become such an issue that the State of California (a big pool state), recently enacted a law to control how big of a pump could be placed on a swimming pool.

I haven't yet been able to find out if there are energy efficient 2 speed pumps. Does anyone know?

Louisa
K9 Swim Coach

[K9SwimCoach]

I decided to go with the Pentair IntelliFlo VS 3050 High Performance Pump from Amazon for a total of $882 (includes shipping.)
My local pool supply retailer said they would try to match the price but I'm not holding my breath. I'm now shopping for a sand filter. It seems there probably isn't much difference between Pentair, Hayward, and other brands. If anyone has a differing opinon, I'd love to hear it.

Louisa

[CarlD]

Wow! That's a lot of money for a pump! A Hayward Superpump 2 speed 1hp is less than $500. That's what I have and I run it on low about 12 hrs /day, on a 19,000/20,000 pool--and yours is 10,000 gals. I think you are wasting serious money. But that's my personal opinion.

[K9SwimCoach]

The Intelliflow is almost $300 cheaper than if I bought if from my local pool supply place. The reason for choosing it is because it's more energy efficient than the 2 speed pump (or that's what the salesperson told me.) I am paying a lot for electricy per kw so I would rather pay more now for a pump and get long-term savings on my energy bill over the years.

Louisa

[AnnaK]

In general, a 2-speed uses 1/4 of electricity when on 'low' as opposed to the 'high' setting. I run mine at night when electricity rates are already reduced by 50% and I honestly do nt notice an increase in my bill during the summer. The A/C in the house consumes ever so much more power than my 1 horse pool pump on low speed.

[K9SwimCoach]

If the energy savings isn't that significant between running a variable speed pump on low vs a 2 speed pump on low, then it makes more sense to buy a cheaper 1 HP 2 speed pump. Thanks so much for your help!

Louisa

[AnnaK]

I learned about pool pumps by talking to several sales people at different pool stores. From each conversation I gained new information which I then used when talking to the next guy. It was a slow process. At the time nobody mentioned variable speed pumps, maybe they aren't popular in this local area.

[AnnaK]

Meant to ask, is your Aquatherapy swim spa a counter current pool? Indoors or out? Do you have a Website for your business?

. . . Never mind about the URL, I found it. I'm very interested in the skid proof floor covering you use. What is it? We have a serious problem with dogs slipping on the wet deck and have been looking for some sort of covering for years.

[K9SwimCoach]

I have gone to several pool supply stores and every salesperson has recommended a variable speed pump and so I thought that was the type of pump to get because of its energy efficiency and quiet operation. I'm going to look at 2 speed pumps now and make a decision as to which one to get.

The swimspa I have has two swim jets for current but it's not ideal. The SwimEx, in my opinion, has a better way of movnig water so that the water current feels more natural and is less noisy.

My contractor used Gaco Shield as the non-slip coating on the pool deck and I would never recommend it. It is very slippery when wet! I bought 3 x 3 outdoor rubber mats and use those on the pool deck, which work much better. They trap a lot of water and dogs haven't slipped yet. I used a good slip-resistant coating on the entry platform to get into the swimspa. It's called Deck Restore and Lowe's carries it. And it comes in a lot of colors and it wasn't as expensive as Gaco Shield. Much better product!

[AnnaK]

We looked hard and long at the SwimEx but could not figure out how to get steps in them to help the dogs get in and out. Everything we considered would have taken up too much space and money was an issue.

Thanks for the info on the Gaco Shield. We had put down some gym and wet room matting made by Kieffer Flooring. It worked well for bare feet but was far too slick for dog pads. It now graces our kitchen floor. Definitely non-skid when dry but not useful when wet. Now we have an indoor-outdoor rug on the pool deck in the area where dogs enter and exit and block off the rest of the deck when we have swimming dogs. No running allowed!

We're getting a little off topic here. Hope you find a suitable pump for your setup.