Upgrading an Intex pool to sand filter....

[aylad]

A friend of mine has a Intex 15' x 40' x 48" oval pool, with the pump/cartridge filter that was sold with the pool. In answering questions for him about upgrading to a sand filter, he's decided to do so. He is not able to tell me anything about the pump itself other than it's an Intex model 8111, which, in looking at the Intex site, almost appears to be a SWCG system? Since matching pumps and filters is NOT my forte, what is a reasonable (read: efficient) pump/filter combination for this pool?

Janet

[CarlD]

I think the tiniest Hayward combo is probably the best. The pump is 1/2 or 3/4 hp up-rated and the filter is a 100# sand filter. They can be had discounter for around $250.

Jan, I can't swear to those stats but they should be approximately correct.

Carl

[aylad]

Is it possible to use the existing pump, or is it always sold in a combo for the Intex pools? He couldn't find anything in the owner's manual or on the pump to tell him the HP of the pump he has, and I wasn't able to locate it on the website, either.

Janet

[CarlD]

Janet,

I haven't looked at Intex stuff in a while, but mine had the pump and cartridge filter as a single unit. I suppose you could leave out the filter and run it as a pump and then attach a 100# sand filter to it. No need for anything bigger as the Intex pump (at least the one I had) was all of 1/6 hp. I finally chucked the filter a few weeks ago as we've been filling up 20 and 30 yard dumpsters over the last year So I can't even try it. We finally chucked the pool which had been in the shed for 8 years--because we had to pull down the shed, too.

(The demo team used 2 20-yarders, then we went through a 30 yarder, 3 20 yarders, and now are filling ANOTHER 30-yarder as the decks are being re-decked)

[aylad]

Looking at this one http://www.amazon.com/Intex-100-Gall...1389540&sr=1-1

The pump appears to be 1 HP with 100# sand filter. Pool is 15' x 40' x 48" . Is the filter big enough, and is the pump too big?

Janet

[waterbear]

Looking at this one http://www.amazon.com/Intex-100-Gall...1389540&sr=1-1

The pump appears to be 1 HP with 100# sand filter. Pool is 15' x 40' x 48" . Is the filter big enough, and is the pump too big?

Janet

The pump is most likely max rated and the brake HP is .95 HP. This would be the same as a full rated 1/2 hp with a service factor of 1.9 or a 3/4 hp uprated pump with a service factor of 1.25. These are both the same pump with a brake HP of .95 such as the Pentair superflo pumps, which have these specs in their full rated and uprated models. This means that this Intex is a 1/2 hp pump. However, given Intex "quality" I suspect that it is just barely a 1/2 hp pump!

Are you sure that it is a 100lb sand filter? Most 100 lb filter skid packs come with 3/4 hp full rated or 1 hp uprated pumps so 1/2 hp full rated is usually enough.However, knowing Intex "quality" I would look at the slightly more expensive skid packs from Pentair and Hayward.


FWIW, the Intex unit is a pump, filter and SWG. Not sure if the SWG can be used separately but I don't think so. Intex has discontinued all their SWGs and the new ones they are selling also include a copper ionizer!

[aylad]

Are you sure that it is a 100lb sand filter?

FWIW, the Intex unit is a pump, filter and SWG. Not sure if the SWG can be used separately but I don't think so. Intex has discontinued all their SWGs and the new ones they are selling also include a copper ionizer!

I'm not positive that it's a 100 lb sand filter, I gathered that from the customer reviews of people who had already bought it. One of the reviews also did say that the HP was actually .95, so..........is a 1/2 HP pump big enough for this pool, and if so, what size filter do they need?

Janet

[Watermom]

Jan,
The volume of that pool isn't too much different than my pool. I have a 1/2 hp full-rated inground pump on my AG. Al selected it for my pool. Does just fine. And, I have a 200# sand filter.

[dmanb2b]

yeah, they ruined a good thing by adding that ionizer. I just picked up a 2009 model for a spare. At $130 bucks, it really can't be beat.