What pump and filter?

[jrh1010]

Hi guys, I am looking for some suggestions on pump and filter. I have a thread going in the above ground pool forum, but what I am looking for now are pump suggestions. I am thinking about just buying the pool (liner, frame, and skimmer) and purchasing the pump and filter separate due to the sizing issues normally found in pool packages (pump to big for filter and oversized for pool). I am kind of clueless, but not totally on pumps and filters. Can someone advise me on how to accomplish what I am looking to do. Is there a good setup (pump and filter) size appropriately in one package? I guess I will start there and see if I can narrow down to a choice. I am looking to purchase a 18'X33'x52" oval above ground pool. Thanks for any help and moderators, I hope this is appropriate having two separate threads going with somewhat the same information, all though not entirely the same : ) My kids are driving me crazy seeing as I have purchased a pool slide, but have no pool for them to slide into at the moment : )

[PoolDoc]

I'm going to see if Mark wants to work with you on this.

Meanwhile,
+ are there restrictions on water discharge in your area? (Forces a cartridge filter, usually.)
+ have you ruled any particular filter (DE, cartridge, sand) in, or out?

[jrh1010]

Thank you for the response Pooldoc. I have not ruled out any type of filter, but was thinking a sand filter from what I am reading. I have an intex and wasnt really fond of buying filters twice a month and the DE filters seem to be less efficient from what I have read, but to answer the question, I have not rules anything out. What is the forums thought on this? I will do some more reading on the filters, I just was leaning towards sand as that seems to be the norm and the easiest to deal with (without continually spending money on filters as I am sure that is the easiest). Cost is always a consideration though.

There are no restrictions on water discharge in our area. I live in the country for the most part.

[PoolDoc]

Hi JRH;

Your replies are moderated (checked) before they appear, so you only have to post them once, but then you have to wait till one of us checks it.

Gotta run, so I can't answer right now.

[mas985]

Why were you buying Intex filters twice a month? Most cartridge filters can simply be rinsed off and they should last you a number of years. Also, cartridge filters can be the most energy efficient filters to use for a pool so I would not discount them.

For AG pools, your best value may be a combo pack but unfortunately, to get a large filter, which you want, you have to go with a large pump, which you really don't want.

The two combos I would consider are the following:

Pentair Sand Combo

Pentair Cartridge Combo

You can get better combinations purchasing the pump and filter separately but it will cost a lot more money.

[AnnaK]

My pool is similar to yours; it holds 12,500 gal at its most efficient capacity. I have a 1 HP 2-speed pump and a 19" sand filter. My previous pump was a 1.5 HP 2 speed and more than I needed. It and the filter came with the pool. The pump is on a timer which turns it on at night and runs it for 6 hours, at low speed. It also runs for an hour or so after the dogs have been in the pool to skim dog hair. I have it on high speed only when I vacuum and for the backwash/rinse cycle.

I chose a sand filter rather than a DE or cartridge filter because, in talking with people at several pool stores before I bought anything, I concluded that the sand filter would be easier to maintain. Reading on the forums about cleaning cartridge filters and some of the issues people describe I'm glad I got sand. I didn't investigate DE filters in any detail and know nothing about them.

[mas985]

One of the most common reasons people complain about cartridge filters is because they have to clean them frequently and this is because the filter purchased for the pool was undersized. A properly sized cartridge filter should go at least 6 months between cleanings and in most cases should last a year. I would much prefer to clean my cartridge filter once a year, which takes less than hour, then to perform weekly backwashes of a sand filter or bimonthly backwashes for a DE filter plus recharging. Not only that, most DE filters require yearly cleaning of the grids away so it actually requires more maintenance than a properly sized cartridge filter.

Everyone has to make their own decisions. Just make sure you are not basing it off of people who made the wrong choice in filter size. But here are a few things to consider when choosing a filter:

Cartridge Filters: Most energy efficient and don't require backwashing. Best suited for areas with water restriction, high electrical rates and/or pools that use a SWG. But make sure it sized for at least 1 sq-ft for every 100 gallons of water.

Sand Filters: Easiest for algae clean up. Best suited for areas where the pool is closed for the winter and/or high algae potential.

DE Filters: Best filtration. Best suited for owners that love very clean water.

[jrh1010]

WOW guys. Thank you so much for all the help. This is exactly what I was looking for. Some people with real world experiences to talk to and figure out how to tackle my issue. Through your information, and some research, it really is between the sand and cartridge filters. We do have very high electric rates in my area and keeping my electric bill down would be great, but our water bill is tied to our electric bills, so a lot of the bill comes from water use as well ( I say this because the electric will be higher with using the sand filter and using the water to backwash the sand filter will show up on my electric bill again). My area does not make a distinction between septic water and yard water. All water used is taxes as though it is going to the septic system and increases the electric bill. Weird I know. Enough about that, just giving you guys an idea of where I am coming from. So some more questions just to understand:

- If I go with a cartridge filter (Pentair Clean and Clear) and I get the one with the 1/2 HP pump, can I put any size filter in there? Meaning I would need 120 sq. ft. filter for the pool size, but the website that list the specs on the filter say the 1/2 HP pump has an effective filtration of 50 sq. ft. Do I just put a 120 sq. ft. filter in the same housing? It appears as though that housing size is 18'". It looks like 33" is the size I would have to go with to get the 125 sq. ft. of filtration and it comes with a 1 1/2 hp pump. It also looks as though there is a 33" housing that has a 1 hp pump, but it is not 2 speed. They do make a 1 1/2 hp pump (2 speed) with a 33" housing. So many choices on these things.

- If I go with sand, which I still like the idea of also(seems to be more work weekly, but less detailed work like cleaning a cartridge) and I have always had a problem with Algae in my intex pool for whatever reason and my pool will be closed for the winters. ( I live in Eastern NC by the way) Not sure if that makes a difference or if someone could tell me if I should be having a problem with Algae in this part of the country (I would lean towards operator error honesly) This pump looks good (thanks for listing it above mas985), but they also have a 2 speed with all the same specs. Is 100 lbs of sand enough to filter a 12000 gallon pool.

PNSD0035DD1160 Product Pump
3/4 H.P.
1.4 Effective Filtration Area (Sq.Ft)
35 Flow1 Rate (GPM)
Turnover Capacity 8 Hour 16,800 10 Hour 21,000 25,200 12 Hour
100 Sand Required (Lbs)
16 Tank Diameteor (In.)
28-1/2 Tank Height (In.)

I am really looking for the right set up on this and money is less of an option as I want to really get this part right. A lot of information guys and again, thank you for all your help.

Jonathan