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

[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.