Looking to buy our first pool.. Wondering about pricing and options..

[tbird2340]

We would like to get a pool mainly for family fun with our kids (6, 2, 10 months).. We go to a friends often but want to get one of our own..

Today we went to The Great Escape pool store.. They were supposedly having some major specials going but that's what I'm posting to find out..

I know nothing about pools.. Here is what they package was:

24' 54" Quest Pool - http://www.shopthegreatescape.com/pr...97_54%22-quest
ABS Pearl Wide Mouth Skimmer
Taupe Slid-Lock A Frame Ladder
Hayward 110 Filter (not the sand kind)
Hayward 2HP Pump
Solar Cover
Zodiac Konticki 2 Cleaner
Vac Equipment
Chemical Kit
Free delivery and install (dig up to 6")

Out the door price was $3,841..

No winter cover included and not sure if I should be looking for other options either..

The pool looked nice and supposedly the filter and stuff was the upgraded package.. I just don't know if that's good and it's hard to do local price comparisons because they all have pools with their own names etc..

Any advice would be greatly appreciated!!

Thanks!

[Watermom]

I haven't priced all this stuff to have no idea if it is a good deal or not but just a couple of comments.

That pump is WAY too big for this pool. In the case of pool pumps, bigger is NOT better. I am not the pump guru around here but I think a 3/4hp would be plenty of pump for this pool. (I've asked Ben to pop into this thread and offer pump/filter recommendations for you.)

What kind of filter is it? DE? Cartridge?

Also, don't buy the chemical kit. You're better off buying your own things to treat the pool with because that way you know exactly what all you are putting in your water and you can do it a whole lot more inexpensively. Lots of the pool chemicals being sold these days are what we call "voodoo mixes" with some stuff in them that you do NOT want in your pool.

You might also ask them if their installation includes some type of foam barrier under the liner and also any coves to form a smooth slope where the wall meets the floor so it isn't a sharp angle there.

Do some reading here on the forum and also on our sister website www.poolsolutions.com. (Until your registration is completed, you will have to log out to be able to see the rest of the forum, however.)

Welcome to the Pool Forum!

[tbird2340]

That pump is WAY too big for this pool. In the case of pool pumps, bigger is NOT better. I am not the pump guru around here but I think a 3/4hp would be plenty of pump for this pool. (I've asked Ben to pop into this thread and offer pump/filter recommendations for you.)

So they are selling a pump that is not good for the pool? I know it was a package "upgrade" deal that they have going on so I'm not paying extra for it but if it's not good for the pool and they are selling it to me I'd be pretty pissed.

What kind of filter is it? DE? Cartridge?

I believe a cartridge because he opened it up and it looked like this:

Also, don't buy the chemical kit. You're better off buying your own things to treat the pool with because that way you know exactly what all you are putting in your water and you can do it a whole lot more inexpensively. Lots of the pool chemicals being sold these days are what we call "voodoo mixes" with some stuff in them that you do NOT want in your pool.

It comes with the package.. I don't think they would make it any cheaper if I didn't get it.

You might also ask them if their installation includes some type of foam barrier under the liner and also any coves to form a smooth slope where the wall meets the floor so it isn't a sharp angle there.

I will ask them this.. Thanks

[Watermom]

It is common for AG pool packages to come with mismatched pump/filter combos. I have asked Ben to offer a recommendation for you in regards to your equipment.

That is a cartridge filter.

Regarding the chemical kit -- even if you do get it, I would advise not using it until you tell us exact ingredients and letting someone here help you decide if it is ok to use or not. Many pool store chemicals are what we call voodoo mixes and often have ingredients in them that you do not want in your pool.

[bradatkins]

Just to give you some comparison, not the same type of pool of course. Just bought a pool a week ago:

15x30' 54" Resin
Salt Water System
Skimer
A Frame Ladder
Sand Filter
Hayward 1.5HP Pump
Solar Cover
Winter Cover
No install
Vac Equipment
Chemical Kit
Liner
21 PC Styrofoam Cove
300 Gift Cert

Out the door price was $4495 ($3,555 without Salt System) + Cdn Taxes

[PoolDoc]

Unfortunately, prices in Canada (or Texas, for that matter) are not likely to be good guide to reasonable prices in Ohio, where the OP lives.

[Pappy]

From http://www.poolsolutions.com/gd/abov...-problems.html

A combination that will work fairly well for almost ALL above ground pools -- regardless of pool size -- is a 1/2 HP Hayward "Super" pump (mfg. model #SP2600X5), a 22" Hayward "PRO" sand filter (mfg. model #SP220T), a Hayward 1.5" "Vari-Flo" multiport valve (mfg. model #SP071113), and a cord set (#SPX1550WA [25 ft long] or #SPX1250 [6 ft long])

If I was in the market for a pump/filter on the pool you described , I'd probably go with a 3/4 hp 2 SPEED pump and a 250lb sand filter. I've also read that 2" plumbing instead of 1-1/2" will probably pay for its self in energy savings, for pumps 3/4 hp and larger.

[Pappy]

Get an Intex metal frame, above ground pool - the blow-up models are not reliable. Intex has the most consistent quality of lower end pools. This is the third season we've had our Intex and it has been WELL worth the money. We upgraded to a sand filter this year because the Intex cartridge filters don't do a great job(almost worthless with the Intex brand filter) and we didn't know there were higher quality cartridges available. Also, a 2 hp pump is way more than you need, and cost more to run. A 3/4 hp will probably work and 1-1/2 will be plenty.

Read this
http://www.poolsolutions.com/gd/abov...-problems.html

and this
http://www.poolforum.com/pf2/showthr...-Bestway-pools

[tbird2340]

So I'm thinking about buying all the parts and then having an installer install it..

The pool that my local store has that we like is called "Quest" and I found it sold online here: http://www.thepoolfactory.com/quest-24x54-round.html#

So other than the pool, I need advice on the pump / filter.. I read recently that for up to 24' you should get a 1HP pump and that getting more than that is actually counter productive.. Is that true?

Also, sand or cartridge? I'm leaning towards cartridge..

Thanks

[Watermom]

You are right in your thinking that too big of a pump is counter productive. In the case of pool pumps, bigger is NOT better.

I actually think if I was buying a 24ft AG (I used to have one), I'd go with smaller than a 1hp pump. Actually, when I had my 24ft, I initially had a 3/4hp. When it was time to replace that pump, I had Poconos (who is another moderator who is no longer active on the forum) pick out something for me to buy. He told me to get a 1/2 hp full-rated inground pump. I think it is a Hayward Superpump. Inground pumps are usually made a little more sturdily and also have the advantage of being self-priming which AG pumps are not. I now have a 27ft AG and am still using that same pump and it does just fine.

I have it paired with a 300 lb. sand filter. I prefer sand filters because they are by far the easiest to deal with. I have always had good filtration with my sand filters. They are easily backwashed (takes 2-3 minutes tops and requires nothing more than turning a handle on the multi-port valve) as opposed to having to actually take out and clean a cartridge filter which is a nuisance and can be a very messy job. In fact, a cartridge would be my last choice. (You'll get lots of opinions on which type of filter is best. )

There are several members of the Pool Forum support team who are way more knowledgeable than me about pumps and filters but until one of them comes by and gives you a good recommendation, I just thought I'd share what I have.