Hi all,

I bought a home in January. It's my third home, but my first pool. I've been browsing the forum for the past two months, trying to learn about "pool stuff" in between taking care of the many other things that need tended to around the new home. I hired a pool guy in order to give me some breathing room while I took care of the higher priority things, but I am getting close to trying my own hand at maintaining the pool.

I wasn't quite ready to post a question, and actually just registered to get all my ducks on a row, but then I realized I'll have less access than pre-registration until I post a question. So....

One of the things I have not decided on yet is what type of cleaner I want to use. The pool is about ten years old, is roughly rectangular (16' x 35') and is about 22K gallons. There is a spa next to it that spills over into the pool. The surface is plaster. The pool currently has a 2HP main pump with a dedicated suction line, and the current sweep is a Zodiac Barracuda G4. There is also a 3/4HP pump that runs two sheer arc waterfalls.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but I think my first "upgrade" should be replacing the old single-speed pump with a variable speed. Even if I don't believe the advertised 90% energy savings, I'm sure the savings are significant and the sooner I install it, the sooner it pays for itself.

I also need to address the cleaner (are cleaner and sweep the same thing?). The current cleaner is old and brittle, and a piece breaks off every week. In addition, it won't leave the deep end of the pool. The hose is long enough, but the hose also appears old, and I think there is a fitting missing where it connects to the vacuum line (the hose just plugs right into the side of the pool).

I've been researching robotic vs. suction-side cleaners because I figured those were my only two options, but as I type this, I'm wondering if my dedicated suction line couldn't be converted to a pressure-side line with a booster pump? Not that I needed a third option to consider....

Robotic cleaners seem to be pretty polarizing, either people hate them or love them, so it's been hard for me to feel comfortable going that route. I'm thinking about purchasing a new Zodiac Barracuda G3. The G4 is discontinued, but the earlier model is still in production and seems to get pretty good reviews.

Finally getting to the question, which is, am I defeating the cost-savings benefits of the VS pump if I use a suction-side cleaner and have to run it at the higher speeds in order to get the cleaner to operate?

I intend to use the BBB method, and just received my Taylor 2006 test kit today, so I'll definitely have more questions in the future.

Thanks in advance for any and all assistance!