The Pool Hunt Has Begun...

[Rhonda_M]

Hey folks!

There is so much great information on this site, but some of it seems Greek to me. We are starting our quest for an above ground pool, probably a 24' or 27' based on our yard size. The most popular retailer in our area is Family Leisure (Middle Tennessee).

I (think) I want to use a saltwater chlorine generator because the water seems so much... softer? if that is a good word for it. However, when I was looking at Family Leisure's website, they talk of something called, "Perma Soft." It doesn't seem to be what I perceive a SWCG to be. I've read enough on here to know that I don't want to get the "Pool Salesman Treatment" so I was wondering if anyone had any experience with Family Leisure in this area and what kind of salt system you might recommend.

I'd love pool recommendations too... they seem to sell these brands: Asahi, Wilbar, and Mighty Sun. (These are the ones on their website.) Anyone have any experience with these brands?

I'd love advice on liner weight too. Also, I read the recommendations from someone that said a larger filter is better than a larger pump. Will I have to strong arm the folks at the pool store to get them to modify their normal larger pump smaller filter push?

This is all extremely confusing on a product that will be a very expensive purchase and I want to do the right thing.

Any help appreciated.

Rhonda

[PoolDoc]

. . . membership updated.

+ It's definitely better to have a large filter, than a large pump.

+ I'm guessing by "Perma Soft" you mean PermaSalt? see http://pool9.net/permasalt/

[CarlD]

If all you want is a softer "feel" to the water you can get that far easier just by adding sufficient salt to your water--no SWCG required!. Home Depot sells 40# bags of Morton swimming pool salt for under $8/bag. Even 10 bags is less than $80...and will give you the "feel" without spending $800-$1600 on an SWCG system.

The SWCG is simply to generate chlorine from breaking the Sodium Chloride (salt) into chlorine. It doesn't save you money but it can keep your pool chlorinated for far longer without adding anything.

Generally, the thicker the liner the better, and 20mils is the absolute thinnest liner you should get. 25mils or 30mils will be tougher and stronger.

I think buying pools from local dealers is a lot like buying cars....

[Rhonda_M]

If all you want is a softer "feel" to the water you can get that far easier just by adding sufficient salt to your water--no SWCG required!. Home Depot sells 40# bags of Morton swimming pool salt for under $8/bag. Even 10 bags is less than $80...and will give you the "feel" without spending $800-$1600 on an SWCG system.

The SWCG is simply to generate chlorine from breaking the Sodium Chloride (salt) into chlorine. It doesn't save you money but it can keep your pool chlorinated for far longer without adding anything.

Generally, the thicker the liner the better, and 20mils is the absolute thinnest liner you should get. 25mils or 30mils will be tougher and stronger.

I think buying pools from local dealers is a lot like buying cars....

I had no idea you could do that! Just add salt to the BBB treatment to get that salt water feel? Ok. We don't travel a lot, so I don't think I'll have a problem staying on top of the chlorine and keeping it regulated.

Is there a guide that lists horsepower of pump and size of filter for X number of gallons? Also, should the installer use a certain size pipe to get better flow?

Thanks for the info. It's very much appreciated!
Rhonda

[CarlD]

Yup, just add pool salt, not sea salt or water softener salt.

Matching pumps to filters to plumbing is a bit of an art, but you want your filter's capacity to always be greater than your pump's or your filter will fail faster.

With an ordinary round or oval Above Ground pool, standard 1.5" PVC and TigerFlex will be fine. TigerFlex is flexible PVC but if you don't want it to leak, you must use it with glue-on Schedule 40 fittings just like hard PVC. Barbed fittings designed to go inside hoses WILL fail and leak if used with TigerFlex, no matter how many hose clamps you use.

[Watermom]

just to give you some perspective ----- I used to have a 24ft AG pool and now I have a 27ft AG. When it was time to replace my pump several years back, Poconos (used to be one of the other moderators here on the forum) picked out which one I should buy because he was more knowledgeable about that than me. He selected a 1/2hp full-rated inground pump for my AG pool and it is plenty powerful enough. Inground pumps are generally more sturdy than AG pumps are and are self-priming which is wonderful. (Sometimes AG pumps are a hassle to get and keep primed.) I have it paired with a 300lb sand filter.

(We OFTEN see AG pools with pumps that are too big paired with sand filters that are too small and the pump simply forces debris through the sand bed giving virtually no filtering.)

[Pappy]

Is there a guide that lists horsepower of pump and size of filter for X number of gallons? Also, should the installer use a certain size pipe to get better flow?

Thanks for the info. It's very much appreciated!
Rhonda

http://poolsolutions.com/gd/above-gr...-problems.html

The "Mismatched pumps and filters" is a good read. We just converted from a little Intex cartridge to a .75hp Intex sand filter. It works well and cleans the pool SO much better, but I wish we'd bought the .5 hp model.

Pappy

[Rhonda_M]

New question: We have been quoted a price on a pool we like and are starting to look at electricians. Any idea on a price tag for the electrician bill in Middle Tennessee? Pool will be about 40 feet from house.

[CarlD]

No one can say. It depends on the work done and what he runs and where. If lines have to be buried, it will require digging or a ditch-witch. When I did mine, I could run the conduit under the deck, but still it had to be routed back to a 220v GFCI breaker in the box, plus the timer. And, of course, banding the pool, pump, and ladders.

[BigDave]

Try to find a licensed electrician with pool experience. When you talk to them before you hire, ask what they'll do, let them tell you about bonding and fault protection.