Am I choosing a good combination? pump & filter size

[leena]

Ok, I started a post last yr, then picked it back up this summer and after 4 pages of questions ( and me researching & reading on here), I think Ive simplified it down to this:

I have a 24' round above ground pool. 52" deep which I think is approx. 12k gallons of water? My old 1.5hp pump and 200lb sand filter are both cracked and didnt filter properly anyways. Here is the 2 I have chose to replace them with. Before I order, Id love for several of you experienced pool owners to offer you opinion. Is this Hayward 1hp, 2speed pump, a good fit for this 21" (200lb) sand filter? Or would you go with a 250lb or 300lb sand filter? Would getting a big sand filter hinder the ability of this pump to operate on low?

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00...=AWFPPQUZBOHNP

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00...=ATVPDKIKX0DER

[SunnyOptimism]

Unless my math is wrong, 24 ft X 52" = 14,440 gal. If you only fill to 48" (4ft), then it's 13,500.

I was going to answer your other post but it looks like you started this new one for clarity. If I were spending the money and it was my pool, I'd go with your 1-HP, 2-speed pump BUT I would buy the 300# sand filter. The sand filter will work better for filtration on low speed and, given the larger area of the filter, there will be slightly less head-loss on the pump. Not to leave out that you will also be able to go longer between backwashes.

Also, your previous post has valuable pictures in it which show that both your skimmer and returns are very close to one another (not the best arrangement but it is what it is) and very close to your equipment (less than a few feet of pipe). Therefore your plumbing has very low head-loss due to the short runs from equipment to pool. If you re-plumbed everything in 1-1/2" SCH40 PVC pipe, your pump will have more than enough power, even at low speed, to circulate and clean the water in your pool. My gut feeling is you will probably only ever use the high speed on the pump to do vacuuming and filter backwashing.

That's my final opinion on the matter for whatever it's worth. Good luck with your purchases.

[leena]

ok thank you so much for all your help in my previous posts! I can get the larger sand filters for $36 (250lb) more and $46 (300lb) more so I am very willing to do that. I got info overload from reading on here and somehow got it in my head that running the pump on low might be too "weak" to push it thru a bigger sand filter.......and the whole point in getting a 2 speed was so that I could mainly use it on low.I don't think I ever fully understood how it all works but I was very aware that the 1.5hp was way to big. My husband is a plumber so I should be able to get him to replumb all that like you said. So this 300lb sand filter will hook up to the above pump just fine even though it says its for in-ground pools?

http://www.amazon.com/Hayward-S244T-...27+sand+filter

[leena]

[SunnyOptimism]

So this 300lb sand filter will hook up to the above pump just fine even though it says its for in-ground pools?

The distinction is arbitrary. The controlling factors that go into sizing a sand filter (or any filter) are water volume and turn-over rate. My in-ground pool has a volume only slightly bigger than your above-ground pool (16,000 gal versus 14,400 gal). However, my equipment pad has much larger pumps and filters because of the longer plumbing runs and various water features; therefore I need bigger pumps to run my pool. So labelling a pump as "above-ground" or "in-ground" is really nonsense. What matters is how much water you need to move and filter and the best way to do that in a reasonable amount of time.

[leena]

ok, Im planning on ordering the Hayward 1hp, 2 speed pump SP15922S Power Flo Matrix and the Hayward S244T Pro(300lb) Sand filter thru amazon. Its thru Pool Supplies Superstore which was a little disappointing. Had hoped for Amazon Prime but its still free shipping.

So If anyone sees a potential problem with this combination, please chime in soon as I plan to make the order today. Thanks, will post my results when we get it all hooked up. Hope to take a pic of my before and after water.

And POOL sand from Home Depot or Lowes is ok?

[SunnyOptimism]

No idea on sand (I'm a DE filter guy) but I would say as long as it is pool sand then wherever it is cheapest....

Good luck and I look forward to seeing the pictures.

[mas985]

So labelling a pump as "above-ground" or "in-ground" is really nonsense.

Sorry but I have to disagree with this. There are some fundamental differences between a AG pump and an IG pump. Most AG pumps are NOT self priming so would not work on an IG pool at all. Also, the rating of AG pumps tends to be much higher than the equivalent IG pump. For example, a 2 HP Optiflo (AG) has about the same flow rate as a 1/2 HP Northstar (IG) so you need to be really careful about using an IG pump on a AG pool because it could very easily exceed the maximum flow rate of the filter.

[CarlD]

Sorry but I have to disagree with this. There are some fundamental differences between a AG pump and an IG pump. Most AG pumps are NOT self priming so would not work on an IG pool at all. Also, the rating of AG pumps tends to be much higher than the equivalent IG pump. For example, a 2 HP Optiflo (AG) has about the same flow rate as a 1/2 HP Northstar (IG) so you need to be really careful about using an IG pump on a AG pool because it could very easily exceed the maximum flow rate of the filter.

mas985 is perfectly correct. However, I use the Hayward Superpump 1hp 2spd with a Hayward 200# top-mount sand filter and have for a dozen years with no problem. I could use it with a bigger filter and if I ever have to replace the filter I will. However, with my pump you cannot safely use a smaller filter. In-ground pumps are usually "full-rated" and AG pumps are usually "up-rated", meaning loosely they are assigned more HP than they have. More simply, a 1hp up-rated will not flow nearly as much water as a 1 hp full-rated.

Sunny, I'm going to say it again: Please check your information before you post it.

[leena]

ok, so you are saying the pump & filter I have picked out IS OKAY together or NOT OKAY together for my pool? 1hp, 2speed above ground pump and the 300lb in ground filter........both Hayward

There is only $10 difference in the 250lb or 300lb filter but I don't understand about the sizing so am just going by what everyone says about the bigger sand filters being better