Brand New AG Pool Owner

[michellepool]

Last year I bought a 15' diameter Summer Escapes (?) pool from wal-mart. First, the wasps came....in droves...there was almost no space to share the water with them (and Im terrified of them). Shortly afterwards, the cheapy pool filter that came with the pool stopped working. Eventually, the pool was green, gross and useless. So, this year Im determined to set it up again and have it be clean, clear, mostly wasp free and usable.

First, I need a new filter. I'm the only one using the pool, but I live in CO where water is expensive, then sun is intense and it rarely rains. My main concern with the filter is water clarity/quality, followed by cost, then maintenance. Water is use is also an issue, but to a lesser degree. I have been hearing a lot about DE, sand and salt water filters. Any thoughts?

My second concern is the wasps. I have heard that elevating the salt and borates (along with fake nests, alternate water sources etc) all might help reduce this problem. If I elevate the salt to ~2300-3000 ppm, will this eliminate any of the filter options?

My last question....has anyone tried the Hayward "Wanda the Whale" automatic vacuum....sounds really cool....but there are not any prices listed on the website.

Does anyone keep their pools filled year round? (The cost of water here is obscene, so if I can keep it full all winter it would be ideal. Our Trinidad winters are pretty mild (I moved here from Boston)), but we do get about 2 weeks a year of bitter cold and occasional snow.

Thanks!
Michelle

 

[BoDarville]

Welcome to TFP!

From a filter specifications perspective, DE will filter the smallest particles compared to sand or cartridges. However, the trade-off is that you need to be very careful handling DE to avoid breathing in the dust.

Switching gears and focusing on the big picture of water clarity, maintaining proper chlorination levels (FC) has more of an impact in maintaining crystal clear water than a filter. There are several examples on this forum where members maintained water clarity for extended periods without electricity (no pump/filter) by making sure they continued to maintain proper FC levels. The best filter in the world installed in a pool with inadequate chlorine will still turn green eventually - guaranteed. I keep my pool filled year-round. During the winter, I only run the pump/filter when temperatures get below freezing, when I'm adding chlorine, or if I need to run the vac. Even when I run the vac to remove whatever debris has settled on the floor of the pool, the water itself is still clear. Therefore, I would consider choosing a filter with the lowest maintenance and that would be a sand filter and focus your efforts on maintaining proper FC levels. Regardless of the filter medium, be sure to get a filter that is properly sized for your pool.

On the wasps, I have read that the fake nests seems to work fairly well. The concept behind the fake nests is that wasps are territorial and avoid areas where a nest already exists. Since this is a relatively low cost / low impact solution, I would give it a try. Borates also deter bugs of all kinds from the water. However, do not add more than 50 parts per million (ppm). You will need a borate test kit to make sure that you do not overdose. Here is a kit we recommend: http://tftestkits.net/Borates-Test-Strips-p29.html