Full Equipment Refresh, Advice Needed

[henryjdog]

Hi all,

I'm looking to do a full equipment refresh this year and could use some advice. Basically replacing everything between the return lines and supply line.

Pool:
40k gallon in-ground with vinyl liner
dogbone shape, ~41' long by (21'-18'-21') wide
~3.5' to 9.5' deep, mostly slope and deep end
about 10 years old, I have owned it for 6 yrs

Other details:
I am just west of Indianapolis and surrounded by trees and farm fields. We winterize, typically have it open from May-Sept. Previous equipment was just a pump and sand filter, but I'd like to step things up. The goal is for my family to swim as much as they can with as little work as possible.

This is my first thought for a setup:
Pump - Not sure on this, may depend on automation. I normally left the old pump on 24/7, so not sure if VS pump would benefit me.
Filter - Had sand but considering cartridge. I have a Pentair Clean & Clear 420 catridge in the shed from the previous owners, who replaced it with sand because they couldn't get the water clear.
Heat pump (no gas available here)- Looking at either Hayward 140 btu or Pentair 125k btu, just based on size and brand recognition
SWG - Currently on chlorine, would like to convert
pH feeder - May depend on automation
Robotic Cleaner - I've seen good things about Blue Diamond, but haven't done much research
Automation - Not sure if I would get any value from this. Would the individual systems be sufficient? (SWG, pH monitor feed, heat pump, ...)

Some questions I have:
1. Should I stick with the same brand for all items? Do brands "play nice" with each other?
2. Will I regret a cartridge filter when I open the pool? It has been green every year I've opened it. The previous owners said they changed because they had trouble getting the water clear with the cartridge.
3. Will the Hayward 140k btu provide more heat than the Pentair 125k btu, or is there another factor that would affect performance? Any other heat pumps I should consider?
4. I've seen SWG cells for 40k gallons. My pool is somewhere in the range of 38k-40k gallons, would I be pushing the limit?
5. Anything else I should consider?


Any advice will be greatly appreciated!

 

[tim5055]

1. Should I stick with the same brand for all items? Do brands "play nice" with each other?
2. Will I regret a cartridge filter when I open the pool? It has been green every year I've opened it. The previous owners said they changed because they had trouble getting the water clear with the cartridge.
3. Will the Hayward 140k btu provide more heat than the Pentair 125k btu, or is there another factor that would affect performance? Any other heat pumps I should consider?
4. I've seen SWG cells for 40k gallons. My pool is somewhere in the range of 38k-40k gallons, would I be pushing the limit?
5. Anything else I should consider?

Welcome to TFP!!

First, your specific questions:

1. Should I stick with the same brand for all items? Do brands "play nice" with each other? Generally no
2. Will I regret a cartridge filter when I open the pool? It has been green every year I've opened it. The previous owners said they changed because they had trouble getting the water clear with the cartridge. Opening to a green pool is a factor of chemistry and when you close/open (see below) A filter is needed for a clear pool, but proper chemistry is more important.
3. Will the Hayward 140k btu provide more heat than the Pentair 125k btu, or is there another factor that would affect performance? Any other heat pumps I should consider? I'll leave this to our heater experts
4. I've seen SWG cells for 40k gallons. My pool is somewhere in the range of 38k-40k gallons, would I be pushing the limit? Way too small. You want a SWG rated for at least twice the volume of your pool. 40k pool 80k SWCG
5. Anything else I should consider? Yes, chemistry before equipment. No matter how big the pump or how good the filter, they can never clear a pool that has stuff growing in it.


To follow the pool care methods taught here you need to arm yourself with the knowledge and tools necessary to care for your pool.

The knowledge is condensed in the Pool School link at the top of every page. It is a great community here, but we do ask that you read and try to understand the information being taught. Questions are always welcome and folks will try to direct you and teach you the methods.

The tools are not limited to the brushes, vacuum hoses and other stuff you use around the pool, but include the most important item - one of the recommended test kits. You can buy a kit at a pool store, but again the pool store kits generally won't cut it. To effectively practice the TFPC methods, the FAS/DPD chlorine test is essential. All these kits contain that test while very few other kits do. Think of it this way, do you see a doctor blindly prescribing drugs without seeing the patient or having tests run? Here at TFP we are going to ask for photos so we can see the condition of the water and are going to ask for a full set of test results.

Now I can climb down from my soapbox and add more information specific to your pool. These are my opinions - consider them worth what you paid for them. You seem to be interested in automation and devices to replace pool care. pH probes used to automate acid delivery a poor at best in my opinion. Other automation works well with controlling valves for spas/heaters/waterfalls and other ancillary items. If all you have is a pool, fancy automation is not going to do anything other than lighten your wallet. If you skip the automation and go with a great filter and at least a 2 speed, but possibility a VS pump you will be ahead of the game and will save money.

Generally look at smaller pumps than you think you need and larger filters. If you have a 1 H pump now , don't think a 2 HP will keep the pool cleaner. Again, the clarity of the water is usually more dependant on proper chemistry.

If you switch from sand to a cartridge get one of those nice (expensive) big four cartridge jobs. They will keep you from wasting your weekends cleaning the filter each week.

When it's time to close, wait a little longer. You don't want to close the pool until the water is colder than 60, 55 would even be better. As spring rolls around do the opposite, open when the water is cold, really cold. Again, try to have it open with chlorine going in before it gets back up to 55. Cold water retards the ability of algae to reproduce quickly. Follow this simple tip and the opening to a green pool is probably a thing of the past.