1st pool - 26' x 48" Intex Frame - Round - filter/pump/SW upgrade help - Please!

[tcpnewbie]

Yes, we are crazy. We are putting up our first pool, and bought the biggest one we could afford! We already have a plan for leveling (grading, sand - foam - tarp with concrete pads under feet), but quickly realized the pump and filter that came with the pool are woefully inadequate.

Since we are new to this - and not terribly bright, as you have probably guessed - we are hopeful that the good people here will give us some advice about purchasing an adequate sand filter, pump and salt water system for this pool. We are hoping for something compatible, because the thought of trying to figure out fittings, etc., intimidates us to say the least. We are both nurses, so neither of us are very handy beyond the human body!

Any and all advice is welcome. We were planning to use foam sheets triple reinforced with Gorilla tape directly over the graded sand and covered with a good tarp - but if this isn't the best plan, we would appreciate hearing about that too.

Thanks in advance - so glad we found this forum!

 

[pooldv]

Re: 1st pool - 26' x 48" Intex Frame - Round - filter/pump/SW upgrade help - Please!

Welcome to TFP!

Congrats on the new pool. The Intex sand filter and SWG is a nice, reasonably priced upgrade for you. Lots of folks here have them and are happy with them.

 

[jmcdtucson]

Re: 1st pool - 26' x 48" Intex Frame - Round - filter/pump/SW upgrade help - Please!

That's a big pool!
Are you sure you have a plan for leveling? That is not an easy job and is the most important thing you do. If you already know all this feel free to ignore, but Intex does NOT prepare you for doing this right.
Dig down to level, don't back fill - it will settle.
Don't use sand except to smooth already level ground (don't use it to build up, it will wash away - or gophers will dig it out).
Use big pavers (4" thick) under the legs. Smaller may crack.
Pool must be level from side to side within 1" or you risk catastrophic failure.
Ask lots of questions here.

As to the easy stuff like the filter, these are what I have. They work great, are 100% compatible, and should be sufficiently high capacity even for that pool.
Filter
And the saltwater system

 

[tcpnewbie]

Re: 1st pool - 26' x 48" Intex Frame - Round - filter/pump/SW upgrade help - Please!

Thanks jmcdtuscon! I would appreciate more advice, if you are up for it - thanks!

Leveling - We are actually about to have our entire yard graded for various reasons, and thought we would use a stake and string to make a circle about 30'around, then use a 2 x 4 and level to scrape it, followed by a thin layer of sand, scrape again, then tamp it using a sod roller or tamper, cover with extruded foam pad triple taped with gorilla tape, then cover with a big tarp. We planned to sink the pavers level with the ground.

To set it up, we watched a video where two people got in and ran around there perimeter pushing out the liner, then stood opposite one another and jumped back slightly at the same to use their heels to further reduce wrinkles. They pulled out the legs one by one and leveled them on the slant, to accommodate the bowing produced by water weight.

Soooo, that is the current plan - but we are VERY open to suggestions, so any help is greatly appreciated. Thanks so much - very glad we found this site!

 

[jmcdtucson]

Re: 1st pool - 26' x 48" Intex Frame - Round - filter/pump/SW upgrade help - Please!

You are welcome. I can't imagine much more depressing than putting the pool up and filling it only to find it's out of level and you have to drain it and take it down.
It sounds like you have done your homework and are doing everything right. I have the extruded foam pad triple taped and it's great.
Leveling is the key it has to be perfect (within 1"). And also digging down, not building up.

Here's a discussion that has lots of info. Or just search the site for "leveling" and read discussions ad nauseum
http://www.troublefreepool.com/threads/75757-I-need-advice-on-leveling-my-ground

Good luck!

 

[jeffchap]

Re: 1st pool - 26' x 48" Intex Frame - Round - filter/pump/SW upgrade help - Please!

Here's a thread about my recent pump upgrade. I could not be happier. The only downside is having to mate the non-Intex hoses to my Intex pool, but it was really no big deal.

New pump arrived today