Is it possible 2500 GPH is too small for 16x48?

[auntlavender]

Last year I bought the intex 2500 gph pump for my 14' easy set. Though I had a few problems, overall I was quite pleased. I just got our new 16x48" up and running and for the last three days have gotten "low flow" errors from my new swg.

When I check the pump there is either major plugging around the pump opening (where the intake hose attaches to the pump) or the filter is blackish and cruddy. The filter in there now is two days old and I had to clean it with the hose this evening because the flow was slow

The pool sits, literally, next to three trees. One is a pine, and throws needles and the other is an apple, and is dropping tiny, pea-sized apples and leaves into the pool now due to the heat wave. Another factor is that my kids and their friends use the pool a lot, I make all the kids wear flip flops around the yard if they're not swimming so they don't drag more dirt into the pool.


We live right in the heart of Chicago, so there is a lot of dirt and dust in the air in general. Is it possible that with these conditions I need to upgrade my filter/pump? I assumed this unit would be more than enough for our needs but perhaps our situation calls for something more powerful?


I'm becoming very conscientious about keeping it covered, but this is kind of a pain because I like to be able to go out at odd times and have a dunk. Especially late at night.

I want the cleanest and clearest water I can get!




Thanks in advance.

 

[duraleigh]

Good morning,

Could you benefit from a larger pump and filter? Absolutely! Is it necessary? Probably not, but.....

you will have to do a lot more of the work yourself if you stay with your current setup. It is limited in capacity and, based on your description, it sounds like you have a pool that is stretching the limits of it's capacity.

You can continue the summer with your current setup and simply "upgrade" the amount of time you spend cleaning your pool....removing stuff mechanically with a leaf rake, dip net, and very frequent cleaning and replacing of the cartridges.

The second option would be to go to a sand filter/pump combo that produces somewhere around 60gph instead of the current 40gph your system is currently capable of.

So, I think it's safe to say that you can upgrade the time you have to spend with the pool or upgrade the capacity of the pump/filter. If you go with the pump/filter upgrade, there will still be work to do but most folks who have done that upgrade and reported it here on the forum are very happy campers! :lol:

 

[zea3]

Walmart.com has these sandfilter/pump combos designed for intex pools. The prices are very reasonable and the sand filters will go longer between cleanings than the little intex cartridges. You can also look into pumps and filters for above ground pools, but you mayl need to make modifications to the pool to connect them correctly. Craigslist and local want ads are good places to look for used pumps and filters.

 

[foster400]

I have the 2500 on my 18' easy set and it has a ton of flow. Have you checked the impeller? If one of the "wings" is broken it would most likely be noisy but that would decrease the flow. Do you have a skimmer on yours? Using a skimmer sock extended the time between cleaning my cartridge to about every 2 weeks from once a week.