Above ground bestway/intex pool problem with small particles

[simon in hamble]

Hi all, I am a new member from UK.

My chlorine level and ph level is correct but since I have got the pool 2 years ago I get small particles laying at the bottom if the pool is not used for 2-3 days.I have used flock to try to get them all to the middle which did not work.

The only way I have found to remove them is to use a large garden hose , run it out to the front of my house and painstakingly move the end of the hose all over the bottom of the pool and suck the bottom level of water out along with the small particles.

No way will my pump remove this stuff, I have tried everything including covering the filter cartridge with very very fine fabric.

Any help will be appreciated

Thanks
Simon

 

[Jamison04]

Re: Above ground bestway/intex pool problem with small parti

The intex cartridges aren't the best at filtering fine particulate matter out of the water unfortunately. Intex makes a sand filter/pump combo that is 1000 times better at filtering than the stock paper filters. After 6 yrs of struggling with the same thing I bought the sand filter and wished I had done it a a lot sooner! Unfortunately with out a better filter you are stuck vacuuming to waste as you've been doing

 

[frogabog]

Re: Above ground bestway/intex pool problem with small parti

This is a temporary fix as far as I see it but I have too struggled with the heavy/fine particulates this year and it works. It will however require you to clean your filter every day, and that's just too often for my tastes.

Walmart makes filter cartridges for Intex style pump/filters. They are walmart brand, darker blue on the ends and the filter material looks like a white miniscule solar cover (like dots). The Intex types look more like dryer sheets. The dotty walmart filters cleared all that fine stuff up within hours and the pool has been so clean on the floor since I switched.

They loose most of their ability to pass water through in about 24 hours and need to be cleaned. Apparently the pump can't handle the better filter media.

Personally, I'm waiting for H to build the base and pump house for my new sand filter. After about 5 years of these pumps, I'm ready for something better.

 

[Jamison04]

Re: Above ground bestway/intex pool problem with small parti

Yes! The walmart ones with the dots are way better at catching the smaller stuff. I forgot about those! I have to agree that the daily sometimes multiple cleanings a day were not fun hence the struggle

 

[simon in hamble]

Re: Above ground bestway/intex pool problem with small parti

Thanks guys, but we do not have Walmart in Uk, think I may have to splash out on a decent pump next summer.You are so lucky my pool has been up since mid June and I have only been in it 4 times.

 

[frogabog]

Re: Above ground bestway/intex pool problem with small parti

Unicel makes a filter that works in the Intex pumps, it's supposed to be much better. I saw some the other day at a pool store but didn't buy them. Probably should have. About $8.

Do some searching for Unicel online, the Unicel website has a distributor location tool. Maybe they have some European distributors?

Oh, I never go in my pool. Too cold. The weather this summer stinks.

 

[jakeinga]

Re: Above ground bestway/intex pool problem with small parti

Thanks guys, but we do not have Walmart in Uk, think I may have to splash out on a decent pump next summer.You are so lucky my pool has been up since mid June and I have only been in it 4 times.

We just bought a new pool this year and had no idea how to take care of it. The 700gph cartridge pump sure didn't help matters. I could not pull enough suction to vacuum and the salt water generator kept reporting low flow even when I was changing out filters DAILY.

Got fed up and ordered the 1600gph sand filter pump from Intex and can't believe how simple it is to keep the pool clean now. Vacuuming takes 10-15 minutes tops. Haven't had a single issue with salt water generator, as the flow is enough to keep the 14' pool churning constantly.