OK Everybody,,,,,,Here We Go!!!!

Jump to latest Follow Reply
DMAN11

DMAN11

0
LifeTime Supporter
May 12, 2008
95
Baton Rouge, LA area
Hey Everybody,

I'm new to the forum, and have like other new owners,,,, ALOT of questions, so here we go!!

To start off, we are ordering a 27' AG, 1.5 hp, 22" sand filter, 52" beaded liner, automatic chlorinator.

That's the basics, so now the questions,,,,,,

First, does this sound like a decent package given that I don't know any brand names of the parts listed??

Secondly, a "center" or "main" drain,,,,,YES or NO????

Third, I was told that running the pump and filter stuff off of 220 is better than 110 electric. Is this correct??? The pool place did tell us that we can do this, it is just a matter of switching a couple of wires on the pump itself. Is it worth it???

Fourth, Automatic cleaners.... possibles include Polaris 65 (pressure), and Sta Rite Lil Shark (suction).... Any info on either of these? Should we use suction or pressure??? Pros and Cons???? I also have read ALOT about 2 and 4 wheel robots. These look and sound pretty good, any recommendations on these?

I know this is very general stuff, and there are probably tons of threads on here about all of these, but I wanted to put these questions out there....

So, thanks for all of your info that you guys share......

DMAN.......Can't wait to get going.........
 
Running the pump on 220 is usually better because longer wiring runs don't have as much loss because 220 runs on half the current of 115. The switch to 220 is very simple. Your electrician can advise you on what is easiest or cheapest for you.

Your pump is a little large, IMO. I think you'd be happier with a 1HP pump and a 24" sand filter. A larger pump costs more to operate, and I doubt you'd need the extra flow. I have a 21,000 gallon IG pool with a 1HP pump/24" filter that does a great job.
 
Welcome to the forum!!

Keep asking lots of questions. Read the "Stickies: on the home page...lot's of info.

I'll comment on the pool cleaners. It is my opinion that you pay for horsepower (cleaning capability) . A small pool does fine with a small (less expensive) cleaner and a huge pool needs a hugh (VERY expensive) cleaner.

Suction side cleaners tend to be the least expensive and therefore, the slowest cleaners. Pressure side are mid-range in price and seem to fit well for most mid-size pools, etc, etc,. Robots clean the fastest and are the high end in price.

A pool the size of your's would do well with a very good suction-side cleaner or a mid-priced pressure side.
 
A floor drain is nice to have but it can be a source of on going problems. Any place there is a hole in the liner you have the risk of leaks. Properly installed it should be fine, but over the years there is always a chance of problems. You can get by just fine without a floor drain, though they are nice to have.
 
Thanks guys for the replies, I really appreciate the info. I'm glad I found this forum because it will definitely help to be able to bounce stuff off of you guys in the future.

John T,,,, the 1.5hp pump is part of the package that comes with the pool, would you suggest downsizing to a 1hp according to what you are saying? should I check into that ya think??

Dave,,,, as for those cleaners, any suggestions on a good suction or pressure side??? Are the ones I mentioned familiar to you guys--- I'm sure the Polaris 65 is... Either of the ones I mentioned, we can get from the pool place for about $200. Should I shop around or is that decent. OR we are willing to go up a little for one of the robots if it is worth it, and of course if it is not up around those $2000 models. I have seen some "pool rover"??? for around $300-350 I think. Is it worth it or should I just stick with one of the lower ones??

JasonLion,,,,,That's kind of the feedback I've been getting. Some say yay, some say nay. I kinda of lean toward the view that you mentioned that it is another hole in the liner that might cause problems down the road. Why would I want to have a hole cut in perfectly good liner,,,,right? Plus, the installer that I spoke to about installing is kind of skitish about the drain idea. He stated that he hasn't done that many and he kinda leans away from them. This has me kind of leary about having him do it.

What do you guys think????

Thanks again for the info, and any others please weigh in on this for me. I want all the info I can get from ALL of you guys out there......


DMAN
 
DMAN,

I strongly suggest you skip the drain. Nothing but bad things can come from it and it really would only help you if you had a 10' diving end in the pool. I doubt you'll ever miss it.

I'm not too much help on cleaners. I've struggled with a Sta-rite "Lil' Shark" (suction side) for 3 years and it was simply a POS. I have tried an old, used Barracuda G3 for a while and something was not working right in it but it simply wouldn't have been fast or powerful enough for my pool. I've got a big robot now and it's w-a-a-y overkill for your pool.

Rather than just repeat what I've read in other posts, I'll bet some folks will be along soon that have pools just about your size and can relay their cleaner experiences to you.

Once you decide on one, there's about 2-3 million places on the internet to purchase.
 
Oh Dave! My Lil Shark works ok - not really wonderful like something more expensive but ok. I compare this to netting out by hand and using a venturi vac system. It does a reasonably ok job for my size pool, just not really super fast is all. BTW, I AM getting a robotic cleaner because I'm lazy and am a gadget girl. PoolRoverJr seen for $299 -

My advice, if you can afford a PRJr, get one instead of either pressure or suction side.
 
OK mom,,,so I've done some looking at the poolrover jr. But on different sites they show a JR. T, a JR. C, and of course just a plain JR. Any idea what the difference is between the three different models? If there is a difference....

This does look like a good little cleaner, and after looking at the others I considered, the Polaris 65 only has a 24' hose, and I've read (not only here), a few bad things about the lil shark. However we would be willing to go up to the JR. if it is worth it. I've read alot of good things about them, so who knows.....

Thanks so much for your response.... I'll be asking alot more of you and others in the future..... :wink:

DMAN
 
duraleigh said:
DMAN,

I strongly suggest you skip the drain. Nothing but bad things can come from it and it really would only help you if you had a 10' diving end in the pool. I doubt you'll ever miss it.

I'm not too much help on cleaners. I've struggled with a Sta-rite "Lil' Shark" (suction side) for 3 years and it was simply a POS. I have tried an old, used Barracuda G3 for a while and something was not working right in it but it simply wouldn't have been fast or powerful enough for my pool. I've got a big robot now and it's w-a-a-y overkill for your pool.

Rather than just repeat what I've read in other posts, I'll bet some folks will be along soon that have pools just about your size and can relay their cleaner experiences to you.

Once you decide on one, there's about 2-3 million places on the internet to purchase.
Click to expand...


i have an almost 10' deep end pool, and i can tell you i have only twice wished i had a main drain. im actully glad not to have one, one because the dam* things scare me to death (one of my only fears) and two because of the hole that i would need in my liner.

glad i dont have one, my two skimmers work just fine.
 

Enjoying this content?

Support TFP with a donation.

Give Support
It is completely possible for an above ground pool to have a main drain. It is usually only done on the larger AGPs where there isn't any serious chance of moving the pool once it is installed. It isn't any different than having a main drain on an in ground vinyl liner pool except that there is a bit more of a chance of freeze damage.
 
Cary and Dave....

Are you guys kidding me??? You guys haven't heard of center drains on AG pools? That's GREAT!!..hehehe I'm glad you mentioned this. I have seen a few here and there, and an installer actually told my sister that he recommends it when he installed her pool without one (go figure). So I wasn't sure either, but your 2 comments helps me out alot, and along with the others that replied, I think I have decided that we will NOT go with a center drain.

Whew!!! One decision made, and only about a hundred more to go!!!!

Thanks Guys,,,,how bout those other questions mentioned,,,,you guys ever here of those in or on an AG pool??hehehe

DMAN
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Thread Status
Hello , This thread has been inactive for over 60 days. New postings here are unlikely to be seen or responded to by other members. For better visibility, consider Starting A New Thread.
Top Bottom
Back
Jump to latest Follow Reply