Hi everyone, this website is great and I want to say thank you in advance. I bought a short sale last year and the pool that it came with had not been opened in years. It took some time to get it up and running but the liner is shot (small tearing and really band fading and staining)and the pump is really old and loud and I keep hearing how great D.E. filters are (I currently have a sand) so I though hey lets just start anew. So the liner is being replaced and now I need help figuring out what other items I need. Its 16x36 with the shallow end around 3ft and the deep end about 8ft. I have calculated the gallons to be around 26,000 but i could be off. I was thinking a 3/4 hp pump but unsure about which D.E. filter. Also any help on a salt water generator systems would be great. Thank you guys again.
Bought a house with a pool
- Thread starter rickthenewb
- Start date
Welcome to tfp, rickthenewb 
What shape is the pool? Rectangular? Oval? Posting a picture might help us confirm your volume estimate (unless I am missing something, I don't think it is a big as 26000).
Lot's of opinions on this. I personally like sand, but that is what I am used to. What is the size (or if you don't know...model) of your sand filter?rickthenewb said:
What shape is the pool? Rectangular? Oval? Posting a picture might help us confirm your volume estimate (unless I am missing something, I don't think it is a big as 26000).
Even a true rectangle would only be about 21,000 and an oval would be about 19,000. Given that I'd say about a 36 ft² or a 48 ft² DE filter would be plenty and a 3/4hp full rated inground pump would be a good match too. I'd suggest a 2-speed pump even if you had to jump up to a 1 hp.
Are you happy with your sand filter? If so, be careful about switching....you may like the pros but not the cons.
wow thank you for the response
i was thinking the Pentair Superflo Pump 1HP 2SPD 1A
as far as the filter, I really dont need to change it I just thought that the D.E. would make my life easier
Last year I replaced the sand and the fingers in it so its in good shape
Maybe I will save the money on the filter and focus on the pump and salt generator
Any ideas on the salt generator, I saw the Hayward Salt n Swim but its so much cheaper than others that I thought it might be not that good
i was thinking the Pentair Superflo Pump 1HP 2SPD 1A
as far as the filter, I really dont need to change it I just thought that the D.E. would make my life easier
Last year I replaced the sand and the fingers in it so its in good shape
Maybe I will save the money on the filter and focus on the pump and salt generator
Any ideas on the salt generator, I saw the Hayward Salt n Swim but its so much cheaper than others that I thought it might be not that good
A sand filter is about as easy as it gets. DE is a little more work and a cartridge can be even more, however, none of them are killers to maintain. 
The Salt and swim cells are designed to only last one season and for the cost of replacing them you can buy a full blown system.
The Salt and swim cells are designed to only last one season and for the cost of replacing them you can buy a full blown system.
I think my pool is a similar size to yours and I have the 60 sqft DE filter and the 1HP Superflo you are considering. If you were going to change, I would suggest the 60 sqft DE, but my pool is open year round. If you have a shorter season and actually close the pool then a smaller filter would be fine.
I did not see you report your current sand filter size ... maybe it is too small and thus your consideration of changing.
Please add your pool details and location as described HERE as it will help us help you.
I did not see you report your current sand filter size ... maybe it is too small and thus your consideration of changing.
Please add your pool details and location as described HERE as it will help us help you.
sorry about that
the filter is a Hayward S220T Pro Series Top Mount Sand 22" Tank In Ground Pool Filter
the filter is a Hayward S220T Pro Series Top Mount Sand 22" Tank In Ground Pool Filter
So your filter is a 2.6 sqft filter. Our general recommendation would be for around a 3.7 sqft sand filter (26" diameter). All that really means though is that you will have to backwash a little more often.
Watch the pressure and when it goes up 20-25% over the clean pressure, then it is time to clean.
BTW, there is rarely ever a need to replace the sand in the filter. Now that you have done it, if you maintain the chemistry, you should be good with that sand for the next 10-100 years
Watch the pressure and when it goes up 20-25% over the clean pressure, then it is time to clean.
BTW, there is rarely ever a need to replace the sand in the filter. Now that you have done it, if you maintain the chemistry, you should be good with that sand for the next 10-100 years
Jason makes a very good point.....just be sure not to exceed the 100 year time limit.
Lol,
Thx
So im going to keep the filter
get the pentair pump
Now i need to figure out which salt generator to buy
Thx
So im going to keep the filter
get the pentair pump
Now i need to figure out which salt generator to buy
Often the choice of filter type is strongly influenced by your water / drainage situation, sand filters can consume a lot of water while back washing this means you need a place to drain hundreds of gallons of water, and of course you have to refill the pool which can be a problem in places where water is expensive or there are use restrictions. DE has its limitations here too, in some areas it is illegal to discharge DE into the sewers DE filters also need to be backwashed so you still have the drainage issue to be aware of, however the amount of water will be much less than with sand filters. Then of course there are cartridge filters, which just need to be hosed off, some people with no drainage options even take them to self serve car washes for this chore.
Having said all that I am happy with my DE filter, I used sand for many years before switching, and switched to get clearer water (less small suspended particles), and yes it is an improvement, but it is also more work.
Ike
Having said all that I am happy with my DE filter, I used sand for many years before switching, and switched to get clearer water (less small suspended particles), and yes it is an improvement, but it is also more work.
Ike