Newbie to pools, advice before i purchase

[gtnos]

Hello. Im new here and new to pools. Wife and I have always wanted one, now have new house with space. This is what i am wanting to purchase:

Intex 18x48 Ultra Frame Above Ground Pool

Intex Saltwater system

Here are my questions:

After reading some on the chemical pool treatments, I have read alot about the ease of the saltwater filtration. This pool will come with the pump and filter cartridges (which im told by many I will come to hate in no time) so, if i go with the saltwater filtration, then will I still have to use the cartridge filters?

Secondly, other than than adding pool salt, monitoring pH, algae control and skimming and vaccuuming, is there any other regular maintenance I will need to perform with this system?

Will this pool be big enough for my family of 6 consisting of 2 adults, a 14 year old, a 9 year old, 10 year old, and 2 year old?

what else do i need to know about this pool or owning / maintaining this pool.

thanks!

 

[Isaac-1]

I strongly suggest reading up in the pool school link in the upper right, then search the forum on the Intex brand Salt water chlorination systems.

The first thing you really need to understand before that is they are not salt water filtration (I have seen that term used before, I am guessing it comes from the Intex advertising material). What these pools have is a Salt Water Chlorine Generator, the way this works is you add common salt (Sodium Chloride) to the pool, then the SWG cell passes electricity through the salt water which breaks the salt down into Sodium and Chlorine ions, effective generating your own chlorine on site as opposed to adding liquid chlorine / bleach to the water, you still have a number of other chemicals you may need to add to your water to keep it balanced, acid if the pH is high, or maybe Baking soda if your TA is off, etc. The filtration part of this system that Intex sells is a cartridge filter, which is a pleated filter that you either clean or dispose of much like a filter in a bagless vacuum cleaner.

 

[fast1971chevelle]

If you have room for a 24x52 I would go with that one for a family of 6 plus you have to figure in your 14 year olds friends.....lol.
You still have to have the filter it plays a vital part in keeping your water debris free and the swg turns salt into chlorine to sanitize the pool water.....I would like to recommend the tf100 test kit from tftestkits.net that will become your best friend and it plays a vital role in keeping your pool water crystal clear and algae free.......Mike

 

[gtnos]

thanks for the replies fellas. I took the dive (pool pun intended) today on the 18 x 48 intex ultra frame pool. where im putting it at, 18 is about as big as I can really go. however, i ditched the saltwater generator idea... at least for now and spent the money on the intex sand filter so that I dont have to jack with cartridges. i would like to look into saltwater later, but for now, i cant seem to find any real good info on the intex saltwater *clorine generator* (yes the intex propaganda says "filtration") probably simplicity language for idiots like me that dont know any better....

searching intex saltwater generator on here i couldnt find any info... does no one have one?

also, someone was telling me that the intex pumps do not flow enough to circulate the pool well and filter it properly and that i will need a better pump. anyone here using the intex pump that came with thier pool? if not, what should i consider upgrading to?

thanks in advance... im looking forward to relaxing in this pool.... plan on getting it set up in a week or so... have to haul in some sand and do some leveling first

also, should i buy a test kit? the local pool store is just around the corner..... and does free tests on any samples i bring in...

 

[linen]

Welcome to tfp, gtnos

A number of posters on here (I am one) have the intex saltwater chlorine generator (swg). It has been working great for me for three years. It upside is cost, and its downsides are it has limited programmablilty and once the cell dies you generally replace the whole thing. With that said, I would get started using the tfp methods and once you are comfortable with the pool chemistry decide then if you want to go swg.

Great choice to opt for the intex sand filter over the cartridge...night and day. Which one did you get?

Make sure to dig the rest of the pool down to the lowest point, do not use sand to level.

Pool store results are really hit and miss when it comes to reliability. I would highly recommend getting one of the recommended test kits: http://www.troublefreepool.com/pool-school/pool_test_kit_comparison It will save you money and time in the long run. Many of us have the tf-100 since it is the best value.

 

[gtnos]

ok, after further reading on here.... finally found an awesome thread on the intex pumps... thanks to this site as i could not find info ANYWHERE else....

i ordered the 1200 gph sandfilter pump on walmart.com earlier today for $122.00. it will be coming site to store in about 2 days. when it arrives, i will pick it up in the back, walk up front to customer service, and get a refund on it.

why? because from what im gathering... more flow is definately better and im not sure 1200 gph is gonna cut the mustard. so, soon as i get my refund, i will pop down an extra mere $34 and get this beast:

http://www.amazon.com/Intex-56671EG-650 ... m_sbs_lg_1

to me, a 1 hp 2650 gph sandfilter pump sounds a lot better.... my kids are super excited about this pool, so is the wife and I, so i want this baby Krystal Clear....

plus.... i should only have to run this pump/filter about 1/2 the time i would have ran the smaller one.

and forget the cheap POS pump that came with this pool, i could tell the minute i unpacked it that it is garbage.


linen - first, i 100% agree with you on the saltwater generator, im gonna put that upgrade off until later when i know more of what the heck im doing, thats why i went with the sand filter purchase for now instead. i think ill be happier with a better pump and sandfilter than a SWG.

secondly, why not use sand to level? i thought that is how everyone does thier pools? to let you know about my site, we just bought a new house back in august, its on 3/4 an acre, all down hill slope to a pond at the back of the back yard. the builder only sodded 1/2 the back yard so have sodded the rest by hand.

before doing so, I borrowed dad's tractor and 5 ft landscraper box blade and cut a lot of that hill down where there is a nice, pretty flat and smooth area for the pool. in this area there is not a stitch of grass, no roots, rocks, its clean and here in Oklahoma, the soil is already very sandy. this spot is fairly level already, in fact, when i taped my 4 ft level on a 2x16 and checked it, side to side it is near perfect level, going downhill it drops about 3-4 inches. the ground is pretty hard there so i figured i would put about 2 inches of sand across the whole thing to pad the liner, and then build up and tamp the down slope to bring that 3-4 inches up to level.

if i used a shovel and cut the dirt down, one it would take forever, two it would leave a very rough surface that wouldnt feel to good under foot and might even damage the liner.

or is there another way to do this?

thanks!

 

[byteme]

Greetings and welcome!

As a new convert to TFP and BBB, myself, I would first say to get one of the recommended test kits and do your own testing. You need to be able to see, daily, what your pool is doing and, when performing the shock process, you need a kit that will enable you to read the higher levels. You'll discover, VERY quickly, that your test results will be much more accurate than the pool store's.

We have a 24' round above ground. Our yard is gently sloped and we dug out the high side of the yard to level it. We put about 3" of sand on the inside of the pool frame, underneath the liner, to provide a smooth, compact surface and to protect the liner floor. (We have tons of roots!)

The experts here are absolute geniuses, in my not so humble opinion!

Welcome!