New to TFP and contemplating above ground pool

[dustang]

I've been reading quite a bit on this website for the past couple of days and have learned quite a bit. Thank y'all for the great information.

The brilliant idea struck me last week to get a pool. I definitely want to go above ground so I visited some of my local stores. What I found was at the very least disheartening. The 18' above ground kits were going anywhere from $3000 to $5000 with an installer charging upwards of $1000. This was not going to work with me.

I started searching online for DIY videos because the deal breaker for me was the installer. I'm pretty good with my hands and under 30 so I have plenty of energy to do it myself. After coming to the conclusion that this was something I could easily undertake with my roommate and girlfriend I began shopping online for pool kits. The $3000 Highland pool at my local store lacked the equipment I wanted and the pool was not salt safe. The $5000 Cornelius Kamika contained much of what I was looking for but at a steep price tag. I found discountpoolkits.com after many hours of searching but turned myself away after reading the BBB rating and complaints (plus searching this forum). I then found thepoolfactory.com on this forum and it looks to have what I am looking for. I am thinking of the below setup.

18'x52" Saltwater 5000 Round Pool

18'x52" Round Uni-Bead Portofino Liner - 25 Gauge

Hayward XStream 100 Cartridge Filter System 1-HP Power-Flo Pump
or
Pentair CC125 Cartridge Filter System 1.5HP Opti-Flo Pump

Confer Evolution Resin A-Frame Safety Ladder 7100

18' Round Armor Shield Liner Floor Pad

18' Round Peel N' Stick Foam Pool Cove

A couple of questions for ya'll.

First, what do you think of my setup? Am I missing anything? I was thinking about a robot as well and will get to that later in my questions. I will also pick up the standard leaf picker upper and a TF-100 test kit.

Second, which filter would be best in terms of the least maintenance and most energy efficient? Reliability is important as well.

Third, what about the pool pad I have selected? I read about the Perfect Bottom on discountpoolkits.com and it seemed to be an awesome product. I don't want to haul 4 feet of sand into my yard (I know some will be needed even if I level the ground) and don't want the hassle of making the cove if I can help it. Will the floor pad and cove work just as well as a Perfect Bottom?

Fourth, I was thinking about a robot as well. Does it require anything special to the pump? Should I plan to have an outlet close enough for it to be plugged into?

Fifth, do online pool retailers run amazing deals on Black Friday? I don't want to wait that long if they don't but if it would save me a couple hundred bucks I would force myself.

And last, the outlet I plan on using is in my large shed. I can easily run the wire to the shed and have the pump next to the shed but the pool will probably be another 5-10 foot away from the shed/pump. Will I be able to run pumping from the filter to the pool that far? If I need to put the filter closer to the pool could I dig a trench and then run a large gauge extension cord another ~10 foot contained in PVC and then bury it (I'm good with a lot of things, but not electricity. If forced I will learn but I would rather not)?

Thanks to everyone in advance for your answers and advice!

 

[Casey]

Welcome to TFP!

If you can go with a 2 speed 1hp pump then do so. You can run the sweeper on high and then switch it to low for maintenance and save money on electric.

As far as filters go, DE will filter more particles, then the cart and then the sand. You can back wash the DE and sand but not the carts. They will need sprayed off. Just a heads up... I love my DE filter but they can be a bear with a very green pool as they need baby sat and recharged every couple hours. If you ever let the pool go, a lot of people would say that a sand filter would be your best option. They can take a while to filter a cloudy pool though. Your best bet is to keep your pool chemistry spot on with the TF100.

Oh and the portifino liner... How bout a sneak peak?






You need to run a GFCI outlet. If you can not do it, you need to call an electrician. Also, check with your township to see if you need to pull a permit and have it inspected.

 

[dustang]

Thanks for the advice I appreciate it.

I took another look at the placement I'm planning on and I can definitely plug the pump and filter directly into the outlet. I'll just need to replace the receptacle with a proper one but that should be a breeze with learn with youtube.

You're pool and liner look great! Makes me envious.