Pump/filter combo? Inground but uh...

[Cmcbryde]

Hi everyone! I have a pool that is cement inground and about 9,500 gallons. It has NO plumbing or side wall skimmers. Nothing. It does have a drain at the bottom of the deep end that can be opened or closed. That’s it. Basically a solid cement bowl with a drain. I’m guessing the previous owners used it for a fish pond, but it is the perfect size for my kids to play in. I’m asking for any help to figure out how to keep the water moving and clean. I would prefer a filter that it is not sand. (I’ve successfully maintained several above ground intex pools about this same size). Since it doesn't have a filter/basket I was planning on attaching a skim-a-round (floating filter basket) to the “in” hose and just laying the “out” hose in the pool flat against the side to try to circulate the water with it. This may be a terrible idea... I really can not figure out any other way to do this. That is why I am here .

Also can anyone suggest a pump/filter combo that is the right size and will work. I can find a ton of great pump/filter combos that would work for the size of my pool but they are made for above ground pools. I’m afraid if my pump is above the water level that it will not stay primed. That is what I’m having the most trouble with. Finding one that will do the job and not cost thousands of dollars. It’s so frustrating to find so many that would do the job but not for inground pools. I read that what I need to look for is one that is self priming but I’m not even sure if that is correct.

I think I have rambled enough!!! I will Include the dimensions below. It is rectangle shaped but has a huge step all the way around the bottom. Almost making it two different levels. (I know this is all confusing. I can add pictures if it will help at all!) thank you so much to anyone that has ANY advice

Top half area
Long 31’6”
Across 14ft
Deep 2ft
=
6,600 gallons
+
Bottom/step area
Long 26ft
Across 7’6”
Deep 2’7”
=
2,900 gallons

Pool total
=
Around 9,500 Gallons (if I calculated correctly)

 

[mknauss]

Welcome to the forum!

new stock tank pool thoughts

Hi, new stock tank pool owner here. I set my stock tank pool up differently from almost all the online advice, for various reasons so I'm in a bit uncharted territory here :) Various things I did differently are listed below... - I washed the inside with a soapy sponge (and rinsed well)...

www.troublefreepool.com

The above thread has some aspects of what you are talking about.

You should get a self priming pump and a cartridge filter. Sadly, those are going to cost some money. Your pool volume is pretty substantial.

I suggest you read ABC's of Pool Water Chemistry.

 

[mknauss]

Check something like this.

Waterway Combo Champion 1.0 HP Max Rate Pool Pump And ProClean Plus 125 sqft Single Cartridge Filter - INYOPools.com

www.inyopools.com

 

[Cmcbryde]

Check something like this.

Waterway Combo Champion 1.0 HP Max Rate Pool Pump And ProClean Plus 125 sqft Single Cartridge Filter - INYOPools.com

www.inyopools.com

Thank you!! That’s a much better price than what I was finding... And I wasn’t sure about any of it. I used a calculator online and I think I’m way off on the sqft amount. Is about 125 sqft what I need to be looking for on the filter? Also I figured about
1,250 GPH/20.83 GPM for the pump... Is that way off too? And does horsepower matter much or should I focus on the other numbers? I know the floating skimmer needs at least 1hp.

Thank you so much for taking time out of your day to answer my questions. I will check out the link you sent right now.

 

[mknauss]

A 1 hp pump is enough. A two speed would be better (quieter and less electrical cost) but would cost more.

Cartridge filter is a bit small but you wanted low cost. You would just be cleaning it more often.

How do you plan to vacuum / clean the pool floor? A robot would be best but that will cost another $700.

 

[Cmcbryde]

A 1 hp pump is enough. A two speed would be better (quieter and less electrical cost) but would cost more.

Cartridge filter is a bit small but you wanted low cost. You would just be cleaning it more often.

How do you plan to vacuum / clean the pool floor? A robot would be best but that will cost another $700.

Yeah. It just seemed weird that I can buy the whole above ground pool that holds more water and comes with the pump/filter for $700. So I thought I was for sure calculating it all wrong. I guess I will have to spend more than I thought and there is no easy way around it. I was hoping maybe there would be some hack since it doesn’t have to go through all the plumbing and stuff. Lol. Wishful thinking, I know. Thanks for the help. Take care.

 

[Bama Rambler]

I'd certainly like to see pictures of the pool.

When you say it has no plumbing, does it truly have zero plumbing except for the drain?

A lot of above ground pumps will lift water up to 8' vertically, so they can be several feet above the water.

 

[Cmcbryde]

I'd certainly like to see pictures of the pool.

When you say it has no plumbing, does it truly have zero plumbing except for the drain?

A lot of above ground pumps will lift water up to 8' vertically, so they can be several feet above the water.

Here is a picture of the pool. We’ve cleaned up, patched and painted since then. Where the bucket/shop vac are sitting in this pic is where the drain is. It’s a normal looking shower drain basically. Sorry I don’t have a recent pic. I’ll add one in a few days. There is a rock fountain on the side. We thought maybe somehow it had a filter or pump in it, but found nothing. We had a plumber out here working on other stuff in the house and he is the one that showed us where the valve is and how to open it to drain the pool. His guess was that it had a pump either in the water or a box filter outside and the return hose was attached to the waterfall if it was for fish. He said it’s also not unusual for people to have small pools like this that they only fill when they are visiting and drain when they leave since the previous owners did not live here. I have no idea. We figured to just ignore the waterfall and act like it doesn’t exist since it would probably only add to the cost of getting things set up.

 

[Bama Rambler]

I don't know that that rock feature is a waterfall, but it could certainly be used to return water to the pool with a little work. If the drain is accessible outside the pool that could be plumbed into as the suction. While it's not ideal not to have a skimmer it's possible to run a pool without one.

 

[Cmcbryde]

I don't know that that rock feature is a waterfall, but it could certainly be used to return water to the pool with a little work. If the drain is accessible outside the pool that could be plumbed into as the suction. While it's not ideal not to have a skimmer it's possible to run a pool without one.

The rock feature has a pvc pipe on back that a hose can attach to then the water fills up in different areas, flows around and then falls into the pool. That’s why I called it a waterfall. I know the picture I have is terrible. A better one will help.