Pump recommendations

[Dadofthree74]

I use the zip ties to take the weight off the return. Cheap and easy.

I have the intex vacuum that attaches to the RETURN. So it does Not go through our filter. It’s works well and we got it at the start of covid and it was cheap.

the net is your skimmer net or leaf net. I take it off the handle and since our pool is not deep I can drag it on the floor and get small stuff out. My wife and I did this at the end to get the dead algae off the bottom. Works well.
We cut the liner and put in a bigger return. It was not hard at all. Used the Tupperware ware inside the pool and stuffed a rag in the new return to minimize water loss. Took 5 min to do and a day to convince myself all would not be lost. We only have 1.5 in connections.

The other thing I did was cap off one of the outlets ( see the photo above) and have all the water go through the skimmer. A skimmer sock with also catch a lot of debris before it gets to your filter.

 

[kellyfair]

If you don’t have solid debris that is easily netted or vacuumed out, don’t worry. Your filter will clear your pool if you are SLAMming properly. You may need to clean it frequently (cartridge) or backwash (sand) but it will do what it’s meant to do if your water is circulating and has adequate chlorine. But do remove solids.

 

[chicagonyc]

I am thinking I am going to need to cut the vinyl to give a sand pump filter full power.

I am now seeing a 2800 gph Intex filter for $450 and the 3000 for $470. I'd be inclined to get the 3000, but I'm a little worried about its weight/size.

 

[chicagonyc]

One more thing. Is it worth considering draining the whole pool? Even if we order a pump today, it'll take quite a long time to get here, to hook up, etc.

Draining the whole pool is a bit of a problem considering we don't have easy drainage, so it'll have to go directly into the ground and that will take a few days, but still it might be faster to do this than wait for the sand pump filter to arrive and save the day.

 

[kellyfair]

When you say “save the day” are you talking about your algae issue? A new filter/pump isn’t going to get rid of that. You need to SLAM. If you want a better pump, by all means, get one, but in the meantime, SLAM.

 

[chicagonyc]

Yes, absolutely I am going to continue SLAMing. I just checked and my FC level is 9ppm. So I'm going to add chlorine to get it up to 18 as per the calculator and keep it up there as long as it needs.

 

[DizzyT]

I am thinking I am going to need to cut the vinyl to give a sand pump filter full power.

I am now seeing a 2800 gph Intex filter for $450 and the 3000 for $470. I'd be inclined to get the 3000, but I'm a little worried about its weight/size.

I have the 14” 2800 gph for my Ultra frame 18x9x52. I modified the intake holes to accept the 1.5“ hoses and it moves the water like a dream! Suction is incredible.

 

[chicagonyc]

I tested at 6pm and saw 9ppm FC. I added 58 oz of 10% chlorine to target an 18 ppm pool.

I just retested at 9pm and it is now at 55 ppm! What?! Redoing my pool volume calculations tells me I was wrong about pool volume (it's a 15x48" round AGP). It should have been 4170 if it was the full 4 feet, 3650 if 3.5 feet which I think it is. I had put 5000 gallons into the calculator. With the correct volume of water in the pool calculator, I should have put in 41 oz, not 58 oz, of chlorine.

But being off by about 30% on pool volume should give me such a catastrophicly large FC change?

 

[chicagonyc]

Tested again at 3pm today, and FC is at 16, down from 55 last night (!) (CC at 1). So I guess the chlorine is munching away at the algae?

Pool is less cloudy, but still a bit. Starting to see also those dreaded dark dust at the bottom starting to form.

I ordered a 2800 gph filter but only arriving next week. Hoping to get some pool usage before then...

 

[Chad1979]

It sounds like maybe your chlorine your adding is stronger than we think as it shouldnt jump by so much i would think

 

[jseyfert3]

I tested at 6pm and saw 9ppm FC. I added 58 oz of 10% chlorine to target an 18 ppm pool.

I just retested at 9pm and it is now at 55 ppm! What?! Redoing my pool volume calculations tells me I was wrong about pool volume (it's a 15x48" round AGP). It should have been 4170 if it was the full 4 feet, 3650 if 3.5 feet which I think it is. I had put 5000 gallons into the calculator. With the correct volume of water in the pool calculator, I should have put in 41 oz, not 58 oz, of chlorine.

But being off by about 30% on pool volume should give me such a catastrophicly large FC change?

No. If you use the "Effects of Adding" you will see that 58 oz of 10% in a 3500 pool will raise FC by 13 (vs the 9 you were targeting). You're obviously running your pump all the time, correct? Either something was off with the test somehow or more likely the chlorine wasn't mixed well and you tested a pocket of high chlorine. Couple thoughts here:

It looks like in the picture at the start of this thread your return jet is straight out of the wall. If you can swivel that nozzle it's usually best to point that away from the inlet(s) to the pump, such that it causes the water to rotate in a circular pattern through the pool before returning to the pump.

How are you taking samples? When testing make sure you're rinsing the test tube well before and after each test. When rinsing before the test rinse with pool water, not tap water. And when testing, performing the test in the same location each time is best practice. Though to be fair, your pool should not vary by 40 ppm if you test in various locations...

How are you adding chlorine? It's best to slowly pour the chlorine (or acid, but you're not adding that right now) in front of the return (water entering pool from pump), so that it partially mixes and gets sent into the entire pool. Brushing immediately after adding would not be a bad idea, especially as you need to do that while SLAMMING anyway.

It sounds like maybe your chlorine your adding is stronger than we think as it shouldnt jump by so much i would think

It would have to be roughly 40% to cause that much of a jump, which is why I'm leaning towards not getting mixed into the pool well.

 

[chicagonyc]

Yes, my little 1000 gph pump is running 24/7. I dumped half the chlorine in front of the water outlet (eg water going back into the pool -- I guess that's the return), and half in a circle around the perimeter.

The return jet is straight out of the wall because the included dinky pump doesn't have a direction on the outlet (again I'm awaiting the sand pump to come next week).

Oh that's a great tip about rinsing with pool water, not tap water. I'm definitely rinsing with tap water (after the test is done) -- could tap have that much chlorine?. In any case I think I'll now rinse beforehand with pool water. I will try to remember to take in the same location, that makes total sense.

Maybe my mixing strategy (50% in front of the return, 50% in a circle around the perimeter) may not be working -- especially as the dinky pump may not be effectively reaching far in its water circulation. I'll switch to doing 100% in front of the return.

Thanks for these practical tips. They really make sense.

No. If you use the "Effects of Adding" you will see that 58 oz of 10% in a 3500 pool will raise FC by 13 (vs the 9 you were targeting). You're obviously running your pump all the time, correct? Either something was off with the test somehow or more likely the chlorine wasn't mixed well and you tested a pocket of high chlorine. Couple thoughts here:

It looks like in the picture at the start of this thread your return jet is straight out of the wall. If you can swivel that nozzle it's usually best to point that away from the inlet(s) to the pump, such that it causes the water to rotate in a circular pattern through the pool before returning to the pump.

How are you taking samples? When testing make sure you're rinsing the test tube well before and after each test. When rinsing before the test rinse with pool water, not tap water. And when testing, performing the test in the same location each time is best practice. Though to be fair, your pool should not vary by 40 ppm if you test in various locations...

How are you adding chlorine? It's best to slowly pour the chlorine (or acid, but you're not adding that right now) in front of the return (water entering pool from pump), so that it partially mixes and gets sent into the entire pool. Brushing immediately after adding would not be a bad idea, especially as you need to do that while SLAMMING anyway.


It would have to be roughly 40% to cause that much of a jump, which is why I'm leaning towards not getting mixed into the pool well.

 

[jseyfert3]

Oh that's a great tip about rinsing with pool water, not tap water. I'm definitely rinsing with tap water (after the test is done) -- could tap have that much chlorine?.

No, the EPA limit for chlorine in tap water is 4 ppm. Usually it's less than that. You can test easily enough if your curious, though note it may show up partially or completely as CC's, since chloramine is an approved EPA tap water sanitizer, and chloramine is a type of combined chlorine.

There's not enough of anything in tap water to seriously throw off any of the tests I don't think, it's just best practice to rinse the test tube with the water to be tested is all.

Maybe my mixing strategy (50% in front of the return, 50% in a circle around the perimeter)

I suspect there's a portion of low circulation and there was a pocket of high chlorine you tested from. Some brushing would likely be good, if you have a brush. I don't yet, mine arrives Saturday...

 

[chicagonyc]

I've been SLAMing for days now, cleaning filters, using filter socks over the intakes, vacuuming, etc. Still cloudy

While we await the sand filter pump on Wednesday, and with summer slipping away, we decided to drain the pool for now and see if we can restart from scratch.

Speaking of the new pump, I have to prepare and get the pool filter sand. Home Depot is selling Quickrete sand (about $9/50 lb) but a few searches on this site indicated some trouble with this sand? Leslie's is selling pool sand like AquaQuartz ($25/50 lb).

How much sand should I get for the 14 inch 2800 gph Intex? It says 77lb max but is a 50 lb bag enough?

 

[jseyfert3]

No you'll need roughly 2.5 bags. There's a min and max line when you're adding sand and 50 lbs is below the min.

 

[chicagonyc]

Got it. And the which pool sand to get? Home Depot Quickrete, or the Leslies' one?

 

[CrystalRiver]

You have to use pool sand, not general purpose sand. I'm not sure which the Quickrete is.

1.5 bags.

 

[mknauss]

Put Quikrete in the search box above. Lots of issues with that brand reported on the forum.

 

[chicagonyc]

Thanks! I just got my pool pump and am raring to go. Are there any must-watch tutorial videos for cutting 1.5 inch holes for the pump into the vinyl?

And: do I cut 1.5 inch holes around the 2 intakes and the 1 outflow holes? Or only the intakes?

 

[Dadofthree74]

Our 2800 gph pump only came with a new return/outflow. The intakes are still 1.25 inches.

There a vids on you tube.

I used the Tupperware bowl technique to minimize water loss. . Also
Make sure you have a sharp exacto knife. And mark the new return with a sharpie on the inside edge of the gasket. Not outside edge.