Sand Pump for 12'x30" Intex frame pool w/ HARD well water???

[sarah.anne]

Hi! first time poster, here! ??

We just purchased an Intex 12'x30" Prism Frame Pool on Amazon. We opted for one without a pump because our very hard water (high calcium & iron) made a mess of our cartridges in our filter last year (10' EasySet) So we want to try a sand filter this time. But I'm hoping for some experienced advice...

- First off- I need to know if a sand pump is a smart idea with the hard water. We just got so sick of buying & replacing filters! I don't know ANYTHING about DE filters...but I'd consider that too if it's an affordable/manageable option.
- Next I need a brand & model, or at least GPH recommendation. Filled to the brim, we'd be looking at about 2100 gallons.
- Finally, what's the BEST way to connect the pump? Comments on reviews etc seem to be split between people buying adapters to retrofit the hoses, & others saying they cut bigger holes in the pool to fit the larger hoses from the sand pump. Cutting holes in a brand new pool scares me- but I don't want to wreck a brand new pump either, or make it ineffective by restricting flow too much. So which is better, & can someone give me specific instructions &/or parts to make this work?

If it helps to know, I'm in the St. Louis area, & we intend for this to be a seasonal pool that we take down for cold weather. ❄

Keep in mind I'm kind of a newbie. We've had pools before, but mostly of the kiddie, inflatable, & EasySet variety. My husband did have a bigger above-ground growing up, so he has a basic knowledge....but he's not involved in this shopping process- ha He'll do the legwork once I have bought everything. Thanks SO much in advance for kind advice...this seems like a great forum full of helpful, caring people!! ??

 

[JeaniB]

Welcome! You’ve came to the right place!
I’m not far from you and yes we have very hard water! I purchased an Intex Ultra XTR last summer. I got a great deal on a package that included the Intex sand filter and SWG. I knew when I purchased it that I would probably want to upgrade the pump/filter and SWG, but it was a great deal so I’m going to use them until they die. I have absolutely no problem with my hard water. I do have borax in my pool, which I love. So far my pool is crystal clear, I have never had to slam. I left my pool up for the winter and opened to clear water. I have updated my plumbing to 1 1/2 inch but did not have to cut my pool.
Buy as big of a sand filter as you can afford. Mine came with a 16 inch, 2800gph pump, my next one will be bigger, but again it was a great deal and my water is perfect. My only compliant is that I run my pump pretty much 24/7. That isn’t an issue as far as electro costs, but I know it is in some places.
Read up on all the articles in pool school. I have never been to a pool store. I stick with salt, bleach on occasion, muriatic acid, and borax. My small SWG runs 6 hours a day and keeps my FC where I need it.
Best of luck and welcome!

 

[cfherrman]

When I had a 12x30 I used this pump

12" Sand Filter & Water Pump System 4 Above Ground Swimming Pool Soft Side Intex | eBay

Strainer basket included. For Swimming pools up to 10,000 gal. Sand Grain Size: 0.8-1.2mm. 1-1/4" NPT inlet & outlet. Sand Filter Holds up to 43 lbs of sand. WARNING: Many food and beverage cans have linings containing bisphenol A (BPA), a chemical known to the State of California to...

www.ebay.com

Worked excellent, hoses fit my pool don't know if it will fit the new ones.

A 12x30 is around 3000 gallons, if you have a water softener you might be able to fill some with that and use top ups from the water softener to help with high ch. You can toss the water every year to lower it since it's small.

 

[sarah.anne]

OK so the pump that you had was a 2400 GPH. Intex sells these with a 530gph pump, so I was wondering how many gph is too much! ha I found this Intex Krystal Klear it says it's a 10", 1050gph & for a 2800-8400 gal pool. Does that sound reasonable, or should I go bigger?? How can I tell from a listing what size the fittings will be?

 

[cfherrman]

Bigger filter is always better, 10" is probably fine, I think the one I listed is a 13-14 I think

Pump I go with hp, it's pretty much all a Crud shoot, the one I listed is 1/3 hp(yes listing shows different) and anything from there to 1/2 hp is fine.

I don't know any Intex stuff anymore since they changed stuff in the last few years.

The pump I listed has 1 1/2 threads with hose Barb's for 1 1/2 and I think 1 1/4

 

[sarah.anne]

OK so here's what I'm contemplating now. Intex Krystal Clear Sand Filter Pump for Above Ground Pools It goes from 10"-16" & I'm having a hard time deciding which size to get. The 12" is the cheapest @ about $130, so that's what I'm leaning towards. Is that enough, or do I need to go bigger? I attached the specs chart below. I just don't really understand how to navigate all of the different specs (size, GPH, HP, etc) Gaaaahhhh.....I feel like I'm completely overthinking this & I've been putting off pulling the trigger to make this purchase- but I don't want to make the wrong decision. Thanks!!
~Sarah

 

[cfherrman]

I like the 14" hp but a bigger filter is always better