Pump and filter set up, what else do I need? New Pool Owner - 33' AG

[madwil]

my 33 ft AG I try to run the filter on high about an hour (good mix of water before testing, and skimmer works better on high) then run on low overnight- about every other night. I'm not religious about a schedule as long as water stays clear and tests good; sometimes forget the pump for a day, sometimes leave on 1-2 days!

[CarlD]

I'm guessing at the specs, but I think your filter's too small for your pump...or your pump's too big for your filter.

Assuming your pump's uprated (normal for AG pools) it's ballparking here, about the equivalent of a 1hp full-rated pump (normal for IG pools). And, a 1hp full-rated pump, like a Hayward Superpump, needs a 200# sand filter. One of our mods, Poconos (Al) goes for a 300# sand filter. That's because if you go over the filter's capacity, you have problems, but the performance improves the less of the capacity you use. So I run my pump on low speed and long ago noticed that my water gets clearer that way.

I'll let the pump pros confirm, deny, or refine my assessment.

BTW, what type of flexible plumbing do you have? If installed correctly, there's no reason to replace it. I use a combination of 1.5" hard PVC and 1.5" TigerFlex, which is flexible PVC that uses glued-on fittings just like the hard stuff. Al, at key points, actually uses automotive radiator hose, without any problem.

Carl

[stack_climber]

Doughboy tolf me today that the pump/filter combo that I have has a flow rate of 2,770 gph (I assume they meant filter rate).

[CarlD]

Is it a single unit, or separate components hooked together?

Carl

[stack_climber]

They're seperate units hooked together.

[stack_climber]

Pool is almost full, should be full by noon tomorrow. I want to be prepared so how much chlorine/bleach would I need for roughly 26,000 gallon pool. Also, the pool came with two floaters and a bucket of 3" Tri-Chlor tabs, as well as 7 pounds of "Super Shock-It". Is any of this useful? It's taken three days to fill the pool so I'm sure there won't be much chlorine left once it's full enough for the pump to be turned on.

[aylad]

In a 26K gallon pool, each 3.5 quarts of 6% bleach will raise your Cl by just over 2 ppm, and with no stabilizer (CYA), you want to keep 3-6 ppm in your pool. Keep in mind that until you get stabilizer in the pool, the sun will eat up the chlorine very quickly, so you may need to add more 2-3 times daily--just don't let it get to zero.

If the trichlor tabs do not contain copper, and if your pH is well above 7.0, then you can use the tabs, they wil both add chlorine and CYA, and lower your pH. Careful, though, not to let the pH get below 7.0. You can use Borax or aerate the water to bring the pH back up. What is the ingredient in the super shock-it?

If you'll get a test kit, even if it's the 6-way drop kit from WalMart, or have the pool store test, it would be best to go ahead, run a set of tests, and post numbers here--then we can help you go from there.

Janet