Above ground pool Pump

[Beinme1968]

How do I change from a filter pump to a sand pump and can you recommend a reasonable sand pump for a 10,000 gallon above ground pool?

[ChairMan]

You have your pump and filter confused. The pump pumps water to the filter, the pump doesn't filter. Hayward pump and filter

[ChairMan]

Maybe small ones, but a 10,000 will be about at least a 21'

[gfretwell]

You are just looking for a regular pool pump. These days the local energy code might require that to be 2 speed. I have had pretty good luck with the Hayward 3/4HP 2 speed but StaRite works OK too. They are all repairable. The biggest thing you can do to make it last longer is to build a dog house around it and keep it out of the weather. Use quick disconnect couplings on the water lines and take it inside in winter. It will last for decades that way. Make sure this is on a GFCI.

[trader_4]

Might look into a DE filter too. They do a better job filtering, idk if they have them sized to above ground pools though.

[gfretwell]

DE can be a problem if you don't have a place to get rid of it. A lot of utilities do not want it in the waste water. For a small pool a paper cartridge works about as good as anything.

[trader_4]

The lawn works for me.

A lot

I wonder what the big issue is? Crazy fear that someone is going to get lung cancer from the fine dust when it's in water and mixed with sewage and crap that will quickly bind it up?

For a small pool a

I have no experience with above ground pools, only spas and inground pools, but that sounds reasonable. But the poster said he wanted to switch to sand. I don't see sand being used here for new installs, at least not for inground. If we had more info maybe we'd learn what the issues/problems are. Somebody said that with inground the pump and filter can be one unit, which also could make sense related to the question regarding changing the pump.

[gfretwell]

Dunno but over 50 years ago when I was running a commercial pool they came out and told us not to. We did it anyway.

The ones I have seen are a combination skimmer, filter, pump. The pump is tiny.

[trader_4]

I've seen people here years ago flipping out, worrying about DE because they see the warnings on the bags, which is essentially that it's very fine powder, so like most of those dusts, breathing it can be harmful. But that's when it's dry and in the air. When I pump it out on the lawn, it just disappears into the grass and soil. Any small amounts wind up caked up, mixed up with crap from the filter, etc, not going anywhere. In fact DE is also sold as a soil improvement product. If you had to backwash and contain the DE, IDK what you'd do, it would seem to be a big problem. What do you do? Get a filter to filter the filter?

[Unquestionably Confused]

I left ours exposed to the weather during the summer months. The diatomaceous earth filter was made of stainless steel and large enough that I didn't want to mess with it so it stayed on the concrete pad, exposed.

I always disconnected pump and put it in an unheated shed for the winter AFTER completely draining the pump and strainer. Then I filled the pump housing with RV Anti-freeze and put plastic wrap over the pipe openings to keep the seals wet. Never had a problem with either one.

[Unquestionably Confused]

Sure do! My parents had a 21' above ground and ours was, IIRC, 18'x36' and we both had the DE filter system. Worked great. Next door neighbor has a sand filter and, meh, not so great!

[trader_4]

And I left the pump out for the winter too. That's the general practice here in NJ, the pumps are hardwired in, left out. It worked OK for me, no fuss, no muss.

[trader_4]

So, sounds like you agree, that if the OP is going to convert from a cartridge and is looking at sand, he should consider DE.

[gfretwell]

How often do you backwash and refill? We were doing every couple days in a commercial pool and it looked pretty nasty when we pumped it out.

[trader_4]

Once it's up and running, about every 3 weeks. Starting it up, depending on how dirty it is, could be a few days. It only looks real bad, green, etc, the first time or two when starting it up for the season. After that, it will be darkish, gray, but not really that bad.