Confusion with purchasing an ABG pool liner???

[Kismet]

Hello All!

I have no experience with pools of any type. After months of research I decided im going to make my purchase within the Pool Factory d/t their excellent customer reviews and BBB ratings. I have personally experienced their customer service since my pool search and they have went beyond other dealers in my opinion.

I read buying an mid quality pool with higher quality liners and equipment can make your pool last even longer than the best pools on the market.

What Im leaning toward:

-Saltwater 8000 15x30 oval with 54" wall (Not using Salt)
-Pool Frog mineral system (Im using the pool frog because its easier for now until I get the hang of everything)
-Hayward 21" Sand filter w/1.5-HP 2-speed Matrix pump (Again sand d/t being easier to understand for 1st time pool owner)
-Pool coving
-Floor pad
-Confer step entry system w/ self latching gate (I have a 1 yr old who is a climber and 3 older rambunctious kids, Im hoping this system will help stop walking/jumping off rails and rubbing on pool wall and liner which could cause leaks)
*** Not using wall foam at this time after researching. I will install w/ future liner change)

I was going to go with the thickest liner on their site the Unibead Beach Haven liner 40 gauge. Description says Swimline PERMA 40

Im confused at this point. I read PERMA 40 doesn't exist
And the thickest liner made is 20mil. I know gauge is thinner than Mil but 40 gauge should be thicker than 20 mils?!?!?!?!
I also read having a liner that is too thick could cause problems such as buckling walls etc.

Does anyone have any advise before I place my order?

And what is the best liner gauge in terms of durability, for an AGP that will be used w/ many, very active kids?
I want the thickest I can get before causing problems.

And I will have a professional doing the install

 

[AggieBQ95]

I can't really help you in terms of what you should buy, as I am pretty new myself. But with regards to a liner buckling a wall, most of the time it is my understanding that the problem here is usually because people try to install the liner on a day when it is not above certain temps. Being that you are in PA, I could see that being an issue for you. The company I bough my pool from stressed waiting for a day where temps are above 70 (I wish it was only 70 in Texas), and I have read elsewhere that 80 is even better.

It's getting pretty late in the pool season, so hopefully you can get everything ordered and get the installation done soon so you don't run into issue with this. Your thought on the liner being important though is certainly correct. My main concerns when purchasing my pool was to get resin where I could - a good quality wall and the best liner available. I think you are thinking the same. My budget got a little tight at the end, so I decided to go with the sand filter and pump that my dealer offered as it was $300 less than a similar Hayward model. You can always replace a pump/filter later down the line. Upgrading a wall, liner, uprights, etc really isn't something that can be done later on.

Hope you get it all figured out - it is very stressful, so I know where you are coming from.

 

[mariane]

-Saltwater 8000 15x30 oval with 54" wall (Not using Salt)
-Pool Frog mineral system (Im using the pool frog because its easier for now until I get the hang of everything) ]This will cause you more problems in the long run. We had one and got rid of it.[/SIZE]
-Hayward 21" Sand filter w/1.5-HP 2-speed Matrix pump (Again sand d/t being easier to understand for 1st time pool owner) Going with the right size sand filter is very important. Sounds like this would work. Maybe someone else will be more helpful on that.
-Pool coving
-Floor pad Use gorilla pad which many people say doesn't allow rocks to work thru and its durable.
-Confer step entry system w/ self latching gate (I have a 1 yr old who is a climber and 3 older rambunctious kids, Im hoping this system will help stop walking/jumping off rails and rubbing on pool wall and liner which could cause leaks)
*** Not using wall foam at this time after researching. I will install w/ future liner change) Many people never bother with wall foam

I was going to go with the thickest liner on their site the Unibead Beach Haven liner 40 gauge. Description says Swimline PERMA 40

Im confused at this point. I read PERMA 40 doesn't exist
And the thickest liner made is 20mil. I know gauge is thinner than Mil but 40 gauge should be thicker than 20 mils?!?!?!?! Some good info about liners Mil vs Gauge What Is The Deal With Liner Thickness abovegroundpool

I also read having a liner that is too thick could cause problems such as buckling walls etc.

And what is the best liner gauge in terms of durability, for an AGP that will be used w/ many, very active kids? Mil is thicker and most companies sell mil. Depending on the company whether they sell anything thicker than 20 mil. Our liner is 25 mil Doughboy expandable.
Comparing Vinyl Liner Thickness: Mil vs. Gauge (ga) | Ameri-Brand
I want the thickest I can get before causing problems.

And I will have a professional doing the install

Welcome to the forum. Others will chime in but I hope my getting you started helps.

 

[Kismet]

Yes, that is what I meant. The best pool I could afford and get good quality equipment. Thank you for your reply!

- - - Updated - - -

Thank You. This is very helpful. But I read swimlines PERMA doesn't equal into gauges either. So im not sure why retailers say 25 gauge etc w/ swimlines liners. Its so confusing and there is no info on it. And the pool factory is the only place i see a PERMA 40 for sale.

 

[zea3]

Swimline came up with their own standard of measure called perma. How thick is a perma? Who knows, I can't find any info about that. Gauge is another fabricated measure when it comes to liners. 1 gauge is a little less than 1 mil in thickness. I would stick with a liner measured in mils, which is a valid and quantifiable standard of measure. Here is more information on mil vs gauge. How To Compare Liner Units - MIL vs Gauge - INYOPools.com

 

[pabadear]

I ran into this issue when I was out trying to replace the liner that was existing in an AG pool that came with a new house we purchased last October. I almost lost my mind reading one article after another. Finally, I ran into Doughboy liners (Above Ground Swimming Pool Manufacturer), which use true MIL. Gauge and PERMA are both nonsense measurements that can get very confusing and are out there as a marketing gimmick to allow manufacturers to use less material to produce their liners but convince you that they're just as good and the standard all around. That's total BS if you ask me.

Doughboy advertises its liners using MIL and if you honestly compare the prices between them and Swimline, its about a $100 difference or so, not really a deal breaker when you're already spending a few grand on a pool installation. I'm an engineer and was able to barrow a thickness gauge from work that I used to measure the liner samples at the store to compare between Swimline and Doughboy. I don't remember the exact measurements but Swimline's standard thickness was coming out to about 15MIL after unit conversion. Doughboy's always 20MIL for standard AG pools and 25 MIL for deep AG pools (those that have deep and shallow regions) and the store's sample measured exactly 20MIL for me (I have a standard round pool). While 15 MIL vs. 20 MIL may not sound like a big difference, it is when physically feel them and compare them side by side.

I obviously went with a Doughboy liner and have been extremely satisfied this season.