Converting Endless Pool Swim Spa Filter/Pump to Semi-Traditional Setup

[lpmail]

My 14x7', 2,500 gallon, 3' deep Endless Pool circulation pump recently gave out. In the few years I've had it, it never seemed to be sufficient to keep the pool clean in an outdoor environment in SE Michigan. The only mechanical part to clean it is/are 2 small donut filters that the water passes thru after it goes thru the skimmer...then the pump...then the heater...then the UV light...and back into the pool. No real filter. The guts are more like a hot tub than a pool.

I'm fed up with this set up so I am exploring getting a traditional AG pump and filter to fit in the same position in the "flow" as the circulation pump sits today (pic below w/ pump area circled). I'll have to retrofit (cut PVC pipes, add adapters for the flexible hose, etc.). I don't think that will be an issue. I went to a local Water Works and they suggested this AquaPro 100 sq ft Cartridge System, saying this is the smallest they have. It costs $630, replacement filters are a whopping $150, money's tight, and it seems like overkill for my sized pool...but the overall concept is what I'm looking for. (To elaborate, I don't want to have to rely on the spa electrical panel to plug in the various parts bc when it too dies, it'll be expensive to replace and I don't really use it. I don't even need the heater bc the sun warms it up fast. I just want to plug into a normal electrical socket and have the water cleaned effectively and efficiently like a regular pool.)

Issues/Questions
1) I can't find anything on AquaPro, it seems like an unknown. Not sure if I can trust it. (A quick search in this forum didn't reveal much.)
2) I feel like I'm hitting a nail with a sledgehammer. My neighbor has a similar setup/equipment and his pool is 10,000 gallons. I feel like I probably could save a lot of $ if I bought a combo or standalone filter/pump more aligned with my pool's size, even if it's for 5,000 gallons.
3) Is there a risk that a pump of this size is too powerful for my pool/spa components?
4) In short, can I likely do better than this AquaPro--better price, better sized HP for my pool size, better quality brand, more affordable replacement filters, etc.? Preferred budget for both filter and pump=$500; prefer replacement filters to be $70-$100. I am okay with buying them standalone but Water Works said it's more economical to buy as a combo unit...(?) EDIT: reading the Pool School articles made me realize that the larger filter size offers me something I really like: less cleaning required. Drives me crazy to always be cleaning the little donut filters. So maybe bigger IS better in my case.

Any other insights are appreciated as well. Thank you!
Lisa

 

[DavidArmenB]

Why is the cartridge replacement cost such a big issue? With proper maintenance, that cartridge should last many years.

 

[lpmail]

Why is the cartridge replacement cost such a big issue? With proper maintenance, that cartridge should last many years.

@DavidArmenB I was told it needs to be replaced every 5 years. My neighbor's costs $80, that seems reasonable. Double that price does not, especially for a small pool. It's not the dominant issue but certainly a factor in total cost of ownership.

 

[1poolman1]

My 14x7', 2,500 gallon, 3' deep Endless Pool circulation pump recently gave out. In the few years I've had it, it never seemed to be sufficient to keep the pool clean in an outdoor environment in SE Michigan. The only mechanical part to clean it is/are 2 small donut filters that the water passes thru after it goes thru the skimmer...then the pump...then the heater...then the UV light...and back into the pool. No real filter. The guts are more like a hot tub than a pool.

I'm fed up with this set up so I am exploring getting a traditional AG pump and filter to fit in the same position in the "flow" as the circulation pump sits today (pic below w/ pump area circled). I'll have to retrofit (cut PVC pipes, add adapters for the flexible hose, etc.). I don't think that will be an issue. I went to a local Water Works and they suggested this AquaPro 100 sq ft Cartridge System, saying this is the smallest they have. It costs $630, replacement filters are a whopping $150, money's tight, and it seems like overkill for my sized pool...but the overall concept is what I'm looking for. (To elaborate, I don't want to have to rely on the spa electrical panel to plug in the various parts bc when it too dies, it'll be expensive to replace and I don't really use it. I don't even need the heater bc the sun warms it up fast. I just want to plug into a normal electrical socket and have the water cleaned effectively and efficiently like a regular pool.)

Issues/Questions
1) I can't find anything on AquaPro, it seems like an unknown. Not sure if I can trust it. (A quick search in this forum didn't reveal much.)
2) I feel like I'm hitting a nail with a sledgehammer. My neighbor has a similar setup/equipment and his pool is 10,000 gallons. I feel like I probably could save a lot of $ if I bought a combo or standalone filter/pump more aligned with my pool's size, even if it's for 5,000 gallons.
3) Is there a risk that a pump of this size is too powerful for my pool/spa components?
4) In short, can I likely do better than this AquaPro--better price, better sized HP for my pool size, better quality brand, more affordable replacement filters, etc.? Preferred budget for both filter and pump=$500; prefer replacement filters to be $70-$100. I am okay with buying them standalone but Water Works said it's more economical to buy as a combo unit...(?) EDIT: reading the Pool School articles made me realize that the larger filter size offers me something I really like: less cleaning required. Drives me crazy to always be cleaning the little donut filters. So maybe bigger IS better in my case.

Any other insights are appreciated as well. Thank you!
Lisa
View attachment 501094

How tall is the area where you intend to mount the system. Nothing that you can buy now will fit in the space in the picture. If it did fit, you would not be able to open the filter to clean it. If you can mount/install the equipment in a more open area, there are many above ground options. Remember that most above ground equipment runs on 120V and you probably have 240V at your equipment now. Not a hard conversion, but not pug-and-play either.
Try here:

Above Ground Cartridge Pool Filters | Doheny's

Buy discount swimming pool supplies worry free at Doheny's Water Warehouse, free shipping nationwide, guaranteed low prices, all major brands in-stock. Make your pool perfect with pool supplies from Doheny's!

www.doheny.com

 

[lpmail]

How tall is the area where you intend to mount the system. Nothing that you can buy now will fit in the space in the picture. If it did fit, you would not be able to open the filter to clean it. If you can mount/install the equipment in a more open area, there are many above ground options. Remember that most above ground equipment runs on 120V and you probably have 240V at your equipment now. Not a hard conversion, but not pug-and-play either.
Try here:

Above Ground Cartridge Pool Filters | Doheny's

Buy discount swimming pool supplies worry free at Doheny's Water Warehouse, free shipping nationwide, guaranteed low prices, all major brands in-stock. Make your pool perfect with pool supplies from Doheny's!

www.doheny.com

Thank you. Space and electricity won't be an issue. I have a convenience outlet within a couple feet of that hot tub contraption.

 

[1poolman1]

Thank you. Space and electricity won't be an issue. I have a convenience outlet within a couple feet of that hot tub contraption.

Convenience outlet MUST be GFCI, must be on its own circuit breaker, and should be a 20A GFCI, even on a 15A circuit, to be used with pool equipment. The 20A GFCI outlets handle the heat of a running pump better than a 15A. The circuit breaker determines your protection from an overload.
Also, likely your existing installation was bonded. A bond wire (8g copper) would need to be run to the new equipment

 

[lpmail]

Convenience outlet MUST be GFCI, must be on its own circuit breaker, and should be a 20A GFCI, even on a 15A circuit, to be used with pool equipment. The 20A GFCI outlets handle the heat of a running pump better than a 15A. The circuit breaker determines your protection from an overload.
Also, likely your existing installation was bonded. A bond wire (8g copper) would need to be run to the new equipment

Just verified all electrical requirements are met. Hadn't thought about the bond wire...does that need to be done even if the original bond wire stays intact? The flow back into the pool will stay the same so it seems like the existing bond might suffice? You can see the bond wire in the middle of my picture.

 

[1poolman1]

Just verified all electrical requirements are met. Hadn't thought about the bond wire...does that need to be done even if the original bond wire stays intact? The flow back into the pool will stay the same so it seems like the existing bond might suffice? You can see the bond wire in the middle of my picture.

Absolutely need to bond the equipment. Anything metal, especially metal and electrical, more especially metal, electrical and has pool water going through it, that has anything to do with the pool must be bonded. Many residential pools have their equipment 30 or 40 feet away and they are bonded to the bonding grid. It is truly a safety item that must be observed.

 

[lpmail]

Absolutely need to bond the equipment. Anything metal, especially metal and electrical, more especially metal, electrical and has pool water going through it, that has anything to do with the pool must be bonded. Many residential pools have their equipment 30 or 40 feet away and they are bonded to the bonding grid. It is truly a safety item that must be observed.

Thank you, I'm definitely not arguing if bonding needs to be done, just asking if it's already bonded because it's all connected together (I admit high ignorance on this topic). e.g., if there's a short anywhere along an electrical line, it'll trip the breaker regardless of where it occurs in the "system" so I was thinking bonding work with the "system" as well (I know they are different, just using this analogy). Without modifications, the swim spa has a circulating pump, a heater, a UV light, and a propeller motor but only the propeller motor is bonded per the owners manual guidance. My brain is trying to reconcile why the standalone filter/pump unit is different from any of those components I listed above (except the propeller motor.)

 

[1poolman1]

Thank you, I'm definitely not arguing if bonding needs to be done, just asking if it's already bonded because it's all connected together (I admit high ignorance on this topic). e.g., if there's a short anywhere along an electrical line, it'll trip the breaker regardless of where it occurs in the "system" so I was thinking bonding work with the "system" as well (I know they are different, just using this analogy). Without modifications, the swim spa has a circulating pump, a heater, a UV light, and a propeller motor but only the propeller motor is bonded per the owners manual guidance. My brain is trying to reconcile why the standalone filter/pump unit is different from any of those components I listed above (except the propeller motor.)

Water conducts electricity, pool water more so. It is not for a short, it is for stray voltage that can show up in any pool at any time. The bond gives it a place to go without killing you. In your existing installation, per the picture, the heater housing and steel walls are bonded as well as anything else that large wire now goes to that can't be seen. Code call for all pool equipment to be bonded, regardless of the distance. All metal that is within 5' of the pool, including fences, downspouts, etc. are supposed to be included in the bond grid. May not have been needed in your installation, or may have been left out but that is the code. It is the water itself that can make the electrical connection and hurt you.

Electrical Bonding - Further Reading

www.troublefreepool.com