- May 23, 2015
- 25,673
- Pool Size
- 16000
- Surface
- Plaster
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Pentair Intellichlor IC-60
From my old pool cleaner days, I prefer the DE filters because of the ability to filter a smaller micron particle. In my old pool route (in San Diego County) there were literally no cartridge filters and when there were , we got rid of them pretty quick. Everything was DE, and the square footage is not really relative. In other words, a 48SF DE filter is technically more efficient than a 400SF cartridge. They're easier to clean regularly as well. So I'm already sold on DE, sorry...
Studying the rest of your recommended list, I will probably have questions....
You should certainly do more homework and familiarize yourself with modern pool standards and equipment. By your own admission, your knowledge is bit dated. Not trying to be snarky, but things change ... a lot.
This link is a very good starting point for understanding hydraulics - Hydraulics 101 - Have you lost your head?
One thing you'll notice is that a Pentair C&C cartridge filter has a slightly lower head loss than a QuadDE filter and much lower than FNS (grid style) DE filter. So, from a hydraulics standpoint, the cartridge filter is a clear winner. Cartridge filters also don't need backwash valves or multiport valves which reduces head losses even further. Finally, not dealing with DE dust and the nuisance of disposal is a plus - check your municipal code as many have restrictions on discharging DE into sanitary sewer lines. If you do have a restriction, then you will need to install a DE separation tank on the backwash line which will be a huge nuisance. Filter area matters a lot because that is what controls the frequency of cleanings. Backwashing a DE filter is a very poor substitute for tearing it down and cleaning it out. In my own pool (16,000 gallons with a 100 sq ft DE filter), I never backwash and I only have to clean it out once per year ... and even with that I find it to be too bothersome. With a large area cartridge filter, you will almost never see a pressure rise and your cleaning frequency will be dictated by when you feel like doing it. If you get two sets of cartridges, then swapping out clean for dirty is super fast and you can clean the dirty cartridges at your leisure without impacting the pool's circulation.
When you follow TFP's method of pool care, I would challenge anyone to tell me the difference in filtration simply by looking at the water ... we have members with sand filters, supposedly the worst of the filtration methods, whose pools look so clear you would think there wasn't actually any water in the pool. Filtration and circulation is important, but DE is overkill and a complexity that is unnecessary.
Your pool, your money so you can do what you like, but you'll find the sentiments above to be pretty much universal around here ...
Automation is about controlling the pool equipment and keeping it on schedules so that you DON'T have to tend to it and so you can leave the home on vacation with peace of mind knowing that the pool will simply run on its own. Not having to bother neighbors to come over and tend to your stuff while you're away is a big plus. Running the pump at set speeds during specific times of the day, automating a waterfall so it's not running all the time (which is bad), controlling the output of an SWG and being able to easily change it as needed, eventually running a heater as-needed. It is far better to be able to do all these things from the comfort of your home rather than standing outside in the blazing sun pushing buttons and switches or turning valves by hand. You can certainly choose to do that but it's kind of silly given that the incremental cost installing automation at the time of build is tiny compared to doing it later. You're likely going to spend upwards of $60k on this pool and an $1,800 automation systems is a show-stopper ... I don't see the logic in that.
Plaster versus pebble is an aesthetic choice. You need to design the pool and then shop around with the various surface materials to see what looks best and what you like. You can get all sorts of samples from plaster manufacturers. The same is true with water line tile ... that takes a lot of window shopping.
No AUTOFILL ??? That's just crazy-talk. As state above, you will be living by your pool with a hose in hand if you don't install one. Automate it if you're worried about it running too much but you will hate having a pool if you have to sit there every day adding back 3/4" of water (and then forgetting to turn the hose off only to have your yard flooded with water).
Being from Northern AZ you need to understand that the climate in the valley is VERY VERY different than your lived experience. The Phoenix area gets well over 100" of water evaporation per year and almost no precipitation (10" or less ... mostly less). That means you evaporate away an entire swimming pool's worth of water. Evaporating that much water means your calcium hardness will increase anywhere from 200 to 400ppm PER YEAR. That is a huge amount of calcification. If you don't have good control over your source water's chemistry, you will quickly find your pool's chemistry way out of whack and things like your very expensive SWG will get trashed in short order.
