What's the best filter for 15k gallon AG?

We have a 15k gallon AG. We’ve had it, or a pool like it, for 25 years, and never had a problem until three years ago. We thought we were upgrading the filter to a Sta-Rite PLM100 but it’s never worked right. What do we need to buy in order to have a usable pool?

I could go into detail about the PLM100 but basically the pool is muck. Before that we had a PML50DE that kept the pool clean but for brought us to tears when we had to clean it as it never went back together properly, so the PLM100 sounded like a good upgrade. But it’s terrible.

We have a Hayward 1.5HP 70GPM motor, if that matters.

Hi, I think something like this Hayward C1200 Cartridge Filter would be a great option, its a tried and true filter that has been on the market for many years (25+) I have also always found sand filters to be easy to work with but they have lower filtering capacity than cartridge. Cartridge will filter down to 10 microns where sand filters down to between 20-40 microns. If you decide to go with Sand then something like this Waterway 26" Sand Filter would be a good option.

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We left our 18 x 52 AG round behind when we moved from AL to PA few years back and the best we can do in our current backyard is a 12 x 30 in. Intex ( and if you know where to find anything deeper at that diameter, my whole family would be forever in your debt). We had two Intex pools prior to getting the AG pool, so I knew that smaller=trickier re: maintaining proper chemistry, but I didn’t anticipate how much I’d hate going back to cartridge filters after using a sand filter. Anyway, I am wondering if it’s possible to replace our 1000 GPH cartridge filter with an appropriately-sized sand filter. First, I don’t know if something that small even exists, and second, I’m having a tough time calculating what we need for a pool this size. If anybody has any ideas or insight, I’d be grateful for the help. One of my guys is autistic and this pool is an extremely big deal. Thanks!

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CYA interacts with chlorine to prevent it from being “eating” by the sun. You could add 5 gallons of chlorine to the water and it would be gone in a matter of hours if you didn’t have enough CYA.

word wipe

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When we relocated from AL to PA a few years ago, we left our 18 x 52 AG round behind, and the best we can do in our present backyard is a 12 x 30 in. Intex ( and if you know where to find anything deeper at that diameter, my whole family would be forever in your debt). Prior to acquiring the AG pool, we had two Intex pools, so I was aware that smaller pools require more effort to maintain good chemistry. However, I hadn’t anticipated how much I would detest switching back to cartridge filters after using a sand filter.