AWESOME Intex Pool Hacks and Upgrades for 2023! - Pool Plumbing 

Thanks!

Thank you!

I would assume as long as the pump is sized and meets the GPH your pool requires and the fittings work. You could always PVC to this pump similar to what I did. The pump comes with a 120V pigtail but u could hardwire the pump too although it isn’t designed for it.

Yes. It’s a Hayward skimmer and available on Amazon. You do have to cut your liner, but if done correctly, the pool and skimmer will last many years. I’ve had this skimmer for about 5 years with zero problem. The skimmer mod is probably one of my most favorite mods I’ve done to the pool because It allows me to use a traditional hose and pool vacuum and it’s easy to clean the basket. I believe almost any above ground pool skimmer would work.

How many gallon pool do you have?

I just did a quick search and it looks like the Intex sand pumps max at 3/4hp. Which means if you need a 1hp pump then Intex might not be the right pump for you.

Not necessarily. I use the sand filter because the pump/filter that comes with the pool, in my opinion, is undersized. I believe the use of the stock pump/filter leads to a lot of water quality issues and additional time spent maintaining the pool. The salt system will also work with the stock pump/filter. As matter-of-fact, I ran my salt system with the stock pump/filter for a year or two. I use salt because its requires less chemicals (just add salt at season opening), less maintenance, is easier on my eyes, hair, swimsuits than chlorine and the whole pool doesn't smell like chlorine. Neither a salt system or a sand filter is required to enjoy your pool for the summer. For me, it was more of a luxury because I no longer had to spend money on chemicals or time everyday testing the water.

The pool comes with 2 black top hat looking rubber stoppers for the outlets. I just used those and pushed them through the outlet holes from the inside of the pool to the outside so that the top hat portion of the stopper stuck outside the pool. I then added a small hose clamp on the outside of the pool for each outlet.

So I actually have 3 different sizes. The one going from my skimmer to the PVC is 1 1/4"-1 1/2". The one going from the PVC to the pump is 1 1/2"-2" and the last going from the chlorine generator to the PVC is a 2"-2". NOTE: I have an old PVC connector that I didn't cut off of the PVC at the chlorine generator. This connector was left over from making piping adjustments when I was setting this all up. If I didn't have that old PVC connector on there that fernco would have been another 1 1/2"-2" fernco.

I’ll get that information to you this afternoon.

its a 1-1/2" to 2"

Ok... Thank you!

I dont know for sure. I would assume as long as the pump specs match your pool's requirements and the pump-to-pool connections work, I dont see why it wouldnt.

It plugs in to 120V outlet.

any size basicly

Do the math

I leave my pool up but drain it down below my inlet/outlet holes. I drain my pump and chlorine generator and put it away in my storage building every year.

The leaf basket will clog if you vacuum a bunch of leaf debris but I don't own any trees so i really don't get much leaf debris during the summer. So, its usually just simply emptying the basket after a vacuum and i'm done.

I use 2 different types of vacuums. One of them is the traditional pool hose, pole and vacuum head and I vacuum the pool once a month like this. The other vacuum is the set it and forget it automatic/robot type. I use this vacuum daily - if we're not in the pool, the robot vacuum is running.

Pool sand

Just a cup. Once enough is removed I turn it upside down and wash it out.

You can use shop the vac

For the 10 inch sand filter just pick it up and dump it

sand filter is better. I replace the filter media every couple of years. Filter cartridges need to be replaced or cleaned weekly

Intex crystal clear sand filter pump is better than any other pump

Glass media is better than sand you replace it every 8 or 10 years

Thanks Timothy! If your pool pump is similar to mine, the gaskets are the rubber gaskets that are already in your pool equipment. You just reuse them.

Yes I will try tomorrow thx!

Not sure where you're talking about, but the PVC to the pump and back to the pool is plumbed using 1 1/2" PVC. The 1 1/2" PVC is larger, or as large, in diameter than any of the fittings that came with the pool or pump. The PVC is not a bottleneck in the plumbing. If your taking about the misters, that are not shown in this video - those were my intentions was to match the PVC with the water hose diameter to keep the pressure the same. The mister tips are rated for certain pressures and I purchased mister tips rated for city water pressure. In order for me to keep the pressure the same as city water, I had to install the same size PVC diameter as my water hose.

It is a little loud. Enough that it’s hard to talk over while I was recording my other RU-vid video

@@ChuckTate77 my intex 16x48 ultra xtr steel frame pool has the 2100 gph sand filter and pump we are just using liquid chlorine + plus i have good city water pool stayed clear all summer with just a 3" chlorine tablet in floater and adding 3 cups of liquid chlorine nightly with filter set for 6 hours my question to you is if wanted to upgrade to the hayward skimmer as you did do you think i need to upgrade filter and pump to a bigger gph ? Also what did you use to seal off the 2 black intake ports in order to run skimmer as intake? Also are the fernco fittings you use bendable ? I see they are attached with what looks like standard hose clamps. Is there a substantial difference in the water movement with your upgraded filter and pump ? Im assuming if i go with a bigger pump i have to get a bigger sand filter too? Right know i have to add half of a 50lb bag of sand. Were new to all this but we really learned alot this past summer of watching good videos from you tubers as yourself and others. I uploaded a video of our pool to my channel back in July. I know i asked alot of questions but any help would be GREATLY APPRECIATED AT YOUR CONVENIENCE right now were all covered up with a winter cover and winterized with a floater with slow release tablet and the PILL THANKS IN ADVANCE FOR ANY HELP OR OPINIONS IDEAS!!

@@iamkazie9401 I wouldnt see why a pump upgrade would be required for the skimmer upgrade. I used the 2 black dome-looking plugs that came with the pool and 2 hose clamps to seal off those inlets/outlets. The ferncos are not very flexible plus they are short so trying to make up distance with the ferncos would be very difficult, if not impossible. I think there is a huge difference in water movement between the paper filter pump that came with our pool and the sand/filter pump. But the sand pump has huge advantages over the paper filer pump. 1) no paper filter replacements 2) sand media is replaced every 2-3 years. 3) sand media is cheap. I backflush the pump about once a week and I use a roll-out hose (similar to a fire hose that unrolls) to backflush the pump. The intex sand filter and pump are one unit so I am not sure what you currently have but i assumed all Intex sand units included the pump too. I am not sure on the amount of sand for the pump but I think you're right. I usually buy 2 bags of sand and still have quite a bit left over that I fill holes with in our yard with.. lol. You're absolutely welcome for any advice I can give. I was once where you are now, just watching video after video looking for answers to my questions. Its really no problem at all answering your questions. I need to make more videos because I do get a lot of questions on certain stuff but I am not a big RU-vidr. I just make the videos to help answer questions where the other RU-vidr's videos left off.

Lol, I have no clue. I’m just here creating content for my viewers on what they want to see.

Yes. Fernco is a brand but that brand is so well known for these types of adapter it is what they’ve been called.