Intex Pools and pumps (used, problem, money, work)

[WyattE]

I have an Intex Pool size 16' wide x 48 " deep and clearly the pool pump that comes with it cannot work hard enough for the pool to push and filter the amount of gallons in my pool. I want to upgrade to a better pump. The rough size of gallons mine contains is about 4500 gallons. I've seen pumps that push and filter around 2500 gallons per hour. Would this be what kind of pump I would need? Each of the four years I have had my pool it has gone green even with the correct chemicals I've dumped in it. The pump I have now just can't seem to push and mix the chemicals I have very well. Any advice or suggestions?
Thanks!!!!

[PacificFlights]

For your size pool, you need a pump that can circulate 6.25 gpm based on 24 hour use. if running only 12 hours you need 12.5 gpm pump. If running only 6 hours, you need 25 gpm pump. If your pump meets this need, odds are its not the pump but the filter, lenght of time being run, enviroment impacts, chemical issues, or a design (very common problem) that makes the circulation poor. Oversized pumps is the biggest waste of energy to correct something that is due to other correctable factors.

[WyattE]

Now I am considering buying a Sand Filter Pump which seem to be more reliable from what I've read. But I cannot determine whether I need a 1600gph system or a 2100gph. My pool is a 16 foot wide and 48 inches deep. I'm guessing it contains about 4500 to 5000 gallons of water. Any suggestions on which gph system I should use? Clearly the little 1000 gph system that came with the pool is too weak to push that kind of water which has caused many problems the fast 4 year and a lot of money wasted. I'm hoping this year, I can get it right. Thanks for any replies.

[PacificFlights]

A 5,000 gallon pool requires a 1,000 gallon per hour flow rate runing 8-10 hours a day. But it also depends on your intake line size since that also determines how many gallong per minute that can be moved through your system. Filters also are sized on the size and flow rate. A huge filter is wasted if the flow rate is low and a undersized filter can't do its job if the flow rate is too high causing channeling of the sand bed.

Lets start with the basics. How big is your pool capacity (actual not a guess)?
lenght X width X average dept X 7.5 = ?

Next what are the size and number of intake points and what size pipe do they flow into?
1.5" total size = max low 40ish flow rate.
2.0" total size = max 75ish flow rate
2.5" total size = max 120ish flow rate.

As you see, you can have a big hp pump with a high flow rate but the pipes limit it to less than the pumps capacity.

These are the first steps.

Again, many problems are solved with proper pool mainatance that has nothing to do with the pump size, flow rate, or gph turnover. A 2hp pool pump running 4 hours a day with a 700sq ft cartridge filter will not do a better job than a .75hp pool pump with a 100sq foot cartridge filter running 12 hours a day. Throw in a 2 speed or varaiable speed pump and you can run that sucker 24 hours a day and spend less in a year than you would in a month with the bigger pump & filter and have half the maintainace issues and use less chemicals to balance the pool.