Dave Paine

I'm helping a friend with his small inground pool. He is not computer literate, and I am not pool literate. 1.)He's in need of a new 30' vacuum hose, and I've been told that an in-ground pool requires a 1.5 inch hose. I measured his hose and it's 1.25" where it's broken in half, and one fitting is 1.25" the other end fitting is 1.5". What do I get for a replacement? 2.)Also, this is a standard setup with chlorine tablets. I know the water measures towards the acidic end of the ph scale, could I just mix a slurry of baking soda to level it out? 3.)Last question, this pool has a typical vertically oriented cylindrical filter. Can I use a slurry of DE on it? The reason I'm asking these basic questions is that neither of us has much money to spend right now, and I'm trying to make the right decisions..... Thanks in advance, Dave