Basic Pool Questions

[Spiffdandy]

Here is my situation. I am building a swimming pool in the philippines and in my area, there are no contractors with swimming pool experience. It will be in ground, bannanna shaped, about 50' long and about 8' on each end with the middle being about 12' wide. The depth will be 5' in the middle. I dont have the luxury of gunnite there. One side of the pool will be a retaining wall/walkway, and I will be roughing in the plumbing on my next visit. The plan is to pour flat the first pour, then use cinder blocks (filled) on the sides. Then install a PVC liner, repour with proper flooring slope, then another wall of cinder blocks for the vertical, finished out. There are lots of skilled masons that do good work there so that part wont be an issue. In the philippines, you just need engineered drawings, pay the permit, and you can pretty much build it however you want. That part is taken care of. So my rough in questions are:

Is 2" the standard pipe sizing for skimmers and circulating system?

Can you make minor adjustments to the water level with a skimmer ?

is it advisable to install a 'suction' port for future vaccuuming use ?

Are 2 main drains advisable or necessary? ( I have read many posts here re: main drain, my primary need for one is water change outs and not skimmer circulation) Is 2" a standard size for a main drain?

Your help is much appreciated!

Spiffdandy

 

[ozdiver]

2" is fine for skimmers. Have each skimmer on an independent line so they can be adjusted with a valve.

No, skimmer height is fixed. but it does not control the water level. I has a range of water levels it will operate effectively.

No need for suction port, vacuum hose fits the bottom of the skimmer with basket out.

For safety sake a dual drain that merges into a single 2" pipe back to the equipment pad is advisable.
This is required in the US, not sure of rules in Philippines.

 

[Spiffdandy]

Thank You,. Some follow up questions if you are able to help. Can you offer some links to a simple piping diagram links for the piping in the pump house, I have seen some but they are somewhat confusing and not 'explanatory' enough. Also any recommendations on the type of skimmer to use for an in ground? So I am to assume you really want to get your skimmer bedded accurately for elevation to control the water line? I plan on eventually adding a water slide, so I am thinking its advisable to bed an intake port for the water slide pump system?

 

[ozdiver]

If you can sketch up your design and the features you plan it would help in offering you a plumbing design.
You will be needing 2 skimmers, locate one in a location that tends to be the downwind end of pool. Let nature be your friend.
You plan a waterslide. What other water features are you considering? Waterfall, bubblers, laminar jets, sheer descents, cisterns, swim jets?
Are you planning on a SWG or are you using bleach?
What sort of filtration; DE, cartridge or sand?
You don't mention a Spa, any heating?

All these factors define the characteristics of your plumbing.

As for the intake port, yes but it will be the same setup as dual drain for safety.
The difference is this water feature intake does not cycle thru the filter circuit.

 

[Spiffdandy]

TY ozdiver. I plan on using bleach. No bubblers, no spa, no heat (not needed in the phils). Plan on using sand filter. May install small waterfall at later date, primary use of additional port is to wet the waterslide. Trying to keep things simple. Will provide sketch later date when recieved from Engineer, ( who is relying totally on the information I give him).

 

[ozdiver]

Ok, then easy.
Double drain connects to a single pipe back to equipment pad.
2 skimmers have independent pipes running back to equipment pad.
At equipment pad the 2 skimmer pipes and 1 drain pipe each coming into to separate valves.
From the valves they will al be joined together into a single pipe that goes into your Filter pump.
Filer pump output connects to filter.
Filter output goes to pipe that goes back to the pool circulation jets.

Waterfall/water feature:
A double drain that can be in the wall of the pool connects to a single pipe to equipment pad.
At equipment pad the pipe connects directly to the water feature pump.
The water feature pump output goes to a pipe that goes back to the pool to run waterfall.

 

[Spiffdandy]

I am printing this off as a 'to do' list .... Thank You again Ozdiver, more details LOL .....with Filter output that goes to circulation jets, meaning the supply water for the return jets to feed the skimmers? Also any manufacturer recommendations to the wall drain ports that will penetrate the liner? I will have to send/import the ports from the US before I arrive my next visit. Also .. the skimmers must be precisely set in relation to the outside pool surface as I understand it. If I get a skimmer in my hands ....will it be self explanatory as to how to bed it and set elevation? Also you mentioned all pipes join together in front of the Filter pump, if I want to drain to pool to waste, I am assuming I can create a valve situation exiting the Filter pump to assist with that for water changouts ? Hope I have explained it clear enough to understand, if not please let me know. Thanks again Ozdiver !

 

[Spiffdandy]

sorry to bother you to revisit this question, but on the part where you note that skimmer height does not control water level, my question is what does? Would you mind to help my understanding of what you mean by ' a range of water levels' ... as in is there a way to control water level. So I guess my ultimate questions is ...what designates the top water line of the pool ? Thanks again for your patience and help

 

[ozdiver]

The top water level is controlled by how much water you put in it.
It is limited by any form of overflow pipe you may have.
Its minimum is either maintained by an auto-fill float, or your tolerance of how low it gets before you throw a hose in it to fill it up.

Evaporation is going to move it down.
Rainfall will bring it up.

You will find a specific range that lets your skimmers skim best, too high water level and they are not very effective, too low and they start to whirlpool and suck some air.