1 1/2in to 2in upgrade?

[tpabrad]

I am getting ready to convert over to a salt system and need some advice on a change I have been thinking about. Every piece of equipment in the system has 2in connectors by default. In my case, every piece of equipment has a 1 1/2 bushing attached since everything coming and going to the pool is 1 1/2 in. I have had various suspicions that I am unable to push enough water out the pool and spa returns when the input to the pump is only an 1 1/2 in connection. Once i split the returns I am trying to push more water than is coming in. So my thought process was to use 2in from the top of the valves on the input side all the way through to the return split. The salt cell appears to be 2in by default too so that is why I am thinking of doing this now because why add another item in the mix and push it down to a smaller size. My issue is I'm not sure this will help and its only a theory in my head. Since it will cost me to replace all the adapters to each piece of equipment that has a bushing now glued I'd like some confidence in this decision before wasting my money and possibly making the situation worse.

In the picture below the two valves on the far left control the input from the wall port, skimmer, and main drain. The next valve inline to the right of those controls the pool input vs the spa input. The valve furthest to the right is the split on the pool and spa return. Not in this picture is the heater which is further to the right and installed after I took it.

 

[zea3]

I'm not sure I am reading the problem correctly. Do you now have a problem moving enough water through the system or do you suspect you will have this problem when the SWG is installed? If you are having a problem now is the pump basket full of water? The pump basket should be completely filled with no air pockets showing in the lid. The picture looks like it may not be quite full and has water splashing against the lid when the pump is running.

 

[tpabrad]

I'm not sure I am reading the problem correctly. Do you now have a problem moving enough water through the system or do you suspect you will have this problem when the SWG is installed? If you are having a problem now is the pump basket full of water? The pump basket should be completely filled with no air pockets showing in the lid. The picture looks like it may not be quite full and has water splashing against the lid when the pump is running.

The only time my pump basket stays full and free of any air pockets is when I isolate the spa, runs clean as could be. Most other combinations though cause it to run relatively rough; causing air bubbles to spit out the nearest returns. I thought leaks in the plumbing could have been an issue but I'm fairly confident I have resolved those now.

My concerns raised after reading one of the guides that basically said the number of suction points should be more than the number of returns. In another thread I asked for clarification and understood I was thinking about it wrong (was counting number of returns not the number of pipes splitting out, in this case 2; one for the spa and one to the pool). What gets me is I can get it to run clean if I open up all the suction lines and close off the pool returns. A few other different combinations do the same. So my hope was that I could allow more water into the system since they all come into the valves at 1 1/2 and then stay 1 1/2 on the other side of the valve. The end result is still only 1 1/2 of water so that would not allow for full flow from each input. Going up to 2 on the other side of the valve would allow for more water from each of the 1 1/2's. It sounds like I'm over thinking this all.

 

[duraleigh]

The air visible in the pump basket is caused from a suction side leak. The article in Pool School may help you but you need to get that leak fixed.

The different sizing of pipes will not make as much difference as you may think......I wouldn't worry about it. That suction leak, however, is costing you a LOT of efficiency.

 

[tpabrad]

The air visible in the pump basket is caused from a suction side leak. The article in Pool School may help you but you need to get that leak fixed.

The different sizing of pipes will not make as much difference as you may think......I wouldn't worry about it. That suction leak, however, is costing you a LOT of efficiency.

I was worried that was the case. That means there is something else below the skimmer assembly with a leak. The very bottom of my skimmer had a crack in it and I sealed it off to get me by for the time being but was worried that wasn't the only issue. I'm now convinced my main drain is problematic as well as it gets all kinds of crazy when I have that valve open. It continuously goes through cycles where it seems to stop pulling water; emptying the bucket out before catching back up again. When closed that goes away and I'm left with some minor bubbling at the top. While I was looking for the big leak that I found in the skimmer I used the side port and that seems to run clean.

Thanks for the info!