New Construction - plumbing advice needed

[pliesj]

Hi all. What a great site. I am currently building a new house and having a pool built as well. The pool is fairly modest - 26x12, simple rectangle, 12,000 gallons, no water features. I am concerned about power consumption and paying the electric bills for the next few decades. With that in mind, I am trying to design the pool to be as energy efficient as possible.

Pump = Hayward Ecostar SP3400VSP, located about four feet below water surface and about 30 feet from center of pool and 17 feet from edge of pool.
Filter = Pentair CCRP200

The currently specified plumbing is:

Dual VGB floor drains
Two skimmers
2.5" suction plumbing
Three returns - 2" trunk pipe with 1.5" pipe through the wall for each of the three eyeballs

Question - I am inclined to ask for FOUR returns with a 2.5" return trunk pipe feeding four 1.5" pipes for each eyeball to further reduce pumping losses. Sound reasonable? Any possible problem with having the return trunk be 2.5" like the suction pipe? The pool builder thinks this is overkill but is willing to do it if I ask.

Any other thoughts appreciated.

Thanks.

 

[duraleigh]

Sound reasonable?

No. a smallish 12k pool needs about 3/4 HP pump for a good match. 1.5" returns a 2" suction is gracious plenty.

 

[atttech-2]

Our pool is fairly new around 12000 gallons 1 skimmer 2" suction and return to pool side that branches into a 1.5" that feeds the 4 returns. If things track the way they have been I will be at around $160 for the year in electrical based on $0.16 per kWh and that's with a booster pump powered pressure side cleaner. Pluss I think I am filtering more than I need to. Plumbing wise I am happy only thing I would change is would have gone with a robot probably would have reduced electrical cost by $70 or more per year.

 

[Isaac-1]

Your plumbing is good as is, but I would make sure that you can individually isolate each skimmer and drain (home run the plumbing from each), this way you and select the skimmer that is down wind during the current seasonal wind direction (if your area is anything like mine that will be wind from the NW in the fall, winter and early spring, switching to southerly winds in the summer). 1.5 inch returns branching off a 2 inch main return line is also good, the only issue I see is your pump is massively oversized at 3HP. Instead you might consider a Superpump VS or Maxflo VS, these are 1.5 HP VS pumps with basic integrated controllers built in, with no water features or spa you don't really need any sort of automation system for pump control which is the market these simple VS pumps are designed for (note the Maxflo VS comes in 2 varieties the older basic model, and the new improved one that has external relay / automation support) I would suggest the one with external control support in case you add a heater or other feature later on.

Ike

p.s. upsizing suction side pipe buys you more than upsizing return pipe, you should be fine with 2 inch pipe all around if you home run all the suction pipes and blend suction from one (seasonally appropriate) skimmer and the main drain.