I have the standard eyeball returns, four, in my pool. When I put in my first PoolSkim I replaced two of the eyeballs with smaller openings to divert more flow to the PS. Then I put in the second one. I reduced one eyeball to 1/4" and another to about 1/8" (or less-didn't measure) to get adequate flow to the two PoolSkims. If you are familiar with me you will probably remember that we have an extreme environment and two PoolSkims is not overkill especially when plants are messy in Spring and huge amounts of falling/blowing leaves from Oct through end of Dec. In addition constant doggie hair, blowing silt, and pollen much of the year.
So new developments: The Solar Breeze (solar powered top skimmer) is doing a remarkable job!!!! I started using it when there were still a lot of blowing leaves so it can get overly full during high leaf time so the PoolSkims helped tremendously. Prior to putting in the PSs I directed the returns upwards and around the pool so that leaves would finally make it to the skimmer but it would fill in minutes so that I would need to be here when the pump was running; 1.5 hp, 1.5 SF pump, one speed so flow was fabulous. I would have to turn off bottom drain to keep leaves from going to pump basket and clogging it in a few minutes too. Polaris, with several leaf bags (actually the after market Aquawerx jumbo bags hold more leaves and catches smaller debris too), had to be emptied many times a day to keep up with leaves that made it to bottom. PSs bags needed a couple or more emptyings a day also. I will use this setup in the fall but for Spring/Summer/Early Fall I'm going to use a different setup.
During all year I still have the issues with sand and very fine silt. I have the new Pentair Intelliflo VF that I plan on, during non leaf falling periods, using on very low with pretty constant filtration 24/7; speeds to be determined once I start playing with it. The Solar Breeze, running 24/7 will take care of much of the fine stuff and plant debris that blows into the pool. I may not need to use the Polaris during the day as the Aquabot, with fine bag (again after market ScumBags are the best for silt) running at night, when dogs are put up, will take care of virtually all of the fine silt (in addition to constant low speed circulation) and all sand. Due to these two products, SolarBreeze and Aquabot, I doubt that the Tracker 4X will be needed much at all (and it requires higher pump speeds) so it may be semi-retired. Polaris will probably be kept up until leaf falling time. One or both will be kept handy for really fast cleanup when needed.
Okay RETURNS. Has anyone used the eyeballs with the slits? I am thinking that I won't be needing the returns to direct the flow to skimmer as the SolarBreeze will capture virtually all blown in debris pretty much round the clock (with the Li-ion batteries it will run all night, without sunlight, as long as it gets enough sun during the previous day, building up charge while continuing to run). I thought about putting a slit eyeball at the shallow end, middle of wall, directed downwards to gently push some of the silt (that collects very heavily in small shallow end) towards the bottom drain in deep end. Is this one of the things the slit return is designed to do; spread out the flow? I do know from looking at one, on Internet, that it can be directed more acutely in any direction compared to the round opening on eyeballs.
I can, also, play with the other returns for directing water down and towards the deep end, too, possibly using the slit eyeballs, but the most effective one will probably be the one at shallow end wall.
Which leads me to. Is there such a return fitting that can be adjusted for amount of flow right at the return? If it doesn't exist that surely would be a great thing to get a patent on. In my case, and for many other people, I/we don't have valves for each return. Easy, quick, adjustment for each return would be fabulous. When adjusting returns for PoolSkims to get enough flow to the PS(s) the fittings have to be taken off, and various sizes of eyeballs have to be tried out. In my case that is 2 or 3 returns that have to be fiddled with taking off and replacing return fittings several times to get the flows just right. It would be nice to adjust the returns for many purposes like PoolSkims and/or increased/decreased flows when one return needs more flow like for my end return (slit hopefully) for movement of silt in a direction, and many other reasons.
I can use some kind of redneck configuration to do this but then I'm looking at the return sticking out into the pool more than desired.
BTW.... as I probably won't be using the Polaris much I can use its return, also (without booster pump, of course) for an additional eyeball.
Comments, suggestions, please.
Thanks, gg=alice
So new developments: The Solar Breeze (solar powered top skimmer) is doing a remarkable job!!!! I started using it when there were still a lot of blowing leaves so it can get overly full during high leaf time so the PoolSkims helped tremendously. Prior to putting in the PSs I directed the returns upwards and around the pool so that leaves would finally make it to the skimmer but it would fill in minutes so that I would need to be here when the pump was running; 1.5 hp, 1.5 SF pump, one speed so flow was fabulous. I would have to turn off bottom drain to keep leaves from going to pump basket and clogging it in a few minutes too. Polaris, with several leaf bags (actually the after market Aquawerx jumbo bags hold more leaves and catches smaller debris too), had to be emptied many times a day to keep up with leaves that made it to bottom. PSs bags needed a couple or more emptyings a day also. I will use this setup in the fall but for Spring/Summer/Early Fall I'm going to use a different setup.
During all year I still have the issues with sand and very fine silt. I have the new Pentair Intelliflo VF that I plan on, during non leaf falling periods, using on very low with pretty constant filtration 24/7; speeds to be determined once I start playing with it. The Solar Breeze, running 24/7 will take care of much of the fine stuff and plant debris that blows into the pool. I may not need to use the Polaris during the day as the Aquabot, with fine bag (again after market ScumBags are the best for silt) running at night, when dogs are put up, will take care of virtually all of the fine silt (in addition to constant low speed circulation) and all sand. Due to these two products, SolarBreeze and Aquabot, I doubt that the Tracker 4X will be needed much at all (and it requires higher pump speeds) so it may be semi-retired. Polaris will probably be kept up until leaf falling time. One or both will be kept handy for really fast cleanup when needed.
Okay RETURNS. Has anyone used the eyeballs with the slits? I am thinking that I won't be needing the returns to direct the flow to skimmer as the SolarBreeze will capture virtually all blown in debris pretty much round the clock (with the Li-ion batteries it will run all night, without sunlight, as long as it gets enough sun during the previous day, building up charge while continuing to run). I thought about putting a slit eyeball at the shallow end, middle of wall, directed downwards to gently push some of the silt (that collects very heavily in small shallow end) towards the bottom drain in deep end. Is this one of the things the slit return is designed to do; spread out the flow? I do know from looking at one, on Internet, that it can be directed more acutely in any direction compared to the round opening on eyeballs.
I can, also, play with the other returns for directing water down and towards the deep end, too, possibly using the slit eyeballs, but the most effective one will probably be the one at shallow end wall.
Which leads me to. Is there such a return fitting that can be adjusted for amount of flow right at the return? If it doesn't exist that surely would be a great thing to get a patent on. In my case, and for many other people, I/we don't have valves for each return. Easy, quick, adjustment for each return would be fabulous. When adjusting returns for PoolSkims to get enough flow to the PS(s) the fittings have to be taken off, and various sizes of eyeballs have to be tried out. In my case that is 2 or 3 returns that have to be fiddled with taking off and replacing return fittings several times to get the flows just right. It would be nice to adjust the returns for many purposes like PoolSkims and/or increased/decreased flows when one return needs more flow like for my end return (slit hopefully) for movement of silt in a direction, and many other reasons.
I can use some kind of redneck configuration to do this but then I'm looking at the return sticking out into the pool more than desired.
BTW.... as I probably won't be using the Polaris much I can use its return, also (without booster pump, of course) for an additional eyeball.
Comments, suggestions, please.
Thanks, gg=alice