Help in placing Pool Equipment

[crek31]

Not sure if this belongs here or in Above Ground Pools, but here goes. I am mid-project having a covered patio and uncovered patio put in. As soon as the concrete dries, I'll be putting up our "for now" pool -- an 18' or 20' Intex. I will also be trying to hook up "real" equipment to the Intex. Equipment will be:

400,000 btu heater (probably RayPak or Hayward)
1 HP 2 SP pump (probably Pentair or Hayward)
200 - 240 sq.ft Cartridge Filter (Pentair or Hayward)
Intex SWG

What I am looking for is advice on where to put the equipment. I am a total pool newbie in so far as setting up the equipment goes. Only pool history is out-of-the-box Intex (which I kept crystal clear with BBB for 2 years with standard Intex equip - yay!). So, the water chemistry itself is not scary to me anymore, but absolutely every other component of setting up this tricked out Intex is daunting.

Seems like I have three options for equipment placement --
A. behind the garage, probably going the long way and keeping it as close to the garage as possible.
B. close to the pool, between the pool and the fence.
C. heater in corner between garage and house and the rest between the pool and side fence.

NOTE: the gas for heater comes out by the "X" which is the air conditioner in the corner between garage and house.

I will not be running anything below the new cement, but can trench behind garage in "garden" space.

Aesthetically, my preference is option "C" - to put the heater by the air conditioner and all the other equipment out by the pool by the side fence. Is this even possible to split up the equipment like that? Is it ill-advised? Does it make it harder for a complete newbie to use it easily?

Where would you put it? For those of you in the know, feel free to spell it out such that I can just hand it off to the relevant hired contractor of the day.

Here are pix of the yard if it helps. THANKS for any input.

 

[AquaDoctorLLC]

My vote would be B.

Keep in mind you can't have a window above your heater, so if there is a window on the wall marked with a X, then you'll have to put the heater on the F wall.

 

[crek31]

Aquadoc: Nope, no window by the "x". In case it is not clear, the fence is to the right of the pool in the diagram.

 

[crek31]

I did not know about the window restriction. I better check to see if there are any restrictions about placement near a wood fence. That might answer the heater placement question, which would put me back to choice A or C if I am not allowed to put the heater along that fence-line.

 

[dorpo75]

Just a thought. If this is your "for now" pool will you have enough room in the scheme of things to bump up a few sizes for a "permanent" pool down the road should you decide to go in that direction?
I am just thinking about the electric lines, gas line, return lines from each etc etc. (I know I would not be able to go any bigger based on where all those lines are running in my yard...but I have a small yard.)

Food for thought if need be.

Sounds like you have all the other details pretty well worked out. Have fun!

 

[crek31]

Well, my project changed and stalled, etc., last year. Now I am finally in a position to create the pool pad and place the equipment, but I was hoping some of you pros could weigh in on where stuff should go to maximize the functionality of the area. Here is a sketch of the area. The pool itself will be somewhere on the 24 x 40 "court" - the pool is a 20' round Intex so will take up either the front or back half of that pad - as yet undecided. (sorry - I don't seem to be able to rotate it on and have it not revert to sideways when I attach it)

[attachment=2:25twinmn]pool pad blank.jpg[/attachment:25twinmn]

The unpaved area behind the garage, with the air conditioner (heat pump) needs to house the following:
Heat Pump (as is)
Gas Grill
Pentair 400,000 heater
Pentair 200 sq ft cart filter
Pentair Superflo pump
Intex SWG
Tomato Garden
Herb Garden

Here are some photos of the area:
[attachment=1:25twinmn]P1010031.jpg[/attachment:25twinmn]
[attachment=0:25twinmn]P1010029.jpg[/attachment:25twinmn]

Pool boy, based on my telling him heater must be 4 feet from heat pump and 4 feet from any house or garage wall, was planning to arrange the equipment, front to back, as follows, starting from four feet to the side of the heat pump:

Garage Wall
Pump
Filter
Heater - and to its right, Intex SWG
Hopefully a screen of some sort if distance from vent allows for it??
Grill
Uncovered Patio


I had originally thought I would line up the equipment along the garage wall, rather than lining them up between the patio and garage wall - but when I read the heater manual that actually came with the heater, it seems to say the vent must be 4 feet from any wall; whereas the heater manual on-line says it must be 4 feet from any wall with a window and is silent on distance from a wall without an opening. It looks to me, however, like the on-line manual was last revised (on that page) in October 2007 whereas the manual I actually got in the box with the heater was revised in 2011 -- so I assume I am stuck with floating this huge heater 4 feet from the garage wall. If anyone knows anything different, I'd love to find support for putting it

My plan is to have him plumb it so that I can:
1. take down the pool in the off-season
2. bypass the heater if I am shocking or have bad water chemistrycloser (seems like every one I've ever seen in use is much closer than 4 feet to a house wall).

Thanks for any input on either the placement, or suggestions for plumbing. My pool boy is a freelance guy who has never modified an Intex - he is willing, but I'm his first so anyone who can save a mistake for us, please chime in.

 

[crek31]

Here is a picture of the pool equipment, arranged as pool by is currently thinking. I could not figure out how to add more than three photos in last post - sorry.

[attachment=0:34gazxcq]P1010028.jpg[/attachment:34gazxcq]