Intex Hard Plumbed Pool & Hayward Skimmer

[jspeacock1978]

I've just purchased a new Intex pump (upgrading the 2650 GPH sand filter) and a Hayward skimmer. I figure if I'm going through the upgrade process, I should get rid of those restrictive Intex plunger valves, but since I'm doing THAT upgrade ... well, I'm just going to hard-plumb the pool and do this right!

I do have a question though. I've seen several hard-plumbed installs and while all of them look good, there seem to be two schools of thought. One one hand you have people like jsf0656 who have a single inlet (skimmer) and send the output from the filter to both of the old "returns" and into the pool. You also have the other side with people like Verdog who have one of the "returns" and the skimmer going to the inlet and the output from the pump going only to a single "return" and back to the the pool.

Why were these setups done this way? Is one better than the other?

Thanks guys!

--Jonathan

 

[Bama Rambler]

I figure it's just done out of convenience and it really doesn't matter which way you do it. My preference would be two suctions and one return rather than the other way, but like i said, it doesn't make a lot of difference.

 

[Safetybob]

I agree with Dave above....personal choice. I went with standard Intex suction but hard plumbed and added Hayward skimmer. I figured it would be best when I have the cover on, to use the Intex intake and not strickly the Hayward one. I have valves on both, so I can select one or both. Right now I have the Intex on full and the Hayward on about 1/2 with the sock I have in the basket full of stabilizer trying to disolve.

Let's talk returns. If you use the stock, standard Intex eyeball, then in my opinion, you will be fine. I got one of those angled returns that has the venturi thing built in, with that pump, it's almost to much flow. The venturi thing works very, very well. I put two of them in the pool, one at the standard Intex location, and another about 1/2 way down the pool. My thoughts were to use the middle "new" one mostly to "mix" my water which is heated.

All my flow problems have been eliminated by getting rid of the plunger valves and hard plumbing. Last year, I hard plumbed everything going to the plungers. I had flow problems and somewhat noticable heat difference between sides of pool. Not now....it's almost like a whirlpool with just one of the venturi jets operating. The nice part about using Hayward standard parts for my returns is that I have all the choices in the world for jets or eyeballs.

If you don't cut appart the Hayward butterfly gasket, I would suggest you add gasket material (or something) to the outside of your pool so that your gasket simulates the thickness of a metal sided pool and liner so that you don't spend HOURS cussing at it trying to get everything screwed in properly. I had to enlarge the hole I drew out on the side of the pool in order for the gasket to laydown properly so the screws would line up so I could get it installed. It was a pain, but boy to I love it.

If I had to do it again, I would just do one return and not bother with two. The flow increase was unbelievable. There was no way I would have thought that those plungers were that restrictive. I have not put the wattmeter on the pump to see if the juice needed is more or less than with the restrictive valves.....I need to try that soon.

Bob E.