Another modified Intex

[schertzy82]

After becoming jealous of seeing all the other Intex users on this forum with thru the wall skimmers, hard plumbing, and fountains, I finally gathered up enough courage to do it myself (most of that courage came in liquid form.) I'm not sure if this was the "right" way to do it, but it's what I had envisioned and I went through with it. I decided to use the original side wall drain along with the skimmer by plumbing them both to a 3 way Jandy valve. I also added another return and a fountain. I realize the extra return was probably unnecessary. But hey, this whole project was overkill, which is the whole point now isn't it? The fountain is actually a modified one that I got from Walmart. It's supposed to attach to a return on the inside of the pool, but I plumbed it to the outside with its own shutoff valve because I didn't like the idea of having it inside where someone could easily bump into it. I've never worked with PVC before and I guess I didn't have the fountain plumbing aligned just right when I glued it, so it looks a little off. But it still works. I don't want to jinx myself, so I'll say with reservations that I'm cautiously un-pessimistic that I might not have done a bad job

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[schertzy82]

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[kyser]

That looks great!
I'm going to do something similar soon. Our pool goes from groundwater temp(72 degrees) to bath water temp(85+) in no time flat. It's just shy of 90 degrees right now! Yuck!
I'm hoping we will some cooling effect from the fountain. Plus the kids would love it!

 

[connie]

That looks wonderful! Be very proud especially as it is a pvc job for the first time. Wish I was not so scared to modify mine. I just turn my return nozzle facing up and it fountains up some but not enough to make it beautiful like yours.

 

[mrmacdad12]

Looks Awesome! Love the fountain.

If I may ask, I see you replaced all of your wall inlet/outlet connections. what parts did you use? also, I see you added an additional return/inlet.

just curious on the method used to install the additional inlet/return.

what was used to cut the hole? did you just cut the circle? or did you make a X first. did you drain pool below connections first?

recently purchased a sand filter for my pool, and I would like to use the larger valves so I will have to cut my valve holes larger. plus im contemplating installing a thru the wall skimmer as well and keep the inlet at the pool wall like you have, use the pool wall inlet for vac and normal filtering, use the skimmer as inlet when swimming or adding chemicals.

 

[cmilliorn]

I just ordered the skimmer and should be here saturday. I am off Sunday and want to install it that morning. I would also like to know what parts you used and where you got them Any tips on cutting and installing? I believe you got the hayward skimmer which is what I got! Any more info would be so helpful! Thank you

 

[schertzy82]

Thanks for the comments!

If I may ask, I see you replaced all of your wall inlet/outlet connections. what parts did you use?

I used the original Intex strainer connector on the sidewall drain. To plumb to the drain and the filter, I used this Cantex fitting from Lowes glued inside a coupling, and then put the Intex 2 piece nuts on them. I learned all that from this thread. You'll need to get some gasket material to cut a gasket to fit inside of the nut for the sidewall drain. My filter already had an o-ring on the connection, so no gasket was necessary there.

just curious on the method used to install the additional inlet/return.

I cut another hole in the liner and put a Hayward eyeball return in it. I also used a Hayward eyeball return in the original return hole since I did not like the Intex eyeball. The original hole was a little big for a standard return, but as long as you have it centered as best you can with gaskets on both sides and screwed on tightly, it should work. To plumb them, I used a 1.5 inch elbow with male external threads on one end and a female socket on the other. The threaded end screws into the return, where you normally screw in a hose barb. I plumbed both returns to another 3-way valve to control the flow between them. I did not have to drain the pool since I did this while I was putting it back up for the season. I did fill the pool about half way to stretch the liner before cutting it. I did not make an X, I just traced around the return with a pencil and cut the circle out with an exacto knife.

I would also like to know what parts you used and where you got them Any tips on cutting and installing? I believe you got the hayward skimmer which is what I got!

Yes, I have the Hayward Dyna-Skim. To plumb to it, I used this shutoff valve. For cutting out the square for the skimmer, I filled my pool halfway to stretch the liner and held the faceplate up to it on the inside and traced inside of it with a pencil. Then I punched out the screw holes with an awl and carefully cut out the square with an Exacto knife and put the butterfly gasket in the cutout so it sandwiched the liner on both sides. Then I installed the skimmer and faceplate. If you go through with it, use a brand new blade and go very slowly and always be vigilant when holding the knife around the pool. Even with one small inadvertent move, you could end up plunging the knife right though your liner.

 

[gtnos]

awesome! havent even got my intex pool installed yet and i want to do what you just did! what fountain is that? once i get mine up and running i want a fountain. i will probably start out by just hard plumbing the return side so i can add that.

 

[vthokie67]

schertzy82, what is that large diameter PVC fitting in both horizontal runs between the two intakes, and again between the two returns? I've never seen that before.
Thanks.

 

[schertzy82]

what fountain is that? once i get mine up and running i want a fountain.

Here it is. It's meant to screw into a standard return on the inside of a rigid wall or in-ground pool, but like I said above, I didn't want it on the inside because that sounds like it could be hazardous with a soft wall pool if someone bumps into it. So I hard plumbed it on the outside. I only used half of the parts since I hard plumbed it. I also added a shutoff valve to it.

 

[schertzy82]

schertzy82, what is that large diameter PVC fitting in both horizontal runs between the two intakes, and again between the two returns? I've never seen that before.
Thanks.

If you're talking about the white one, it's a union. In my case, it let's me disassemble all the plumbing for when I take the pool down in the fall. I have 4 unions, so it comes apart in 5 pieces. Then I can easily reassemble it next season. Much easier to store and reassemble 5 pieces than 2 very large, awkwardly shaped ones. For permanent pools, unions allow equipment to be removed easily if needed without cutting apart the plumbing.

If you're talking about the gray one, it's a Jandy 3-way valve. It let's me control the suction between the skimmer and sidewall drain or the flow between the two returns. Hayward and Pentair also make 3-way valves.

 

[vthokie67]

I was interested in both, thanks!