Inwall Skimmer Placement Considerations

[Backyard Luddite]

I'm mounting the skimmer high up the wall (into the grey top area to preserve my water depth) on a separate wall than the one with the current suction hose. I will use that wall/panel for a fountain.

Is there any theory/lessons learned on if it's better to put more or less space between the inwall skimmer and the return outlet? Will there be more or less of a "dead zone?" It seems that if you go out one panel more from the Intex suction inlet (panel to the right) you would extend the system one panel and extend the activity of the system (to 4 panels/walls). You might also have less water that was just returned to the pool being sucked right back in by the inwall skimmer in the next wall.

For example:
Panel 1 (return) - Panel 2 (blank) - Panel 3 (unused inlet/future PVC fountain) - Panel 4 (inwall skimmer)

Or would you put the inwall skimmer in the current 2nd blank panel (like jsf0656 does) so you only use 3 panels and the entire system is more compact (less PVC to hard plum)?
Panel 1 (return) - Panel 2 (inwall skimmer) - Panel 3 (unused inlet/future PVC fountain). But this way has the outlet (return) and inlet (inwall skimmer) in panels that are right next to each other. Having less distance for the filter to pull water (length of the hose or the PVC pipe would be 4 or 5 feet less) might also help reduce the work load in the long-term.

Here's jsf0656's system all plumbed in (great job BTW!): intex-pool-and-deck-build-t23031-40.html

 

[Safetybob]

Really, it's all your call. This year, I put the Hayward skimmer in the panel between the factor inlet and return. I also tied the factory inlet and skimmer (valved separately) together so I could have a problem with one and still use the other for whatever reason......

Because I have a heater, I added another return about half way down in the pool below the other return figuring that would be my primary return to flow heated water into the pool. However, I really have about 1/2 the flow going to each of the returns......didn't use Intex returns, got "real" Hayward returns so I could use whatever standard jet or noozle I wanted.

I though about a fountain and can always rig something up for one of the returns (since it's a standard Hayward plumbing part). By the time I got done hard plumbing along with all the other setup/leveling work, the fountain had gone way past the back burner......

Bob E.