Will This Work - pump question

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bob2112

bob2112

0
Aug 5, 2013
38
St. Petersburg, Florida
Howdy. I'm building a concrete block pool for my dogs. The build can be seen here:
concrete-block-puppy-pool-in-progress-many-questions-t67964.html

I'm at the plumbing stage and have a newbie question that I need help with before I proceed.

The pool is only going to be 24 inches deep - to get around permit/easement requirements.

I bought a small Hayward pump & filter combination setup. The pool will be less than 2000 gallons, so I hoped that I could get by with this small unit.

The instructions say the filter system should be installed 1 & 1/2 feet below the pool water level.

Well... the water level will be approximately 8 inches above the intake for the strainer canister. To top that off, the PVC lines from the strainer and the other suction line are below the canister intake, as shown in the pictures below.

All the pipe to connect the skimmer and suction line to the canister intake are just dry fitted for now as I need some expert advice as to whether this setup will work before I cement it all in place.

I can't mount the pump any lower, or it will be below ground level and probably underwater in a hard rain.

Here are a couple views of what I've got going on.

Pool-23.jpg


Pool-24.jpg


I know I could buy a pump for an inground pool along with a separate filter, but that will at least triple the cost of what I've already bought.

So please, I could use some knowledge from those of you that have been there done that.

Will this setup work?

Thank you!
 
You should keep your posts under one thread. It is confusing when two open threads with the same member as the original poster are open. People cannot remember which of your threads they responded to and you will get skipped.
 
You might want to add a cut off valve (a common red handle PVC one from a hardware store will likely do) between the skimmer and the pump so you can regulate / limit skimming action, as I worry you may have a problem with sucking air in your current layout without one. (possibly why they suggest 1.5 feet below water level)

Ike
 
I have read the the red handled valves may not be the best valves in a pool. The valve ball inside can swell slightly and be difficult to open or close. A pool store sells valves designed for the chlorine levels in a pool. I would suggest you add a valve. With a flooded strainer , you will not be able to control the water flowing out of the pump body. A diverter valve placed at your tee will allow you control flow at either suction line or prevent flow to the pump.
 
Thanks for the replies guys.

I already have a red handled shut off for each side of the T - both suction lines will get one. I also have the shut offs on the return lines.

I figured that if at some point something goes wrong or I want to add equipment (such as a chemical dispenser) it would be nice to block off all water flow to the pump/filter.

The pictures above show an approximation of what I have in mind, but I had to throw it together in just a couple minutes - after a speed limit breaking run to Home Depot for more 45° PVC parts - because I was racing an incoming rain storm. I plan to center the T more as to allow the shut off valves.

I just wanted confirmation (or rejection) of my plan before I put sand in the filter and possibly couldn't return it.

Ike, I'm new to this stuff, but trying to learn. Why do you think I may have a problem with the skimmer sucking air?

ETA: I have a question as to whether I need to "bond" this pool and, if so, how do I go about it, on my build thread (link above) if anyone cares to comment on that topic. Thanks!
 
Article 680 in the NEC code covers bonding requirements. In a nutshell the following needs to be done. The concrete reinforcing steel needs to be connected to any other steel around the pool. There also needs to be a perimeter bond grid installed as well as connections to the pump motor bond lug, heater bond lug and any other bond lug on equipment. There also may need to be a water bond of 9 square inches depending on what the local inspector may want to see. Pets are very susceptible to voltage gradients and wet paws on a conductive surface will find those gradients very quickly
 
You often find problems, often when pumps are over sized where they can generate a whirlpool in the skimmer and suck air down 6 - 8 inches (or more) from the water surface level, adding the separate suction port should help with that, but in case that is not enough by itself, you could add bias by adding a partly closed valve between the skimmer and the T. I suggested the basic red handle PVC valves in this case because they are much cheaper than pool valves, and once this one would be set it, you would likely never need to adjust it again. It is true that after a few years these cheap valve balls do swell and they become hard to turn, but in the case mentioned above I don't see this as a big issue, lots of people have them on their pools, I know my pool has 4 or 5, some are over 10 years old now and still work, but are starting to get stiff, thankfully they are in place that almost never need adjustment.

Ike

p.s. bonding can be a complex issue, I would suggest you look up some of the threads on the topic with the search function
 

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I bought my pool diverter valve for $13.95 at my local above ground dealer. 1.5 inch threaded fittings. Pretty low cost for the correct parts. If added in place of the tee, could replace two valves and modulate flow or shut it off.
 
Not bad at all at that price, around here though I doubt if you could find it for anything under $40-$50, I was in the local pool store the other day to buy a replacement skimmer basket and that was $11.95.

Ike
 
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