Re-Do filter plumbing

[AV8TOR]

We have been living for 6 years at our house and the pool is 18 years old. My backwash valve has been hard to read for several years. I never felt like I could change it because there is not enough room on the piping to cut the pipe and add a coupling. This year it looks like my booster pump has died. So now I am thinking of re-building everything from the ground up. New back wash valve, new booster pump and new main filter pump and add all new pipe. Is there anything I should read first or be aware of before starting this? I have a fare amount of plastic pipe work but I am not a plumber. This seems like a very doable job I am just afraid of the "what I don't knows".

I also want to take this time and replace my 2HP main filter pump with something smaller as I only have 15-16,000 gals. Not sure what size yet, but I know 2HP is too much. Thanks for any help

 

[jblizzle]

I re-did my pad having very little plumbing experience. Suggestions:
- Use 2" pipe and fittings on the pad
- Use pool valves like Neverlube type and not PVC ball valves
- I spread my equipment out so that I have a lot of clean pipe between everything to make repairs easier
- Try to reduce the number of turns, but not critical
- Always use primer and solvent
- If you are putting on unions REMEMBER to put the "nut" on the pipe BEFORE gluing on the mating surface
- Measure multiple times
- I marked the alignment of fittings before attaching them to make it easier to twist the fitting into the correct orientation quickly
- Good idea to paint all the above ground pipe (2 years later, I have yet to do mine )

I would think you should be looking in the 1HP 2-speed pump family ... like the Superflo or SuperPump. They also make small VS pumps now that could work for you if power is pricy and if you get rebates. Or maybe you could just use a new smaller 2-speed motor and impeller on your existing pump.

 

[AV8TOR]

I have a pretty simply mechanical timer to run my pumps, to take advantage of a two speed pump do I need a digital control box?

 

[jblizzle]

You can just have a manual switch to select the speed. Alternatively, the new smaller VS pumps have timers built in that can switch the speeds (like run short time on a high speed and then a longer time on low speed) and the external timer controls the on/off function.

 

[bobodaclown]

A simple high/low switch works well. I leave mine in low 99% of the time. You can get fancier if you want.