Opinions on relocating pump station

[Medeco]

Hi

We are new pool owners and are now wishing we had pushed harder for a different pump location. Not only is it an eyesore it is also making drainage difficult. We ultimately do not want a retaining wall and landscaped this way.

My question is, with my current pump, a 1hp Hayward, will it be too taxing on the pump to move it back and up to the back of my fence or close? The vertical rise would be about 10ft from the bottom of the pool, and an additional 25/30ft back.

What would you do?





Pump is on the far right of this pic.

 

[JasonLion]

25 feet horizontally is no problem, but a 10 foot vertical rise is probably too much to be able to prime the pump.

 

[duraleigh]

What is the vertical rise from the SURFACE of the water to the proposed pump location?

 

[Medeco]

About 6ft, but my thoughts were to figure from the lowest point of the plumbing.

 

[Medeco]

If the rise is too much, my next though is to extend the plumbing and electrical to the left side of the house in this pic. That will put the pump lower than the waterline by 3ft max.

 

[JasonLion]

Lower by a couple of feet is fine. You might want to install two valves to close off the plumbing so the pool doesn't try to drain through the pump each time you open the pump strainer basket, but that is easy.

 

[mas985]

Are you sure that is 6' rise? If you stand by the filter and look horizontally with a level, does the hill rise above the top of the filter? The hill doesn't look like it rises above the filter which is only 3' high. Priming at that level is not so bad and probably an easier move. Although no matter what it is a lot of digging.

You might just consider building a shed around it. If by drainage, you mean the backwash, you could put in a separate backwash line to another location.

 

[Medeco]

So, top of the filter to water line hight is/should be point of reference in determining hight difference? I was figuring the plumbing that is buried at the bottom of the pool sidewalls.

 

[JasonLion]

This is only a small adjustment from what you said, but use the bottom of the pump inlet pipe to the top of the water for determining height difference.

 

[mas985]

What maters is the pump to water level (top) distance. In your case right now, that is probably less than 1 foot. Water seeks it's own level so the water below the water line adds static head (+PSI) so that is not included in the lift distance.

What I was interested in is how far up the pump will have to move. So if the hill is level with the top of the filter, then the pump would need to move up 3' which is still fine. In fact, if the pump moved up 6', priming would be challenging but possible. I think several people on the forum have pumps that high. The key is to have valves or check valves so that it makes priming easier.

 

[Medeco]

That's all very helpful, thank you!

 

[JamesW]

Also, go up one pipe size to reduce the effect of the longer run. That looks like 1.5" PVC. I would go to 2" for the extension runs.

 

[Medeco]

So just convert up at the point in currently exits the ground?

 

[JamesW]

So just convert up at the point in currently exits the ground?

Yes.

 

[Medeco]

Is there a consensus on which brand/type of check valve to use? Should I leave it above ground for future repairs?

 

[duraleigh]

Jandy-type (repairable) valves are best. yes...absolutely above ground.