Return eyeballs directionality

[HDClown]

What's generally considered a best practice in terms of directionality of the eyeballs for returns in terms of them being pointed towards skimmer and towards water surface or deeper?

With my rectangular pool, which has 2 shallow end returns, 1 deep end return, and 1 deep end skmmer, I have the two eyeballs in the shallow end pointed 45 degrees towards the deep end, and the one return in the deep end directly across from the skimmer points directly at the skimmer.

In terms of how high/low they are, they were pointed downward just enough so you didn't see any water movement on the surface of the water.

However, I noticed the other day after a bunch of pollen landed on the waters surface that the pollen didn't seem to be moving around the pool towards the skimmer very effectively (although, to be honest I'm not sure what should be visible in this regard). So I pointed the eyeballs up towards the waters surface so that I could see the water being moved by the returns, but not high enough to calls the return water to break the surface.

 

[mrcarcrazy]

I keep mine aimed just enough to ripple the water surface a little, this makes the skimmer much more effective in my pool (we don't have a dominant wind direction. it comes from all directions).

My deep end returns are aimed more downwards than my shallow end returns.

The returns help the skimmer (for me at least) and help mix/circulate the water, esp in deep end where you'll have the greatest variance.

 

[pooldv]

I like to point them all the same direction, either clockwise or counter clockwise, to generate circular waterflow. Suction from the skimmers will pull the debris in. Usually, it is fairly obvious that one way or the other will work best. Depending on prevailing wind, location of skimmers, returns, etc. But trial and error works great too.

Once they are all going in the same direction then you can tweak them up or down to dial in better circulation in areas that need it.

 

[JVTrain]

I have 3 returns. One in the deep end, one in the shallow end, one in the middle of the long side of my rectangular pool. I have the two "end" returns pointing straight out, aimed to have a slight ripple on the surface without too much turbulence. The side return, I have pointed downward and toward my main drain to help circulate the deep end better. Skimming action is generally pretty good. I could try to aim the side return to encourage the counter-clockwise surface flow that the end returns get me, but I can't turn it far enough to the side, so it just ends up disrupting the flow.