Pumps ,PVC plumbing & POOL COVERS

[Titan7]

Wow, getting a headache trying to learn everything. My bid lists a Pentair Intelliflo variable speed pump. Which one? Or better yet which one should I request. Not sure on the plumbing size they plan to use but I figure I need at least 2" and prefer 2.5", correct? Also, one pump for both pool and spa?

There is:
1 HP 011008
3 HP 011017
3 HP 011012
3 HP XF 022005

The pool will be about 32x 18 free form and about 4-5-4 feet deep with a 7-8' spa.

The cost between these pumps does not seem more than a few hundred $$, any reason I should want one over the other? Any operating cost difference? They are all VS pumps.


Now reading that I will have to have a pool cover, required by the city. Okay, I was thinking $300 floating solar cover, but I am reading the cover has to meet some safety guildline, i.e. the strapped down mesh ($1600-$2000) type. Wow!! So I have to replace a perfectly good Vinyl Fence/Gate because it's 52" wide, the max allowed is 48" that's $1200-1300. I will need to tear down 62 feet of redwood fencing that's 3 years old because it's too short ($1000- $1200).

Death by a thousand cuts. Any others in So. Ca dealing with this? There goes another $4-5k out of my budget of and then I have to remove a tree, there is another $1500.00.

I will need to find some other options here.

Thanks.

 

[ozdiver]

Re: Pumps Pentair and PVC plumbing size

One pump for pool & spa. It is the one plumbed through the filter.
Additional pumps are only used for pressure cleaners, water features, swimjets etc.
Prefer 2.5" and if you end up needing a 3HP pump you should insist on 2.5".
Not sure on the pump size. But a rough guide is as follows...
Variables in that equation are volume of pool/spa, the average return length of pool drain / skimmers to pump (the head).
So your pool is about 20,000 gal. With a turnover of 8hr, pump needs a flow rate of 20k/8=2500 gal/hr or 41.7 gal/min.
Lets say the head of drain is 80' and head of skimmer 1 is 50' and skimmer 2 is 110'. Average is about 80'.
Now you take this info and look at performance curve of each pump.
First glance would indicate the 1HP was not enough pump based on these parameters.
You will want to use real values to be able to sanity check what the PB advises.

 

[Titan7]

thank you. Meeting with another PB this afternoon.