Plumbing questions

[grottoguy]

Jason,

Let me make sure I understand. I have 2 sets of main drains (4 drains) in the deep end (one set works the Laminars and Bubblers and one set works the main pool pump). I also have one set of side "main" drains that works my waterfall pump.

I want one 3 way to select between the skimmers? Why wouldn't that be a two way if its selecting between two things?

And I want one three way between the floor and the skimmers? Could you explain that (keeping in mind based on my above question I don't think I know the difference between a two way and a three way)?

Thanks

 

[JasonLion]

A two way valve has one input and one output and controls the flow between them.

A three way valve has one input and two outputs, or two inputs and one output, and selects how much of the flow comes/goes to each of the ports that there are two of.

That is just how the terminology worked out, historical accident.

 

[grottoguy]

Thanks for the clarification.

So I want a three way for the two skimmers (I think I understand that).

What do I want for the two main drains inside the pool? a three way? Then what would I want for the side drains that run my waterfall?

Jblizzle, you said that I want a three way between the "floors and the skimmers" What did you mean by "floors"

Thanks

 

[jblizzle]

Do you have 3 different pumps? Because it sounds like you have 3 different sets of "floor/wall" drains.

The floor drains should be plumbed in pairs and I would only think one set would go to your main circulation pump. I would have a 3-way that on one side connects to the pair of floor drains for the main pump and the other side connects to the outlet of a second 3 way that is fed by the 2 skimmers on either side.

You would not need any valves on the water fall drains that feed that pump.
And if the laminar/ bubblers have a separate pump, then you would not need a valve there either since there is only 1 suction pipe to each of those pumps.

 

[grottoguy]

I have a pump for the Pool circulation that will also run the Bubblers. I have a pump that will run the grotto jets and the Laminars. I have a pump that will run the waterfall, and I have a booster pump that will run the Polaris 280. You are correct that one set of the floor drains will be going to the main ciculation pump and the other set goes to the pump running the Laminars and the Grotto jets.

If my PB doesn't use your suggested set up, is it very difficult (or relatively easy) to change it after the fact.

One other question I am curious about (can't change anything now). Initially I wanted the side drains to be another set of main drains in the deep end. In fact, it was set up that way before the gunite, but when I noticed that there was a two inch flex pipe I reminded the PB that the drain was feeding my waterfall and was supposed to be three inches. He said that they didnt have 3 inch flex pipe and it was too late to change it to a hard pipe becauae the Rebar was already down (I think he didn't want to redo everything and didnt want to spend the labor on putting in a hard pipe). But he also told me then that if I kept the waterfall flex pipe in the pool my deepend skimmer would be restricted due to the large pump drawing more water from it.


Did this make any sense? Were they thinking at the time that my Skimmer would be tied to those drains? If so, wouldn't the skimmer have worked fine if they simply did not tie them together?

Thanks

 

[jblizzle]

Tell him how you want it plumbed and have them do it right the first time ... potentially quite annoying to change after the fact.

Sure sounds like they were planning to plumb the wall drain into the skimmer ... which would be odd since that skimmer would only work when the waterfall pump was running.

Maybe you should ask for the plumbing blueprints.

 

[grottoguy]

Thanks.

I'll ask him to do it that way. I can't help being annoyed that I could have had the floor drains after all. Although I would have been stuck with a 2 inch flex pipe inside the pool and now I get a three inch pipe the whole run for the waterfall. Of course, a hard 3 inch pipe inside the pool would have been what I wanted.

Is there anything PBs routinely do in plumbing that I should ask him not to do? Anything else I should request.

 

[sag365]

Why is he using flex pipe at all? Sounds like this is an expensive job with much $ being spent on your part. Why did he not bend the PVC on site?

Also, from what I remember from school, water is going to take the easiest path. So your skimmer inlet furthest from the pump is going to need more suction than the skimmer closest to the pump. You will want to control the skimmers on their own inlet valve for sure, and not tied to the main drains. In my mind the more control valves you have the better. They can be manual and not controlled with actuators.

 

[grottoguy]

Because I didn't know enough at the time to request it. I've learned a lot as the job has progressed but some things I learned too late.

 

[sag365]

Because I didn't know enough at the time to request it. I've learned a lot as the job has progressed but some things I learned too late.

Think we have all been there before!

 

[grottoguy]

UPDATE:



I believe the PB did what you suggested Jason. The pipe on the left is my deep end skimmer (which goes into a three way), which connects to the Puimp and another three way that has my main drain (pipe in front) and the shallow skimmer (directly behind it).

Thanks everyone for your advice.