New filter: Orientation to pump?

[pdalton]

I just don't know whether this issue is really important, but I believe it's better to ask first than to find out later I could have made a better choice.

The shell of my old Tagelus 100D cracked & couldn't be repaired. And it took a LONG time to find a source for my preferred replacement filter, a Pentair C&C 420 cartridge unit (everyone local was sold out of just about every filter).

But now I have received that new filter; I've gotten the sand out of & removed the old Tagelus from the concrete pad. So now I'm ready to set the new C&C 420 filter on the pad just to the left of my existing IntelliFlo 2 VST pump & do the plumbing.

[I've marked-up & attached a photo of my equipment & pad to show where this new filter will go & where the existing piping & equipment are now located.]

However, before I "lock" everything in place with that plumbing, I'd like to know what issues I ought to take into account regarding the directional orientation of this new filter in relation to the pump, its outflow piping, or the direction of the filter's drain output . . . particularly because I have no prior experience with using a cartridge filter.

On this new filter, the inlet port, outlet port, & drain cap are in the same vertical plane ("the Line"), and its inlet/outlet ports are much lower in height than were the ports on the old Tagelus's multiport valve. So I know I'll be cutting down a lot of the existing piping before running new 2" PVC pipes to/from those lower 2" ports on the filter.

Initially, it seemed to me that orienting the filter with the Line facing right (toward the pump) would provide the most efficient plumbing route FROM the pump to the filter (just one elbow & one short, straight pipe). But that also will produce a less efficient plumbing route FROM the filter to the Pool (requiring at least 3 elbows) because the supply pipe to the Pool is out in front of the pad. That made me realize that I have no idea whether such plumbing "efficiency" is more important going into the filter or coming out of the filter, if they're of identical importance, or even whether such plumbing efficiency "planning" has such a small impact on system performance that it's nothing to be concerned about.

Of course, if I knew such efficiency is of equal importance for both filter input & output, then by rotating the filter to the right only 45 degrees (instead of 90 degrees) should make both routes essentially identical.

Then I next thought about the drain. I've never had a cartridge filter before, so I don't know how often to expect I'll have to open the drain cap, nor whether I should be concerned about having drainingvwater being directed at or in the general direction of the pump.

And, as always, I don't know what else I don't know.

Perhaps this all is just "over-thinking" about issues that really aren't problems Nevertheless, whenever I do something new, the old maxim "Measure Once, Cut Once" comes to mind. So any information, advice, or recommendations from those with more experience will be greatly appreciated.

 

[Jimrahbe]

P,

In the big picture it will make no difference.. At least not one that you will be able to notice..

On my setup the output of my IntelliFlo comes up and makes a 90 degree turn and right into the filter.. The input and output of the filter face the side of my pump.

I clean my CCP-520 twice a year. I could go all year, but I like to clean it before the pool season starts and after the season ends... I do this when the weather is warm enough to get wet as cleaning the filters is an easy, but wet job.

I suggest that you add a 2-way, or 3-way, valve between the pump output and the filter input.. Closing this valve will allow you to open the pump lid without the filter draining down into the pump basket. With a 3-way you could also route the water to your drain if you wanted that option.

If you open the bottom drain plug on the filter, you need a place for the water to go.. My guess it dumps 4 gallons of water with the drain open.

Thanks,

Jim R.

 

[DeanP66]

I would cut halfway between the white union and the T on the discharge side of the pump and put a 90 elbow there and run it across and connect it with your discharge line with a 3 way Jandy valve. This way you can empty your pool a little if it begins to overflow if needed. Then, connect the other end of the 3 way Jandy straight to the filter INLET and then come out of the filter outlet and connect back to your line to your pool. It looks like you have a SWG on there so hopefully you have enough pipe for strategic cuts so you can get it back in line nicely.

As for the drain plug, you can empty it and let it drain out or as others have suggested, just take a shop vac and suck everything out from the top when you clean the filter.

 

[pdalton]

You guys are great!

So, if I'm correctly understanding what both Jim's and Dean are suggesting, the orientation of the filter's inlet/outlet ports relative to the pump (or the piping to the Pool) really won't make a significant performance difference. Plus a a more important consideration likely would be to add a valve between the pump and the filter that can: (1) prevent water from flowing back from the filter into the pump when the pump is turned off to clean debris from the pump's basket; and (2) divert water coming from the pump into the sewer (instead of to the filter) for times when I want to lower the level of the Pool.

Good to know.

SO, in light of those suggestions, I went to Amazon to find a valve to do all that. I found a Pentair 263037 valve on Amazon and, if I'm correctly interpreting the photo and product description I found with it, then I would: (a) install that (or a similar Jandy or other brand) valve between the pump and the filter (using what appear to be its two 2" slip connection openings in line with each other); then (b) run 1-1/2" PVC pipe (& elbows) from my existing 1-1/2" sewer drain pipe to what appears to be a 1-1/2" slip connection opening on that valve (I believe its the opening at 90 degrees to those two 2" slip connection openings); and then (c) run 2" piping from the filter's outlet port (using whatever elbows are necessary) to the 2" pipe going to the Pool.

If I do that, am I correct that the valve's position options then permit will me to choose between:
(1) allowing water from the pump to pass straight through to the filter (during normal operation);
(2) diverting the water from the pump to the sewer (for when I want to lower the pool's water level); as well as
(3) preventing water from the filter from flowing back into the pump basket (for when I turn off the pump and remove its clear cover to clean out the pump's basket)?

I'm asking the above questions because I haven't previously installed such a valve before, so I don't know whether it just "works" that way, if it has "settings", or if I have to check for a particular configuration when I buy it.

Paul

 

[Jimrahbe]

If I do that, am I correct that the valve's position options then permit will me to choose between:
(1) allowing water from the pump to pass straight through to the filter (during normal operation);
(2) diverting the water from the pump to the sewer (for when I want to lower the pool's water level); as well as
(3) preventing water from the filter from flowing back into the pump basket (for when I turn off the pump and remove its clear cover to clean out the pump's basket)?

Paul,

You are correct.. Jandy style valves come rated as 1.5" x 2" or 2" x 2.5".. The smaller number is the pipe the fits inside the valve and the bigger number is the size of the pipe that fits outside the valve.. Basically the same valve can except two different sizes of pipe..

Thanks,

Jim R.

 

[DeanP66]

If you use the larger size pipe with the valve, you first have to use a coupler that goes OVER the output of the valve, then connect your bigger size pipe to it. For your setup, you want the 1.5" x 2" 3 way valve. You glue your 1.5" sewer pipe inside one of the ports and on the other two ports, you'll glue a 2" coupler over the outside and then connect your pipe from the pump and the input of the filter to each coupler.

Or you can get the 2" x 2.5" valve and use 2" pipe on the inside of all ports and just add a 2" coupler with a 1.5" reducer on the line going to your sewer. Either way will work. This 2nd way would give you more options in the future if you wanted to use a bigger pipe, but being that it's only going to the sewer, you don't really need any more flow increases. If that was a line going to the pool, it might be a better option.

 

[Newdude]

Also, to answer your drain plug question, You’ll only open that to drain the bottom of the filter when you clean the cartridges and when you shut it down (if you close) for winter. It will be 10-20 gallons that come out, but also a few handfuls of sand/dirt/bigger particles that didn’t suck themselves to the cartridges.

If it’s on your pad with nowhere else to go you can just scoop it up with a dustpan or shovel and hose off the rest.

 

[pdalton]

Great info, as always! Thanks so much!