Skimmer and plumbing replacement

Gflande1

Active member
Jul 11, 2019
25
Syracuse, New York
We are doing a renovation to our existing inground pool. The vinyl liner is showing its age and concrete pad around the pool has heaved bending the coping in some areas.

We are having all of the concrete torn our, the coping, liner and skimmer replaced. The skimmer has several cracks in it and I thought it made sense to do it now. I asked the contractor to replace the current 1.5" flex PVC with 2" flex PVC. I asked him if it made sense for us to do the return lines as well, he said it wont matter as we have three returns (even though its only one pipe at the pad) and that should be enough. There are two returns that would be easy to access with the concrete torn out. Anyway, here are my specifics...

16x32 inground oval vinyl pool with 4 and 8 foot depths. Its approx 23k gallons.
1x skimmer, 1x main drain
3x returns that become one at the pool pad. I don't know where they join, its not near the pad as I replaced approx the first 5 feet a few years ago with rigid.

The skimmer is approx 33 feet(measured straight line) from the pad. This will definitely be upgraded from 1.5" to 2"
The main drain is approx 41 feet from the pad. This will not be upgraded.

All of the plumbing at the pad will be rigid 2"

The first return is on the sidewall approx 22 feet from the pad.
The second return in on the steps approx 21 feet. from the pad.
The third return is on the opposite sidewall in the deep end. I would estimated this to be 45-55 feet (depending on if the went under or around the pool) from the pad.
All three returns combine into one 1.5" pipe at the pad.

I was thinking that the two closest returns could easily be replaced with 2" flex pvc and terminate at the pad. The long run would remain 1.5" as it wouldn't make sense for the amount of labor.

Does it make sense to upgrade the two returns to 2" along with the skimmer? Or is the skimmer enough and pool pad enough like the pool guy said?

At the pad I currently have:
1 1/2 HP Pentair SuperFlow VS pump
Hayward S244T ProSeries Sand Filter

We will be adding salt water (likely AutoPilot ChlorSync CS30 or CircuPool RJ-20 Plus) and a heat pump (likely Gulfstream HE150-RA) with associated check valves and a flow meter. Down the road we will replace the sand filter with a cartridge filter.

I know that was a lot. Any help or suggestions would be greatly appreciated. The more I read about hydraulics the more I feel dumb.

Thank you in advance. Glen
 
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You run modern pools with a VS pump at low flow rates. 1.5” versus 2” will not make a difference.

If I was spending money on replacing Flex PVC I would want rigid PVC and not flex.
 
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You run modern pools with a VS pump at low flow rates. 1.5” versus 2” will not make a difference.

If I was spending money on replacing Flex PVC I would want rigid PVC and not flex.
Ok, I wont worry about the return lines.

As far as the flex vs rigid, I live in Upstate NY where the frost line is around 60", I assumed that is why they use mostly flex here...is that accurate? My assumption was not to use rigid underground.

Thanks
 
As far as the flex vs rigid, I live in Upstate NY where the frost line is around 60", I assumed that is why they use mostly flex here...is that accurate? My assumption was not to use rigid underground.
Absolutely false. Flex is a lazy way to do the plumbing and the worst when it come to complications. Flex can collapse/flatten and termites are attracted to it. Pool plumbing should be rigid pvc throughout. We have an active member here that 2 years back had a skimmer line problem on a newish pool and wasn't able to snake it as it had collapsed and wouldn't let anything passed it either direction. It had to be dug up and replaced. Just don't go that way.
 
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As far as the flex vs rigid, I live in Upstate NY where the frost line is around 60", I assumed that is why they use mostly flex here...is that accurate? My assumption was not to use rigid underground

Not at all accurate.

Flex PVC is for lazy plumbers who are doing cheap work. Ridged PVC is much more robust and problem free.
 
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