First-time pool owner. Purchased the house last August. Pool equipment pad was a total disaster. All different kinds of piping, leaks, ugly, timer didn't work, pump and filter sitting on the ground, etc. Fortunately, the filter (Hayward sand) is fine.
I'm having having a new concrete pad poured and am re-plumbing the entire thing. I'm going to follow the advice of this forum and go with the BBB method this year, so I won't be re-installing the Hayward off-line chlorinator. We don't have a heater, and I purchased a Doheny Discovery to replace the boost-pump-powered Polaris. For reasons of reducing energy consumption and simplifying wiring, I decided to replace the aging Hayward pump with a Pentair SuperFlo VS that includes a built-in timer. So...the pad should be VERY simple when I'm done. I've included a picture of what it will look like.
Questions:
1. For reasons of convenience, I may consider adding a SWG in the future. In order to best prepare for that possibility now, it seems like I should include a long section of horizontal return pipe after the filter (say, 24"). Is that a good idea?
2. How are SWGs powered? I read one manual that talked about hardwiring a transformer. Is this the usual method? Are they 110V?
3. I've looked a many pictures of equipment pads, and it seems that many include individual suction shutoff valves in addition to the diverter valve. My pool is below my equipment. Why would I need shutoff valves before the diverter valve? When would I ever need to have both suction pipes shut?
4. Same question on the return side. If my pool is below the equipment, why would I ever need to close the return?
5. Anything you'd do differently than what I've drawn?
Thanks.

I'm having having a new concrete pad poured and am re-plumbing the entire thing. I'm going to follow the advice of this forum and go with the BBB method this year, so I won't be re-installing the Hayward off-line chlorinator. We don't have a heater, and I purchased a Doheny Discovery to replace the boost-pump-powered Polaris. For reasons of reducing energy consumption and simplifying wiring, I decided to replace the aging Hayward pump with a Pentair SuperFlo VS that includes a built-in timer. So...the pad should be VERY simple when I'm done. I've included a picture of what it will look like.
Questions:
1. For reasons of convenience, I may consider adding a SWG in the future. In order to best prepare for that possibility now, it seems like I should include a long section of horizontal return pipe after the filter (say, 24"). Is that a good idea?
2. How are SWGs powered? I read one manual that talked about hardwiring a transformer. Is this the usual method? Are they 110V?
3. I've looked a many pictures of equipment pads, and it seems that many include individual suction shutoff valves in addition to the diverter valve. My pool is below my equipment. Why would I need shutoff valves before the diverter valve? When would I ever need to have both suction pipes shut?
4. Same question on the return side. If my pool is below the equipment, why would I ever need to close the return?
5. Anything you'd do differently than what I've drawn?
Thanks.
