SWG Install Help Request

sbcpool

Well-known member
Mar 10, 2015
728
Upland, CA
After installing a longer power cord in my recently-acquired CircuPool RJ60+, I am ready to install it. I'm having some reservations about how to precisely make my cuts, though. Any advice is appreciated.

The manual is clear that I need to cut out 13-1/2 inches to install the unions, but all I see about the flow switch is that it will add "at least 1-1/4 inches" to the plumbing where it's installed. In theory I would just cut out 1-1/4 inches and be done with it, but with Murphy and his laws being a constant companion in my projects it's not that simple in my case. I want to install the flow switch on the pool instake so the SWG isn't operating when things are on spa-only. I don't want it on the pool return because then the SWG won't run when the system is on spa-overflow mode, where output is in the spa but it spills over into the pool. This means I have to cut three pipes to insert the flow switch, and use couplings to re-join the other two (see diagram).

cZFxSsr.jpg


As you can see there is not a lot of room for error. My fear is in hosing something because the couplings are a different length than the flow switch, and so if I don't cut things just right it won't go back together the way I hope. If there's any suggestions on how to approach this to minimize the risk of error I could use the advice.
 
sbc

You should never install the flow switch so that you can turn a valve and have water flowing through the flow switch and not the cell.

The best policy is to have the flow switch and the cell installed in the same pipe.

Thanks,

Jim R.
 
sbc

You should never install the flow switch so that you can turn a valve and have water flowing through the flow switch and not the cell.

The best policy is to have the flow switch and the cell installed in the same pipe.

Thanks,

Jim R.
It's impossible for water to flow through the flow switch and not the cell in this configuration (unless the line burst between the flow switch and the SWG). The SWG is installed before the output valve, so whether output is to the pool, spa, or both it's still flowing through the SWG.
 
I should clarify. In the photo above flow from the pool skimmer/drain enters flowing up the left pipe and flow from the spa enters flowing up the right pipe. Both feed the center pipe through the diverter valve, which feeds the pump intake. If I put the flow switch on the left intake pipe the cell can only run when water is flowing from the pool. The cell is installed between the heater output and the pressure side diverter valve. That makes it so that the output can be any of three configurations but the cell will only function if water is being drawn from the pool (meaning the spa is overflowing into the pool). There is no scenario where water can be flowing into the pump from the pool and not also be flowing through the cell.

2020-07-18 12_19_16-_[Untitled]-2.0 (RGB color 8-bit gamma integer, GIMP built-in sRGB, 1 laye...png
 
Last edited:
It's done. No leaks so far.
2020-07-19 08_40_11.jpg

One thing to note. I don't know if it's just my special case, but it ended up being a good thing I didn't blindly trust the CircuPool installation instructions. The instructions say to cut 13-3/4 inches from the pipe where you will install the cell. If I had followed those instructions I would have had a major problem. Instead, I cut the opening shorter and installed the union on one end and used the cell+union to mark the cut. It ended up being about 13-3/8 inches. No pipe flex when installing cell. If I had done 13-3/4 inches I would have had a 3/8ths gap to close.
 
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