Designing my new equipment pad

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impeller

impeller

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Apr 8, 2009
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south of Atlanta
I'll be moving the pool equipment to a new pad I'm building. It's just 15 feet from the old pad.

I'll have plenty of hydraulic and equipment questions later, but for now:

1. What elevation should the pad be? I'm planning on putting it just above the highest water level the pool can accommodate. That OK? Any other ideas?

2. 1 1/2 inch pipe goes to the existing pad. My current equipment uses 1 1/2 inch. I've read that 2 inch is better for the pipe near the equipment. Should I use 2 inch from the existing piping for the 15 feet to the new pad, then step it down to 1 1/2 inch for each piece? Or just go with 1 1/2 all the way?

3. Must the pad be poured concrete? Or can I get away with a plastic A.C. pad, pavers, etc.?


Thanks.
 
The equipment pad can be several feet in either direction compared to the water line. My personal preference is for the top of the pump strainer basket to be just an inch or two above the maximum water level.

I would use 2" pipe for all of the new pipe. It doesn't cost much more.

The pad doesn't have to be poured concrete, but you do want something nice and solid that isn't going to shift when you put a filter full of water on it. I would avoid pavers. They can work, but by the time you do the work required to give the pavers a stable base, it would have been easier to pour concrete.
 
OK on the elevation.


Follow up on the piping:

I'll do 2 inch then and use 2 inch valves and adapt down to 1 1/2 as it goes into the pump.

From the pump to the multivalve, and from the multivalve to the chlorine feeder, should I also adapt up to 2 inch and then immediately back down to 1 1/2 ? (Future equipment of course will be 2 inch...but for now I've got to use what I have).

Also, when I tap onto the existing pipe (2 feet underground) to extend it 15 feet, must I lower the pool level by that much in order to glue it, or is there some trick?


The concrete will have to be hauled up hill and mixed by hand (no access), which is why I'm trying to avoid it.
 
The pipes can usually be plugged at the pool end with standard winterizing plugs. You will still have a little water left in the pipe, but once you let that drain away you will be able to make the connections dry. The exception, if you have one, is a main drain that is plumbed directly to the pad. If you have one of those it might be tricky to plug without scuba gear.
 
Yes, I do have a separate line directly from the main drain. I'll have to take the cover off to see if there are threads in there.

Would you say it might work not to go all the way down (2-3 feet) to the pipes, but rather, go down a foot and put ells? Don't really have a deep freeze here in Atlanta.
 
If the MD might be a problem when re-doing that connection -- you can always go "old school" and just jam a piece of bread in the pipe to stop the flow for ~ a minute, while you glue the connection -- of course you end up with some 'soaked bread slush' in the system :roll: but if the only other option is to drain the pool, it might be worth doing :)

If this makes no sense to you or you have questions on what I've just said, please let me know and I'll do my best to clarify things for you 8)
 
I like having a gravity flow from pool (I don't have a spa) to pump so I vote a few inches below working water level. It makes priming a non-issue and cleaning the pump trap is a breeze with water bubbling out of the trap housing--just dunk it rapidly and the water washes all the crud out of the pump. Then when you drop level to close, the returns drain back toward the pool but skimmers drain back toward the pad. This seems to work well.

Poured slab is good--my old pool was that way for 57 years. Anthony & Sylvan, who built my new pool, likes to use pre-cast concrete pads for filter (2'x2') and pump (18"x18") and Nature2 (already removed). Idiots put filter on side of hill and the first year it rained a whole lot so the filter and little pad listed during a storm, yanked the pipe out of the pump and drained a quarter of the pool before it lost prime. It didn't do the pump any good while it ran almost dry for several hours. They had to redo it and I made them move it 4 feet closer to the pool and turn it around so you operate it from the far side from the pool. Now it's fine, and I actually like the flexibility to change things--such as getting rid of the stupid Nature2 they foisted on me.
 
OK, got the elevation thing figured out. Thanks for the advise. On to another issue...


How big does the pad have to be?

I've got a small spot near the house (and near electricity, gas, pool pipes). I will have 2 pumps, filter, chlorine feeder for now. Later I want to have enough room to add a heater and maybe solar stuff. I'll be enclosing it too, for freeze prevention.

Like to get away with 3 x 7.
3 x 10 is possible.
4 x 10 is more difficult.

Anything bigger and I'll have to sell the car in order to hire trenchers, plumbers, electricians, rock dynamiters, inspectors, etc. to install a pad 20 feet out.

Whatdaya think?
 

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The standard pad we pour for our equipment is 3 X 7'. This easily accommodates a Northstar pump, Hayward DE filter, Sta- Rite Max - E Therm heater and has plenty of room for an add on or two. If we go with a heatpump, we make the pad 3 X 8.

I think if you go with 3' wide ( if you can go a few inches wider, it wouldn't hurt :wink: ) and 8 - 9' long you should be ok, but the pipes may not be set up for optimal placement - feel free to ask more questions or run ideas by us, we might be able to come up with a way to squeeze all that onto a smaller pad (pics are always good too :mrgreen: )
 
OK that's good news. I'll make it as big as I can...leaning towards 3x8 or 4x8.

I'll have some say in where the pipes come up. Four pipes: skimmer, bottom drain, pool return, cleaner. Do you have a favorite way of routing them?

Also, I guess the heater should be farthest away from the house??.....Do you have a favorite placement of equipment? If indeed, the heater has to be farthest from the house, then looking at it from the front, the heater would be on the far right.


Hope to start on a sketch soon.

Thanks.
 
Well, hello again.

I started this thread a year ago but had to drop the project due to unforseen issues. But now I'm back and have the pad built (3x8 feet) and at the proper elevation (top water mark of the pool will be at the inlet pipe to the motor).

I've been doing a lot of searching and reading on the forum, and am now ready for some more questions - - and I even learned how to post photos!! So here goes......... Many thanks to the forum owners and contributors.


This is the current mess that I have:

poolequipmay10013.jpg


Left to right, these four main 1 1/2 inch pipes are:

A. return to two eyeball vents
B. from single main drain
C. to pool cleaner (used to, that is. The old cleaner used to blow, but I may get one that sucks...more on that later)
D. from single skimmer

and, if you follow the trench in the photos, this is where it's going to the new pad:

poolequipmay10008.jpg



poolequipmay10009.jpg



poolequipmay10010.jpg



I'm getting ready to order Jandy Valves, Unions and Plugs, and buy my PVC pipes and fittings locally.

I know that I should increase the 1 1/2 inch to 2 inch, but I've been reading where some folks like to use one size smaller for the returns (I don't know why). So, my question today is: "Should I use 2 inch all the way now for everything, or use 1 1/2 for some stuff (and what stuff?).

Thanks and Best Regards. Glad to be back.
 
Think I'll answer my own question, having just spent some more time on Hydraulics 101.

It looks like 2 inch pipe will work fine for everything, so I'll plan on that. I don't really have a very complex system, and if I need to, I can always add a ball valve for more resistance.
 

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