Adding an additional pump to the system

[STxFarmer]

I have an in-ground (15Kgal) pool that is about 15-20 yrs old. It has a pool valet cleaning system that does an okay job but not nearly as good as my last pool with the same system. Most of this I attribute to design but who knows. I would like to add a second pump to the system and separate that pool valet from the DE filter/SWG circuit. To do this I would leave the existing variable flow pump on the DE filter/SWG and have the intake for that circuit from the main floor drain. I would exhaust back into the pool through the water feature pipe and its job would be to clean the water. My run time for this pump would be at least 12 hours/day.

I would then like to add a second variable speed pump to handle the pool valet and spa/heater functions. The intake for this pump would be the skimmers or spa drain and the exhaust would be the pool valet or jets in the spa. This circuit would have no filter so the flow will be high enough for the pool valet or 5 spa jets to operate at a higher gpm than they are currently.

My main concern would be running the heater without any type of filter and should this be something to concern myself with? The spa and the rest of the pool will be cleaned by the other circuit so there should be no issue with dirt buildup in the spa. Since I live in South Texas the heater is rarely used and I only see using it for the spa and not the whole pool. If I try and run the spa on the current pump then my pressures in the DE filter exceed 30 psi which is putting a strain on both the pump and filter. If I separate the pool valet/spa to another pump without any filter then my pressures drop and my gpm increases where I need it the most. I also think I would have the best of both worlds with the variable flow pump on the cleaning side and the variable speed pump on the higher flow side.

Cost wise this is an added expense but I believe I will be happier in the end with better cleaning and a spa that operates with more flow. Looking for comments to shoot down my idea or give me a better idea that what I have.

Tks.

 

[mas985]

Isn't the MD part of the valet cleaning system? You have to run that at the same time as the floor jets. Or is this a separate MD.

Also, you will want to have the skimmer with the filter otherwise you will be shooting debris out of the returns. Never a good idea. Also, not a good idea to have debris running through the heater.

Overall, I would not go this route.

Why not add a booster pump for the in-floor cleaners instead? Normally, the issue with in-floors is not flow rate but pressure so what you really need is pumps in series not parallel.

But are you not getting high enough pressure at the cleaner valve?

Also, please fill in your signature because we have no idea what equipment you have and it makes it really difficult to give you advice without knowing that.

Pool School - Read This BEFORE You Post

 

[STxFarmer]

Great Tks for the suggestions. Will research booster pumps and per your suggestion have filled in my Signature with all the info on my pool

 

[STxFarmer]

The previous owner of the house had the Intelliflo VF pump installed and I am not happy with the way the system is running. In order to get the pressure up I start seeing my DE filter pressures get over 30 psi. Right now it will go up to 30 psi when the pool valet is switching between stations and then return to the normal 20-22 psi while on the station. Each time it switches stations the pump ramps up to maintain the flow it wants. Since the pump is set to run for 12 hours it is slowing the flow and the system doesn't seem to clean like I think it should. I can set a feature in the pump to speed it up for a certain amount of time but then my pressures will be closer to 40 psi every time the pool valet switches stations. How long should a booster pump run if added to the system to boost the pressure on the cleaning side? Also what would be the most efficient pump to add to achieve the results I need?

 

[mas985]

A VF is not ideal for an in-floor, a VS is a better choice so it doesn't ramp up between zones. But given that you have a VF, I would no longer recommend a booster. Technically, the pump is more than big enough to run the cleaner it is just the VF function that is getting in the way. I don't think you want to use the filter mode but use a feature mode instead and set the flow rate to get the minimum required pressure at the valve. The pressure will go up between zones and while not ideal, it isn't anything to get overly concerned about either.

 

[chiefwej]

I currently have two pumps. My main pump is a Pentair Intelliflow VS 3 hp that handles floor cleaning system, solar heating, DE filter. The second pump is on a seperate circuit that normally draws from the spa, circulates though the heater and returns via the spa jets. There are valves that allow me to change it to draw from or return to the pool, for heating the pool. This circulation doesn't go through the filter and that creates no problems.