- Apr 16, 2010
- 3
I'd like to start by apologizing for my ignorance and misuse of pool jargon. This is my first time wading into the world of pools, and I've immediately found myself in the deep end.
We're replacing a 15+ yr old Challenger pump, because it was accounting for almost 80% of our electric bill.
We have just pulled everything out and poured a new concrete pad (see pics below). We will be replacing both the old Challenger pool pump and the 3/4hp pump, which we were using for our vacuum, with a Pentair IntelliFlo VF-3050. The only other item that we have is our Pentair Nautilus NS-60 DE filter.
At the pad, we had a 2" pipe coming from the pool, which then went through the Challenger pump, through the DE filter, and then split off into a 2" pipe (returning to the pool "jets") and a 1" pipe, that then went through the 3/4hp pump and into a 1" pipe that fed the vacuum.
My question is, how can I make the vacuum work with this pump. After some reading, here are the solutions that I've found, although I'm not certain whether they will work or how efficient they will be:
1. Use a manual valve to divert the flow to the vacuum
(Cost effective, but not efficient, as it requires me to manually turn on the vacuum)
2. Purchase a controller and an automatic valve
(Efficient, but too expensive for me to implement at this point)
3. Connect the vacuum plumbing into the main plumbing and use a scheduled feature to minimally bump the flow up to a point where the vacuum starts working
(Will require some trial & error and an education on properly plumbing it.)
Since this pump supposedly accounts for feature useage when calculating turnover, I would like to use option 3, since it would be the cheapest solution that would require no interaction on my part. However, I don't really know if that's a feasible or efficient solution. What do you guys think?
I'm sure I've omitted some pertinent information, but again, my ignorance shines brightly. If I have, please let me know.
Thanks in advance for all of your help. From my reading, this is one of the most responsive forum communities I've ever seen!
Jeff
We're replacing a 15+ yr old Challenger pump, because it was accounting for almost 80% of our electric bill.
We have just pulled everything out and poured a new concrete pad (see pics below). We will be replacing both the old Challenger pool pump and the 3/4hp pump, which we were using for our vacuum, with a Pentair IntelliFlo VF-3050. The only other item that we have is our Pentair Nautilus NS-60 DE filter.
At the pad, we had a 2" pipe coming from the pool, which then went through the Challenger pump, through the DE filter, and then split off into a 2" pipe (returning to the pool "jets") and a 1" pipe, that then went through the 3/4hp pump and into a 1" pipe that fed the vacuum.
My question is, how can I make the vacuum work with this pump. After some reading, here are the solutions that I've found, although I'm not certain whether they will work or how efficient they will be:
1. Use a manual valve to divert the flow to the vacuum
(Cost effective, but not efficient, as it requires me to manually turn on the vacuum)
2. Purchase a controller and an automatic valve
(Efficient, but too expensive for me to implement at this point)
3. Connect the vacuum plumbing into the main plumbing and use a scheduled feature to minimally bump the flow up to a point where the vacuum starts working
(Will require some trial & error and an education on properly plumbing it.)
Since this pump supposedly accounts for feature useage when calculating turnover, I would like to use option 3, since it would be the cheapest solution that would require no interaction on my part. However, I don't really know if that's a feasible or efficient solution. What do you guys think?
I'm sure I've omitted some pertinent information, but again, my ignorance shines brightly. If I have, please let me know.
Thanks in advance for all of your help. From my reading, this is one of the most responsive forum communities I've ever seen!
Jeff