15 June 2024 This is like starting up a chemical plant!

[setsailsoon]

How does it skim if the filter pump is pulling from the main drain?

Don't the skimmers flow into the trough?

Water flows normally over and into the gutters which drain to the infinity basin (trough). All of the light things that float on the surface flow through the gutters to the basin. Today I noticed a bunch of the big ants we get after a lot of rain floating into the gutters and down their "final ride" to the basin. A lot were also going over the infinity edge. The basin is sort of like a skimmer basket. I will periodically take a net on the pole to it to get the leaves and floating debris out. So the filter pump doesn't normally skim. The infinity pump takes care of that. Any sand or heavier material goes back to the pool through the two large CMP drain fittings at the bottom of the basin. Filter pump sucks this in from the bottom of the pool and traps it. The filter pump returns water to the spa and two wall returns in the pool when we're in pool mode. I like your idea to have the ability to intake from the basin with the filter pump also and it's a very easy pipe modification. So I'll put that in next time I do plumbing with some manual full port valves on each. I put a tee in line on suction of both pumps with a vertical 2" pipe. At the top I have a hose bib for priming. Eventually I'll put some pressure sensors also that I can easily monitor with the RPi. I'm going through some trial and error to figure out how much filtering time I'll need. One thing I do know it it's filtering a LOT of sand and dirt out. Had the filter pump off past few days while I reconfigured the piping and the bottom of the pool was a mess. Got most of that vacuumed up today. Also noticed today filter pressure drop is increased about 7 psi from new. So something's getting trapped in there. Once we get sod around the pool again and have the screen enclosure up I expect we'll have a lot less dirt.

Chris

 

[JamesW]

Water flows normally over and into the gutters which drain to the infinity basin (trough).

So, the Infinity pump has to be on when the filter pump is on or the basin/trough will just keep filling up and overflow?

 

[setsailsoon]

So, the Infinity pump has to be on when the filter pump is on or the basin/trough will just keep filling up and overflow?

No, when the infinity pump is not on there is no flow over the wall or through the gutters. The filter pump just takes intake from bottom of the pool and returns it to the pool and spa.

 

[setsailsoon]

Of course for a short period of time after shutting down the infinity pump, the gutters drain down and water level is just to the edge of the gutters. After a day or so there's a little evaporation so water level is about 1/4" or so from the top.

 

[setsailsoon]

So the pump that will actually run 24/7 is the filter pump. The infinity pump is only for show and skimming.

 

[setsailsoon]

I may change this if I don't get enough flow for the spa jets with the filter pump. But this can get complicated due to the infinity pump not being in the heater loop now. I think if this happens I might be better off just going for the larger pump if I have to. May need to do a few consulting gigs to pay for unanticipated changes like this. Somehow I feel like Jim Rahbe is shaking his head.

 

[JamesW]

So the pump that will actually run 24/7 is the filter pump.

If the filter pump is running anyway, I would want it to skim.

Just change to suction from the trough and it will skim during filtration.

You can run both pumps at the same time using the 4" suction from the trough if you want more skimming and more infinity action.

I would probably use the pool main drain as a return to reduce head loss on the Infinity Edge 5 HP pump.

 

[JamesW]

I may change this if I don't get enough flow for the spa jets with the filter pump.

If the spa jets are not strong enough, maybe change to a 3 HP Intelliflo and install a 5 psi check valve bypass on the heater.

You can also close off some jets to create more power from the jets you are going to sit in front of.

 

[setsailsoon]

If the spa jets are not strong enough, maybe change to a 3 HP Intelliflo and install a 5 psi check valve bypass on the heater.

You can also close off some jets to create more power from the jets you are going to sit in front of.

For right now I like the last option... I also have an air blower and will be surprised if the combination isn't enough to keep us happy.

 

[setsailsoon]

If the filter pump is running anyway, I would want it to skim.

Just change to suction from the trough and it will skim during filtration.

You can run both pumps at the same time using the 4" suction from the trough if you want more skimming and more infinity action.

I would probably use the pool main drain as a return to reduce head loss on the Infinity Edge 5 HP pump.

That actually solves another little issue I have at the moment. As I mentioned previously the spa actually has a small section about 2' on one side that's lower than the rest of the pool. So when I ran the filter pump only it discharges into mostly pool but has a small flow to the spa to be sure it gets chlorinated. The low section spills over to the gutter and flows down to the trough. Since it takes suction only from the pool it slowly empties the pool into the basin and over-flows into the yard. In a couple days pool level is down 5" and the basin is over-flowing. I'll be able to limit and stop this when I get the gutter dump pipes working with valves. But this gives me another option. Flexibility with this pool is a very good thing. But most of the time when I'm flowing normally (not massive flows over the wall needed) I'll probably take suction on the pool drain. It's pretty amazing how much sand and heavier dirt gets removed from there. I think dirt would likely build up in the deep end over time but then again I'll be able to run my robot within a month and see how it goes with that. Options are a good thing on a zero edge/infinity pool/spa combo!

Chris