Was my pool designed correctly?

[benavidescj]

I have been curious about the way my pool was designed due to an issue I have from time to time. I have three skimmers. Two of the skimmers are tied to a water feature and run off one pump. The other skimmer and bottom drains (2) are tied to my second pump. The issue is that when the water level drops to about 1/3 of the way up the tiles the pump that is tied to the water feature starts to suck air. Is this expected? Is there something I can do aside from adding an auto fill that would help?

 

[Bama Rambler]

Whether it's correct or not is subjective but it is common. If the skimmers are set too high then it is a problem.
Do those skimmers have weirs? That will usually help stop a vortex from being created.
You could also add a skimmer sock to them and that may help some. If a vortex is the issue and it's not that the skimmers are set too high.

 

[PoolGuyNJ]

Also, if you do have weirs, sometimes they get stuck on the walls of the skimmer body throat and need to be sanded a little to ensure free swinging of the weir on it's pivot points.

Scott

 

[Ranger987]

Do both of your pumps have a filter installed along with them? Water feature pumps will often not have a filter, as they are simply recirculating water to supply the water features and the pump strainer basket is sufficient. However, depending on the type of water feature, sometimes a filter is also installed to keep debris from clogging water features which utilize smaller orifices (sheer descent type). You will want to make sure that the pump with a filter attached does most of the circulating, as this is what filters your water. If both have filters, this won't matter.

If the current system isn't working as you think it should, it might be possible to run a pipe between the two pumps on the suction side so that you can equalize the suction created. It would be best to have a valve installed on this pipe so you can manage the water flow to the two pumps. I can't say that it's designed "wrong", but sometimes a little "tweaking" is involved for more elaborate installations. I'm also assuming that you can run the pumps independent of each other?

 

[benavidescj]

I do have weirs on all the skimmers. I am going to check for vortex and free swing. I will also take a measurement to see if they are too high. As far as how the system is designed, only the one skimmer, all the returns (except for water feature), and bottom drains are hooked to the filter. The water feature and other two skimmers are not filtered. Seems to me that the pump is oversized for the job if the water level is low. The water feature skimmers draw a bunch of water which makes the water feature look really nice, but I wonder if it is too much water.

 

[Ranger987]

Well, not to say whether it's right or wrong, but in Texas and many other areas I know of, the circ/filter pump would usually have all skimmers & the MD for suction, and the water feature pump would usually draw from separate MD only.

 

[benavidescj]

Well, not to say whether it's right or wrong, but in Texas and many other areas I know of, the circ/filter pump would usually have all skimmers & the MD for suction, and the water feature pump would usually draw from separate MD only.

I know that here in Florida you have to have two MDs tied together for safety. If a child sits on one the other will draw water and release suction on the one the child is sitting on. In this situation I would have to have 4 MDs, two for the feature and two for the rest of the pool system. Maybe they should have added two more MDs.