Adding slide

[loughps]

We have a 16.5' x 32.5' ft pool with one main drain, one skimmer, two returns and a "pop up" fountain in the shallow end. We're hoping to add a slide within the next year. This summer we're doing work on our patio area and will have the ground dug up some, so I plan on running a line out to where the slide will go while we have the yard torn up.

My question is in regard to water flow. Right now the two 1 1/2 inch lines come to the pad from the pool, one from the MD, the other from the skimmer. We have a 3/4 hp Hayward SuperPump, 300 lb sand filter and 250K BTU gas heater before the returns. The fountain is on it's own 1" line from the pad.

If I have the two returns fully open and open the valve for the fountain, it will barely breech the surface of the water. To have it operate I need to choke the returns so much I get little circulation. My concern is that I don't have enough pressure or flow to get water to the slide even if I plumb for it. I've been reading about booster pumps, but the majority of the articles discuss operating a pressure side cleaner, which I don't plan on adding. The manuals I've read talk about how far the return from the booster is supposed to be under the water level, so I don't know if I can add a booster pump for the slide (I was going to put the fountain line on it too).

Is this even possible? How will running the booster affect the input from from the main filter pump? Can I just add a small booster to both those lines and just turn it on when I want the slide and/or fountain running?

Thanks in advance.

-- Pete

 

[mart242]

Simply get a more powerful pump?

 

[JasonLion]

There are a couple of ways of dealing with this. The most complete is to get a variable speed pump. Then you can turn up the pump speed when you are using the fountain or slide and turn it up more when you are using both and everything will get all of the water it needs.

Setting up a two pump system is possible, but it introduces some additional complexity. Normally when you have two pump they each have their own suction lines. You can do that, since you have two suction lines, but it would have some disadvantages, like if the skimmer(s) clogged with leaves one of the pumps wouldn't get any water.