Need help setting up new Intelliflo VS

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tigerucla

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May 2, 2011
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Granite Bay, CA (Sacramento area)
We just moved into a house which had been vacant for several months, so no pool maintenance. I am just now finishing turning our frog pond back into a swimming pool. The chlorine is at shock levels, pending a positive overnight test.

PG just installed an Intelliflo VS pump along with a 4-wheel PoolCleaner. They are shiny and new and I have no idea what to do with them!

I have two skimmers and there is a valve which controls how much water comes from each (about half way between the skimmers and the pool equipment ). None of the returns are adjustable (no "eyeballs"). The main drain has an updated cover on it- (PG says no water flows through it, now- does that sound right?). And PG installed a valve controlling water coming from the skimmers and the sweeper into the pump.

1. How should I set the valves? I'm assuming I should set the valve from the skimmers so that there is equal flow through each one. On the valve just before the pump, PG recommends partially closing off the pipe coming from the skimmers since it has 2 1/2" pipes and would overpower the 1 1/2" pipe coming in from the sweeper. Does that make sense? Or should I keep it full open from both sources?
2. How can I tell if I have enough flow through the system? What should the water in the skimmers look like, or is that even important?
3. I know I need to run the pump 24/7 until I get the positive overnight test. At what speed do I need to run it?
4. Once the algae is dead and chemical levels are where I want them to be, how long do you suggest I run the pump, at what speeds, and at what time of the day?
5. How about for running the PoolCleaner? Is it important for the sweeper to be able to climb the walls?
6. When checking the filters for cleaning, do I look for an 8 psi change with the pump running at high or low speed?
7. Any suggestions on what to do with the old pump?

As you can tell, I need lots of help here. I apologize if these questions have already been answered elsewhere. I looked, but could not find them. TFP has been very good to me already. Thanks in advance for your help.
 
1) Adjust the skimmers for equal flow. The line to the cleaner will need to be adjusted while the cleaner is running until you get just enough flow to the cleaner to keep it happy.
2) There is nothing special you need to do.
3) Start out at a medium speed, 2000 or 2400 RPM.
4) For day to day operation you want the lowest speed where the skimmers still work well. Often this is around 1000 RPM, but you need to experiment. For ideal run time, see the article in Pool School on adjusting pump run time.
5) Again, you will need to experiment. There will also be some interaction between the speed and how you have the valve set. Climbing walls is good. If it doesn't climb the walls you will need to brush them occasionally.
6) Look for a 6 psi change with the valves set to a known position when running at a relatively high speed, like 2400 RPM.
7) If it still works, I would keep it around just in case. You could try selling it or post it on freecycle.
 
Thanks for the great answers. I still don't have a good idea of what the skimmer should look like. I like to see the water rippling a little when it comes over the weir. But I'm getting the impression that that may be more than necessary. Does the water simply need to be coming over the weir into the skimmer, even if there are no ripples?
 
Using just one skimmer allows you to run the pump at a lower speed. The down side is that it is easier for one skimmer to get clogged with debris than it is for two skimmers to get clogged. In the spring and the fall that makes a much larger difference. In the summer it sounds like a good idea to use one skimmer and lower the pump speed, as even a single skimmer is unlikely to get clogged. But when leaves or flower petals are falling in the spring and fall it is worth having more than one skimmer.
 
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