New pool construction pump and filter size

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powellkv

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Jul 25, 2011
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Hello to all, I've gotten so much good info from this forum - Thank you in advance for the continued support and knowledge! I'm ordering the "parts" for the pool I'm building myself this spring. From what I can tell reading many post on this forum here's what I need for a pump and filter, any thoughts?

The pool will be in-ground, about 37,000 gallons
I will have 2 main drains plumbed with 2"
I will have 2 skimmers and a separate vacuum line
I will have 6 returns

So with all that I think I need a 2.0HP, 2 speed pump
with a 30" (4.9sf, 100GPM) sand filter...?
 
If it is a full-rated pump (what is the service factor on the plate?), 1.5hp 2- speed would be a little better.

Match the gpm of your pump with the gpm of your filter.

If your pump can produce 80gpm, then your filter should be capable of at least 20% greater gpm.
 
How far from the pool is the equipment pad going to be?
Except for the MD's are you running separate lines all the way back to the equip pad?
How far above the water line is the pad going to be?
Are there any special water features (i.e. waterfall, fountains, spa, etc)?
Where do you live (general area)?
What are your electric rate(s)?

I'd think a full rated 1 hp 2-speed pump would be enough to run your pool. A 1½ hp full rated would certainly do it. If your electric rates are more than about 20¢ per kwh it might be worth looking into a variable speed pump.
 
Thanks to both of you. I was torn between the 2HP and the 1.5HP



How far from the pool is the equipment pad going to be?
20' away

Except for the MD's are you running separate lines all the way back to the equip pad?
My plan is to tie each Skimmer to a MD, then run a separate line for each MD/Skimmer to the pad
A 3rd line for the vacuum
One return line with Ts for each of the nozzels

How far above the water line is the pad going to be?
1 foot

Are there any special water features (i.e. waterfall, fountains, spa, etc)?
No

Where do you live (general area)?
Central Missouri

What are your electric rate(s)?
$7.20/mo plus...
$9.44/kw for the first 750 kws
$12.77/kw for the next 1250kws
anything above 2000 kw is $13.72/kw

Thanks again
 
Comments in Red.

powellkv said:
Thanks to both of you. I was torn between the 2HP and the 1.5HP

How far from the pool is the equipment pad going to be?
20' away
That's pretty close so you won't have a great head loss due to plumbing.

Except for the MD's are you running separate lines all the way back to the equip pad?
My plan is to tie each Skimmer to a MD, then run a separate line for each MD/Skimmer to the pad
A 3rd line for the vacuum
One return line with Ts for each of the nozzels
I'd run the skimmers separately from the main drains. It allows you a lot of flexibility in how you run the pool. I'd also run each return back to the pad but, if you want to make a loop I'd use 3" pipe for the loop and branch to the returns with 2". You're only going to do this once, so you might as well do it right.

How far above the water line is the pad going to be?
1 foot

Are there any special water features (i.e. waterfall, fountains, spa, etc)?
No

Where do you live (general area)?
Central Missouri

What are your electric rate(s)?
$7.20/mo plus...
$9.44/kw for the first 750 kws
$12.77/kw for the next 1250kws
anything above 2000 kw is $13.72/kw
I hope that's ¢ instead of $!!! :shock:
At those rates and considering no water features, a 2-speed pump would be a good choice.

Thanks again
Click to expand...
 
Thanks Bama Rambler! I so appreciate an experts opinion.

Yes you are right, I AM only doing this once and PVC is cheap! I understand plumbing the MD and skimmers but when you say to run each return from the pad, would you put a valve on each one? I'm visualizing a "3 inch manifold" off of the pump with 6 separate 2" return lines, each with a valve for the returns. Is that what you mean? Again the whole project is budgeted at $70K so a few extra PVC pieces are worth it if it makes it right.
 
Yeah, that's what I mean. A valve on each return at the pad tied into a manifiold running from the filter discharge. It gives you a lot more flexibility that way. Skimmers and MD the same way. A valve on each tied to a manifold at the suction of the pump.

The MD's will be tied together under the bottom of the pool to comply with the Virginia Graeme Baker act, so there'll only be one line from there to the pump.
 

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Correct. There are several ways to comply with the act, but the easiest and most foolproof (IMO) is to plumb them together. That way if someone completely covers one of them, they won't get trapped because the other will still operate and not cause the obstructed one to create a powerful enough suction to hold a person to it.
 
If you plumb the pool the Bama suggests, you will have a fairly efficient plumbing system and the Whisperflo WFDS-3 or WFDS-24 would be sufficient to deliver an 8 hour turnover.

But given what you are spending on the pool, you might as well go with a variable speed pump for a few hundred dollars more. It will give you some flexibility down the road if you decide to add a roof mounted solar system to mix.

Are you planning on an equipment controller?

Are you planning any water features (spa, waterfall, bubblers, etc)?
 
Bama Rambler said:
Correct. There are several ways to comply with the act, but the easiest and most foolproof (IMO) is to plumb them together. That way if someone completely covers one of them, they won't get trapped because the other will still operate and not cause the obstructed one to create a powerful enough suction to hold a person to it.
Click to expand...
We had a test rig demo connecting two main drains with 2" pipe and with one drain covered (simulating entrapment) you could not pull the obstruction clear. Connecting between the two drains with 2 1/2" however meant being able to pull clear easily.

For just a few bucks extra, safety can be vastly improved.
 
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