Pool plumbing

[Dahbull]

Hi I'm a new pool owner and purchased a foreclosure with a pool. Has not been open since fall of 2010. Live in the north and pool was winterized both seasons. Previous owner took all pool equipment from the pad right down to electrical box. I am very handy and have been researching products like mad to reinstall and get the pool up and running. I have purchased an intelliflo pump and pentair filter and am looking for a heater. Pool specs : 15x33 kidney shape with liner. Two skimmers and one main drain and two jets. All 1.5 inch PVC with home run to pad for each. Since the pump and filter all take two inch pipe is it reasonable to up gauge the 1.5 inch pipe to 2 inch at the pad then through pump filter and heater then have the two inch line feed the two 1.5 inch lines to the pool jets. This is in an effort to utilize the pump efficiency and capacity when wanted and not exceed the recommended capacities for 1.5 inch plumbing (44 gpm).

Questions:
1) Heater recommendations
2) plumbing 1.5 to 2 back to 1.5, is this ok?

Thanks

 

[Isaac-1]

A couple of things, it would probably help to tell us where in the north you live, it could help also to know a bit about the pool location, how much sunlight it gets, etc. Also a few photos of the pad with the existing plumbing may also be helpful in knowing what your dealing with.

 

[Dahbull]

Hi. Pool is in northern Illinois and somewhat protected from wind by a line of trees and a 1 story yard sloping from front to back of house. (pool at back of house of course). Has been covered with one of those elephant type heavy duty covers since it was closed. It is in a position where it will get sunlight most of the day. I'd say from about 8am to 7pm in the summer.
I have a picture of the pad but can't upload it from my phone. Prepped the 4x7 pad for new equipment. There are two sets of three PVC pipes 1.5 inch coming up to the pad and one separate pipe off to the side (backwash line I believe). Each of the pipes goes through a ball valve then are plumbed together in 2 groupings creating 1 intake and 1 return. Just after the ball valves is where I would like to increase the line to 2 inches creating a sort of mixing chamber for the pump to draw from. The return side would be the same.

Oh the return is really two 1.5 inch pipes with the third for a water feature (yes previous owners took that too). So Really there are two returns plumbed together with a water feature pipe.

Any help with the following would be great?
1) heater brand/size etc
2) 1.5 inch to 2 in h on pad back to 1.5 inch for return to pool

 

[JasonLion]

Changing pipe size is fine. Using 2" pipe on the equipment pad and 1.5" pipe elsewhere is actually fairly common, even though all 2" everywhere is becoming the standard.