Replace flexible hose with PVC??

[Tdog]

Hello,

I have an above ground pool that uses flexible hose (1 1/2-2", I think) to connect the skimmer to the pump and the filter to the return. I believe it is a lot longer than it needs to be. It hangs all the way to the ground and back up to the return on the filter side (about 3 feet), and the same on the pump side. I was thinking about replacing the flexible hose with PVC, since I plan on adding a liquidator in the near future. Any thoughts? Does the excess length of the current hose affect my pump efficiency in any way?

 

[dpool]

I've had the same question about HARD PLUMBING my AGP with PVC over the flexible tubing. I have about 5 to 6 foot lengths on both the suction and return and have had shorter lengths on it too (without any significant gain or loss on the filter/pump) but the tubing was a danger to anyone that tried to walk around the pool and I was afraid of 'clotheslining' little people or busting a connection with too short of hose as it kinda 'hung' off the ground. The longer length does kinda 'wrap' around a bit but I feel safer with it phisically on the ground (I put a plastic stool over the point people walk AND people are not suppose to walk in that corner anyways - I only go back there when scrubbing walls.

That said - is there anything to consider in changing out flexible hose with PVC on an AGP??? Also - does it make a difference if you have a 'doughboy' hard sided above ground pool verses a soft-sided flexible wall SPLASHER type pool (what I have - the walls FLEX quite a bit )- that's kinda why I've kept the flex tubing.

thanks.

dp

 

[JasonLion]

You can switch plumbing between hard and flexible or flexible and hard. Sometimes it is a little tricky to find the exactly right fittings to convert things, depending on what you are trying to connect to. Every possible fitting exists, you just need to find someone who stocks it. Rigid pipe is a little bit more work, the measurements have to be just right or it won't fit and getting the final connection together can sometimes be a little tricky. Rigid plumbing does have some flex, but not all that much, so a very flexible wall might cause a problem.

Longer pipes have more resistance to flow, but if you are only talking about adding a couple of feet it doesn't make much of a difference.

 

[all your parts]

if you are going to use pvc pipe make sure that you put in unions to easily remove your equiptment

 

[dpool]

UNIONS - I've heard this said before but I'm not sure what those are.

Are they the sort of over the top (around) twisty things that you used to tighten/connect plumbing together?

I just hard plumbed VALVES together and needed to put little pieces of PVC and stinky purple pvc pipe glue in between each step in the connection to get the male and female connections to all match up (because of course half had threads and half didn't!). Then I attached my flex tubes to my valve set up with those metal clamps (not sure the name of them 'c clamps?') to the each end. And then I marked everything with a Sharpie so I woudn't have to remember what direction things had to turn.

However, I realized it would have been much easier to install if I had a connection that I could screw on tight rather than practcally having to pick up the filter and twist it around to get the connections all tight. My only inspiraton was I figured once I got it all together, I WOULDN"T be taking it apart each time because what I was doing was making it so I could just turn the valves closed and not have to put my hand in the cold water to put in the plugs to block the flow when cleaning the filter. (The plugs are still next to the pool for emergency access. in case the flex tubing snaps off a connection close to the pool. The holes are about 6 to 8 inches below the water line and that's a lot of water to lose.)

So far so good. But what you said about every connection is available but finding a place that sells them ... or a place with a knowledgeable staff that can help you figure out all the little connection steps. That's key!

I really wanted BALL VALVES but I couldn't muscle them open and closed in the store so I figured it would be even harder to do it next to the pool. The guy in the store said TWIST TOP TYPE VALVES tend to have a problem with leaking more than ball valves but then I've heard that some ball valves can 'self shut'. I did have a bit of a leak at the top of the valve at first (it also could have been water from other plumbing leaks at the time of set up) so I just turned it about 1/8 turn back and that seemed to do the trick. I like the idea of a real VISUAL ON/OFF with the ball valves but like I said I was afraid I'd snap off connections becaus they were so hard to turn. Well, so far so good and now that I know how to plumb PVC pipe - I won't be so cautious to re-do it all if needed. I'll just be bummed!

dp