Need help with plumbing!

[waffler]

Recently my Jacuzzi Magnum Force pump died and we made the decision to replace with a Pentair Whisperflo 2 HP...

We have had issues with the Solar and In Ground PopUp Cleaners since moving in but especially since adding a SWG last year. I feel like we may need to redo the plumbing and since I am replacing the pump I figure this is probably the best time to do it.

Pool has Solar Panels for heating, SWG & in ground popup cleaners & a canister filter.... Does anyone have any links to diagrams that would help me plumb all of this together properly?

 

[Bama Rambler]

Welcome to TFP.

There are lots of diagrams but the best thing to do is post a pic of the equipment and we cna help figure out the best way to do the plumbing.

 

[waffler]

Here is a picture....

 

[waffler]

So my concern here is the way the plumbing is done after the filter to the solar and also with the way the pop up cleaners are plumbed with the SWG it looks like I will be barely processing any water in the SWG.... Just looking for tips on how I can fix this.

 

[JasonLion]

That isn't the neatest plumbing job I've ever seen but it isn't terrible either. Running the SWG to the regular returns and not to the in-floor popup clearer is recommended. Does the SWG give low flow rate errors? If not you are probably fine leaving the plumbing alone.

 

[Bama Rambler]

That plumbing actually doesn't look bad at all. Is the swg in line with the pop-ups or on a separate return (it should be)?
If it's on a separate return you just need to make sure that the valve dividing the flow is adjusted so it makes the swg happy.

 

[waffler]

When we divert to the popup cleaners we get a low flow warning on the SWG.

My pump was in the process of dying apparently for the last couple of years so could the replacement fix that issue? If not, then what is the best way to fix? The popup cleaners look like a great idea but they have been useless since I have inhertited this pool LOL

 

[Bama Rambler]

That's pretty common the way it's plumbed. Try not turning the valve all the way when turning on the pop-ups and see if you can get both to work.

It's possible that the replacement pump will help as long as it's sized to provide enough flow to operate both the pop-ups and swg.

 

[waffler]

Thank you for the responses! I will start by just replacing the pump and seeing how the rest of the equipment behaves....

 

[Bama Rambler]

What is your filter pressure with the pop-ups on and off?

 

[waffler]

I will have to check once I have the new pump installed. With the old pump I had issues running the solar and popups at the same time (not enough pressure I am guessing). So when I am done I will have:


Pentair Whisperflo 2.0 HP Up-Rated running
-Hayward C12002 Canister Filter
-Solar Heating on single story
-Aqua Rite SWG
-Pop-Up Cleaners

I'm guessing I still have a lot to learn and that it is normal not to be able to run all of these at the same time with a single pump?

 

[Bama Rambler]

You'll have a bit of a learning curve to get everything fine tuned, but it's won't be too steep. You'll probably have to play with the solar diverter valve to get the solar and the pop-ups happy and the same thing with the swg/pop-up diverter. Of course with the new pump they all may play fine together.

 

[waffler]

Hey quick question... I was looking at the manual for the Aqua Rite SWG and noticed the plumbing diagram shows the cell before the 3 way valve to the inground popup & main return. You said that it is recommended to not run from the SWG to the pop ups. Can you please clarify this for me?

 

[jblizzle]

Hey quick question... I was looking at the manual for the Aqua Rite SWG and noticed the plumbing diagram shows the cell before the 3 way valve to the inground popup & main return. You said that it is recommended to not run from the SWG to the pop ups. Can you please clarify this for me?

I too would like clarification on this. My previous house had the Hayward SWG and always ran 100% of the flow through the Caretaker in-floor system.

I think this is the first time I have seen that this was a bad idea ... and maybe should factor into recommendation for people that only have in-floor systems that they should NOT get a SWG????