Plumbing renovation, checking for leaks and need to backfill

[danringer]

Additional info, it took 2&1/2 days from 930 til dark, 60 feet of PVC, 13 street elbows, 28 normal 90s, and all the valves.

I like the simplicity to run the spa from the everyday operation. Only need to turn two valves.

Check it out.



Tfpools,

I'm replumbing, and gonna start next week. I've attached before shots.
Current problems include:
chlorinator runs through all returns including spa, so when heated and not chlorine turned down or off spa water gets super chlorinated,
Booster pump breaks off before spa, so when spa running booster valve must be closed else spa drains.

Plans include:
Jandy 3 way, 2 ways, and checks
Hayward unions

Spa vs. all other suctions with 3 way
Dual skimmers with 3 way
Wall drain with 2way
Close unions on pump and multiport valve
Heater diverted with 3-way and check
3-way to separate spa return from others
Booster pump pulled from returns after spa diverter
Then chlorinator, then 3 way to wall returns

Using the mitre saw for cuts, red hot PVC cement for glue (Oatey or Christy's)
Plenty of Teflon tape and magic lube II

Other tips are welcomed.

Dan

 

[linen]

Re: Plumbing renovation

Welcome to tfp, danringer

The first thing that comes to mind when looking at your plan is I wouldn't worry about moving the chlorinator. That is a trichlor puck chlorinator, and constant use will quickly raise your cya level high. Here at tfp we do not recommend trichlor feeders as the regular source of chlorine. See this pool school article: http://www.troublefreepool.com/pool-school/types_chlorine_pool

 

[keene3b07]

Re: Plumbing renovation

To me it looks like the positioning of the plumbing is going to make some of your plans hard if not impossible. I don't see how your going to isolate the spa vs all other suction with a 3 way. I would use a 3 way to divert one side to spa/skimmer and wall drain/broken skimmer. Then a 3 way to divert between spa and skimmer and another for wall drain and broken skimmer. i would have the same set up on the return side. Since your not automating, you have to go turn the spa valves anyway, so i dont really see what the problem with closing the booster too.

 

[duraleigh]

Re: Plumbing renovation

This is just a bit off the main point, but however you end up re-plumbing, I suggest you switch to Jandy or Pentair valves and get rid of those cheaper ball valves. I initially installed the ball valves and each one of mine became unusable after about 4 years. I had to replace them all and have been troublefree since.

 

[danringer]

Re: Plumbing renovation

Welcome to tfp, danringer

The first thing that comes to mind when looking at your plan is I wouldn't worry about moving the chlorinator. That is a trichlor puck chlorinator, and constant use will quickly raise your cya level high. Here at tfp we do not recommend trichlor feeders as the regular source of chlorine. See this pool school article: http://www.troublefreepool.com/pool-school/types_chlorine_pool

50 lbs of 3" sticks lasts me a season May-October in South Jersey, how much liquid Cl- would I need in a typical season for 18000 IGP? and can I purchase it at once for the whole season? My CYA has never been out of control with these 99% 4.5" sticks. But I like liquid Cl- for opening and fixing problems fast.

 

[danringer]

Re: Plumbing renovation

To me it looks like the positioning of the plumbing is going to make some of your plans hard if not impossible. I don't see how your going to isolate the spa vs all other suction with a 3 way. I would use a 3 way to divert one side to spa/skimmer and wall drain/broken skimmer. Then a 3 way to divert between spa and skimmer and another for wall drain and broken skimmer. i would have the same set up on the return side. Since your not automating, you have to go turn the spa valves anyway, so i dont really see what the problem with closing the booster too.

I'm gonna dig, and make the impossible possible! I definitely want to entertain automation for the future, so the single 3 way to plumb out the spa (suction and return) is a priority. I want to make the switch from pool to spa easy enough for my wife to use when I'm at work, I'd like to minimize the valves necessary and leave it automation ready for the next year or two.

 

[linen]

Re: Plumbing renovation

Something does not add up

50 lbs of trichlor will raise your 18000 gallon pool to 182 ppm cya...an extremely high amount On top of that, it is unlikely you are starting very low in the spring if this is your standard method of chlorinating, so you end of season cya level is likely even higher than that

And here is another confusing part of the equation...as your cya goes up the amount of FC needed to maintain (safely) a algae free pool also goes up. Lets say at the beginning of the year, due to draining for the winter and other water changes getting pool ready, you are at 100 ppm cya at that point you need to maintain a minimum FC level of 8 ppm. At the end of the season with 100 + 182 = 282 ppm cya you need to maintain a minimum FC level of 21 ppm

how much liquid Cl- would I need in a typical season for 18000 IGP?

If you shot for a reasonable cya of 50 ppm, dosed to 6 ppm everyday to stay above 4 ppm (assuming 1/3 lost to the sun), then I approximate it might take about 51 gallons of 12.5% liquid chlorine for 6 months.

 

[danringer]

Re: Plumbing renovation

This is just a bit off the main point, but however you end up re-plumbing, I suggest you switch to Jandy or Pentair valves and get rid of those cheaper ball valves. I initially installed the ball valves and each one of mine became unusable after about 4 years. I had to replace them all and have been troublefree since.

I've replaced 7 of them and 3 more need to be replaced now ( barely turn without a wrench). I bought 5 jandy neverlube 3-way, one 2-way and 1 jandy check valve.

thank you all for contributions so far

-Dan

 

[danringer]

Re: Plumbing renovation

Something does not add up

50 lbs of trichlor will raise your 18000 gallon pool to 182 ppm cya...an extremely high amount On top of that, it is unlikely you are starting very low in the spring if this is your standard method of chlorinating, so you end of season cya level is likely even higher than that

And here is another confusing part of the equation...as your cya goes up the amount of FC needed to maintain (safely) a algae free pool also goes up. Lets say at the beginning of the year, due to draining for the winter and other water changes getting pool ready, you are at 100 ppm cya at that point you need to maintain a minimum FC level of 8 ppm. At the end of the season with 100 + 182 = 282 ppm cya you need to maintain a minimum FC level of 21 ppm

how much liquid Cl- would I need in a typical season for 18000 IGP?

If you shot for a
reasonable cya of 50 ppm, dosed to 6 ppm everyday to stay above 4 ppm (assuming 1/3 lost to the sun), then I approximate it might take about 51 gallons of 12.5% liquid chlorine for 6 months.

wow! Local pool store always says my stabilizer is low and says my sticks are Crud, i by them online from intheswim.com and not from him, he even sold me 4 lbs of CYA to bring it up this year. I recently denounced using the local pool store, bought your tftestkit, and while I'm learning the kit I still use the dip sticks to compare.

Today's tftestkit:
pH=7.2
FC=7ppm
CC=0.5ppm
TC=7.5ppm
TA=75
CH=415
CYA=70

Dip stick:
pH=7.2
FC=5-10 (pad color between 5-10)
TA=120
CYA=30-50 (between pads)

I do lower the level pretty far to winterize, and vacuum to waste when opening and top off with well water (filtered) maybe that accounts for the low CYA with these sticks or they may be Crud like the guy says and not have enough stabilizer which may make them behave better by not overrunning the pool with CYA

 

[danringer]

Re: Plumbing renovation, checking for leaks and need to back

Had to make a new post for the rear pic. Over the file size limit.