Main drains v side drains

[grottoguy]

I am in the process of building a pool in NJ, but haven't picked my PB yet. My pool will be about 1200 square feet, have a variable speed Jandy E pump, an Aqua Comfort AC-150 Heat Pump, a Polaris 280 with 3/4 booster, a Rockwall and Grotto (inside Grotto there will be 6 Jacuzzi jets and blower), 2 Laminar Jets, 2 LED Bubblers in a sunshelf, 2 Ledlights in pool and one in Grotto, Jandy PDA P8 remote control, 90% Quartz finish, Zodiac SWF 185 GMP waterfall pump, Levelor K1100 autofill, and Autopilot Digital SWG. My pool will have 2 skimmers and (as of now) 5 returns. Most piping is 3 inch (and I think all returns and skimmers are home runs).

One PB said I will get two main drains for the Jandy pump but the waterfall pump and the booster pump will each have two side drains, all with anti vortex covers. My question is whether these side drains will be an eyesore in the pool and whether it would be better to have main drains in the deep end of the pool for them as well (although the idea of having six drains together in deep end of pool doesn't thrill me either).

Thanks

 

[jblizzle]

While I am not 100% on this, I would think that you could run all the pumps off the same 2 main drains. They may just need to be a little bigger. Personally I would prefer 2 larger drains than 6 smaller ones all over the pool.

 

[mas985]

You might want to keep your posts together since they are related.

http://www.troublefreepool.com/threads/85725-Number-of-skimmers-and-bottom-returns

I think main drains are all but useless and are more of a risk than a benefit so I would avoid them.