Pool Plumbing Plan

[Agent99]

I'm getting my pool refinished (Pebble Sheen, Blue Granite) and we are having the decking torn out and replaced as well.

This is giving me a chance to do some minor replumbing as well as gas and electrical. I've got a new Pentair 460805 NG 400 kBTU heater coming as well as a new Pentair 011018 Intelliflo motor/pump. I'm having a 2" gas line put in and I'm moving the ugly electrical panel that's been on the side of my house since 1978 (when this pool was constructed) into a new pool shed (7' x 4.5', plastic) that shall sit upon a freshly poured pad. All the pool equipment shall reside inside neat and clean and out of sight and sound. I'm also taking the opportunity to put in an auto-leveler although I have no idea what my pool contractor is using...guess I should ask. Finally, I'm piping in a 1/2" line to the pool shed for water access.

Our 24,000 gallon pool/spa is gunite and in the ground. Equipment is above it and will eventually be on a 4" pad.

I stole this plumbing plan from some manual on some piece of equipment and modified it to to fit my situation. I hope it is large enough to be read.

I'd appreciate some input on what I have here:

(1) Should there be a bypass for the NG heater? Is it good or bad to run water through the NG heater all the time? The plan is to only use the NG heater for the spa since we use the solar heater for the pool.

(2) Should there be a check valve on the heater return pipe?

(3) Should I bother trying to split the pool main and skimmer and take 'em back to the pool shed as separate lines? I think I'd rather not but I could be talked into it...maybe...all that digging...ugh.

(4) Why is there a check valve after the filter? It does seem like a good idea but I see no reason why any water would ever come back into the filter. Just a precaution?

(5) I plan to install The Liquidator for chlorine. I have a couple of questions on this:

(5a) What is difference between the regular one and the upgraded 3/8" one? What exactly is upgraded? I found a regular one for $120 and and upgrade pack for $30 but I'm wondering what exactly is upgraded and if I should bother or buy what I need from the local orange/blue boxes.

(5b) Can The Liquidator be used to inject muriatic acid? The pH from the city is like 8.2-8.4 so I'm always trying to battle that back down. I'm thinking to pick up 2 Liquidators if so.

(6) Any other ideas or good things I should consider?

 

[JasonLion]

1) A heater bypass can be nice sometimes, but it is yet another thing to think about and set correctly. Much simpler without one. If you like to fiddle with the system yourself, it might be worth it.

2) There should be check valves as shown in the diagram, and if the spa is raised above the pool you also need one on the spa return line.

3) I wouldn't bother even having a main drain unless you run the pipe back to the equipment pad. Plumbing the main drain to a skimmer is next to useless.

4) So the solar panels draining down doesn't push debris backwards through the filter and into the pool. Not important for a sand filter, crucial otherwise.

5a) The 3/8" upgrade is very important if you have a two speed or variable speed pump. Not so important otherwise.

5b) No, though they have a similar but different device that works with dry acid. However it gets bad reviews.

 

[Agent99]

Thanks for the quick reply.

I can do without the heater bypass if it isn't necessary. I guess water can run through the heater all the time...no big deal? I see a check valve in the solar return line but not the heater return line. However, if I skip the heater bypass, then the point is moot.

I guess plumbing the main to the skimmer was how it was done on my pool waaaaay back in 1978. There is that plastic things that sits in the bottom of my skimmer that is supposed to regulate the flow between the the two, right?

Thanks for the info on the check valve for the filter. Sounds good.

3/8" upgrade it is since I have variable speed pump. Bummer that the chlorine Liquidator doesn't work for acid. Any reasonable cost acid injectors out there?

 

[jblizzle]

My mid-70s pool and the one I had built in early 2000s (before I found TFP) both had the floor plumbed to the skimmer and use the float diverter. It helps some with pulling from the floor, but you would have more control, less head loss and able to get more flow at lower pump speeds if they were plumbed separately.

 

[Agent99]

Thanks, Jason. Yeah, the more I think about, the more I'm inclined to pull the main to the pad. I guess we'll see how things go once all the decking is removed. I have to dig for a gas line and electrical already...why not dig half way to China to reach the bottom of my skimmer, eh?! LOL

 

[Patrick_B]

I like having a Bypass on my heater and specified it in the build. I like being able to block it out during chemical (mostly Acid) feed, and if I ever need to SLAM my pool or some such thing. My work background forces me to feel this way about it, and I can't help it.

 

[Divin Dave]

I don't have a heater, but if I did it would have a bypass on it. There is nothing like flexibility if you happen to need it. If you only needed it once, it would prolly be worth having.
At least it would for me.

Plus, Im like Patrick, I just can't help thinking the way I do.

 

[MHarvey86]

Also, I would recommend a check valve in between your heater and the injection port of the chlorine/acid feed system. Just a little insurance for that heat exchanger when the pump is off. You wouldnt want any of those concentrated chemicals back flowing into the heater.

I have always been a big fan of having the MD line separate of the skimmer and run back to the equipment pad. It just give you more control of the flow of water in your pool. I have drained the water below the skimmers to deep clean tiles and being able to run the pool solely off the MD allowed me to space the work out over a few days without having to refill the pool immediately

 

[Agent99]

Thanks, Folks, for the replies. I think I may just go ahead with the heater bypass. I think it'll be in bypass mode more often than not since we'll only use it for the spa.

I also plan to separate the skimmer from the MD.

I guess I should put The Liquidator on the schematic as well and the check valve to keep The Liquidator flowing to the pool only is a good idea, too, MHarvery86.

I plan to have a (re)build thread on all this. Should be fun. Demo of the pool deck is very very soon.