Advise on return and plumbing

[roth79]

I am in the process of getting a ig pool refinished and adding a new skimmer as my hydro baker is leaking I believe. I have replummed above ground at equipment deck with 2" pic when I put in a variable speed pump last year but the rest of the plumbing in ground is 1-1/2. So here's my question when I have new skimmer I'm thinking of having 2 separate lines one from skimmer and one from main drain with valves at deck. I'm thinking of replumbing the suction side to 2" pvc while there here, is it worth it with the returns 1-1/2. I also am thinking about having another return put in as the original design sucks where the returns are now. There isn't a big expense to add that additional return. The existing returns are under a concrete deck so changing those to 2" could be a major job.

Any advise please.

Roth

 

[jblizzle]

A good idea to run the skimmer and the drain separately. 2" pipe is fine.
There is no problem leaving the returns at 1.5" ... possible to run them individually too?

 

[roth79]

I do have a 1-1/2 suction line near the skimmer in the wall, it would be real easy to stub the In wall connection and hook the main drain separately to the 1-1/2. Jb is it worth the extra work to run new 2" lines. The returns are are 1" it's a 1984 pool build! Also. What do you think about adding another return based on diagram? Waste of time? The flow sucks and the design does as well, I'm thinking I might get better flow, again is it worth the time and money? Whatcha think?

Thanks again,
R

 

[jblizzle]

I am not sure I follow.
Perhaps you should describe the current set clearly and then what you want to do.

You are going to cap a wall suction line to hook the floor drain to? I am not sure I would do this unless you are never going to use a suction cleaner.
Do you mean the valves will be in front of the pump? Or near the pool?
Sounds like ideally you would have 3 separate suctions lines running to the pump (skimmer, suction cleaner, floor). But maybe you do not have access.

 

[roth79]

**** it's upside down sorry. The pool has additional suction line in the wall I don't use, I use a suction cleaner mounted in the skimmer ( hydro baker). I could just hook the main drain line to the in wall suction line at or near the skimmer to the current 1-1/2 pic line as there already buried now'that returns to the equipment deck. Is it worth me trenching and running 2 new lines from skimmer and main drain, or just plumb it to existing 1-1/2 pic lnes?

 

[roth79]

Bump please

 

[jblizzle]

Don't bump your posts please ... Not like we get paid for this

I would use the suction line so that you can have skimming action at the same time.

But if you do not want to trench you could remove the suction port.

I think I would leave floor on the bottom of the skimmer and use the suction line for the vacuum.

 

[roth79]

Thanks jb and sorry for the bump.

 

[jblizzle]

My pool is actually just like the last option I mentioned. Skimmer works pretty well even when the suction cleaner is running from the wall. Suction from the floor is not very important.