Any Advice Before Install

[jkhamr]

There are times that we only have the fountains running with the other return closed off, especially when the heater is on as people (my wife) like to site under the pouring water. I would like the SWCG to still be producing Chlorine when that is the case as it can be in that state for several hours.

I thought maybe your design had something to do with the aeration/cavitation from the jets causing the chlorine to off gas faster.

Well, since I am doing this mostly for my wife, that's a great consideration. JK, it's for me too, and kids, and grandkids.

Another nitpick per your request sir, your diagram shows sweeps instead of 90s.

If this is your intention, just make sure they aren't DWV sweeps. We see this from time to time.

You'll need to source proper Sched-40 sweeps and you won't find them at bigbox stores.

That's why I'm here, trying not to screw this up too bad. I have socket 90's and T's not DWV, with 2" pipe, once the system is pressurized how much will it be noticed? I'm not worried about the fitting holding, so the issue would then be flow rate which would be a minimal reduction between 90 socket and sweep?

 

[jkhamr]

+1.

Yes, I have pvc fittings not DWV, thanks for the video.

 

[Newdude]

so the issue would then be flow rate which would be a minimal reduction between 90 socket and sweep?

You'll never see the difference. Sweeps are for miles and miles of water pipes coming to your house, or gravity fed drain pipes.

If your house plumbing is copper, you have many 90s from the water meter to the upstairs bathroom. For short distances under pressure, it doesn't matter. They sweep pex when possible only because no connection is better than a future failed connection. Otherwise they 90 that too.

 

[jkhamr]

Here's a schematic. I even gave you a SWG.

View attachment 475954

Also, I initially ordered my pook kit with a swg, but they talked me out of it and said to add it later if I wanted to.

 

[jkhamr]

You'll never see the difference. Sweeps are for miles and miles of water pipes coming to your house, or gravity fed drain pipes.

If your house plumbing is copper, you have many 90s from the water meter to the upstairs bathroom. For short distances under pressure, it doesn't matter. They sweep pex when possible only because no connection is better than a future failed connection. Otherwise they 90 that too.

That's where my logic took me, I've sweatted plenty of copper in my house (and done my fair share of pex), never too concerned about the copper 90s, so didn't think I'd be too worried about the pvc 90s.

 

[jkhamr]

So it looks like I have a UV filter, ozonator, and auto chlorinator for sale, who's buying? Probably a hard sale here.....

 

[Newdude]

but they talked me out of it and said to add it later if I wanted to.

That's OK. Plumb and run power for it now and it will be easy to add when you get sick of lugging jugs.

I had to get a *weeks* worth of bleach to make it until I fired up my SWG. It took 3 stores and an hour and a half to find fresh jugs. Now they're up to $10 each if Walmart is sold out. I thought it would be fun to see how the other half lived but once was enough.

 

[jkhamr]

That's OK. Plumb and run power for it now and it will be easy to add when you get sick of lugging jugs.

I had to get a *weeks* worth of bleach to make it until I fired up my SWG. It took 3 stores and an hour and a half to find fresh jugs. Now they're up to $10 each if Walmart is sold out. I thought it would be fun to see how the other half lived but once was enough.

Thanks for the advice, now if you can do something about the weather, I'm ready to get rolling. Oh, while I've got your ear, vermiculite or concrete for the pool bottom under the liner? I've been wanting to go with concrete, but all the concrete contractors around here do vermiculite. If I go with vermiculite, I want to do a geogrid with a 2" layer of crushed recycled concrete.

 

[Newdude]

vermiculite or concrete for the pool bottom under the liner?

Thats a long debated topic usually decided by regional practices. They use sand more often than not by me.

All 3 can be perfect, or suffer from poor prep work / install.

 

[pjt]

Also, I initially ordered my pook kit with a swg, but they talked me out of it and said to add it later if I wanted to.

Is it possible to add a SWG now before everything's installed? At a bare minimum, plumb the dummy cell.

 

[jkhamr]

Is it possible to add a SWG now before everything's installed? At a bare minimum, plumb the dummy cell.

I can add the SWG now, I just have to buy it, nothing has been installed yet. I've had the pool kit and all the equipment since last September, thought I would have gotten this done before winter hit. I had to wait until the local power company moved my main power line, I put in a request last July and they finally showed up at the end of January. What would you suggest for SWG equipment?

 

[pjt]

I can add the SWG now, I just have to buy it, nothing has been installed yet.

Great, this is a golden opportunity. I would install it upstream of the last three-way diverter (change to the schematic in post 7).

I had to wait until the local power company moved my main power line, I put in a request last July and they finally showed up at the end of January.

That was a blessing in disguise.

What would you suggest for SWG equipment?

Look at CircuPool or Hayward (especially if you get Hayward automation). Get a cell rated for at least twice the volume of your pool.

 

[jkhamr]

Great, this is a golden opportunity. I would install it upstream of the last three-way diverter (change to the schematic in post 7).


That was a blessing in disguise.


Look at CircuPool or Hayward (especially if you get Hayward automation). Get a cell rated for at least twice the volume of your pool.

Thanks for all the info, much appreciated.

 

[jkhamr]

After all the great input, I decided to bite the bullet and go back to my original plan that I was talked out of by the pool kit retailer, swg it is. No UV, ozone, or auto chlorine. Now if the snow would melt, I could get going.

 

[pjt]

Change the plumbing and three-way diverters on the suction side so that it looks like the diagram in post 7 and the photo in post 8.

Do you need the check valve before the pump due to elevation change?

Discharge line and heater bypass look great.

Make sure the final three-way diverter and plumbing are arranged so it's impossible to deadhead the pump. Is there any room to install the SWG just prior (this would be ideal) to the last three-way diverter? If not, is there room on the other side of the wall to install the SWG on the return pipe? How much straight pipe is required before the SWG/flow switch?

Are you adding an injection fitting (I see one on the SWG vertical loop)? If so, it needs to be installed after the SWG.

 

[jkhamr]

Change the plumbing and three-way diverters on the suction side so that it looks like the diagram in post 7 and the photo in post 8.

The two skimmers meet at a three-way diverter, then ties to a three-way diverter with the drains. I believe it is just like your diagram, the three-way divirter can be rotated by removing the top rotating it 90 degrees and reinstalling it. This results in less fittings (less places to leak).

Do you need the check valve before the pump due to elevation change?

The center of the suction inlet on the pump will be 24" above the water level in the pool, I wasn't sure if I needed one or not, but didn't think it would hurt.

Discharge line and heater bypass look great.

Make sure the final three-way diverter and plumbing are arranged so it's impossible to deadhead the pump. Is there any room to install the SWG just prior (this would be ideal) to the last three-way diverter? If not, is there room on the other side of the wall to install the SWG on the return pipe? How much straight pipe is required before the SWG/flow switch?

On your diagram, you show a threeway diverter before the returns and deck jets, I'm thinking I don't need anything before the returns because when the pump is running the returns should always be open so I removed the three-way diverter, then I placed a shutoff to the deck jets. I bought a Circupool RJ-45, it has a flow switch that requires a minimum of 10" of straight pipe prior to the flow switch. Circupool shows the swg can be mounted vertical or horizontal and the flow switch can be before or after the swg.

Are you adding an injection fitting (I see one on the SWG vertical loop)? If so, it needs to be installed after the SWG.

No injection fitting, just the flow switch.

 

[jkhamr]

For a vinyl liner pool bottom, has anyone used a geogrid with a 2" layer of crushed rock or recycled concrete under the pool-crete. It seems like the existing grade/soil is always the culprit and geogrid with crushed rock is a fairly cheap stabilizer. I'm not sure yet that I need it, but for the price it'd be easy to add now rather than find out later I should have. The geogrid can be ran out to the flat area, then set the metal panels, then pour the concrete collar. I'd just need to excavate an extra 2" depth everywhere.

 

[YippeeSkippy]

Lets ask a few folks directly who might know-
@JamesW @woodyp @duraleigh

 

[woodyp]

I got nuthin'!

 

[jkhamr]

I will most likely add the geogrid and crushed rock, for about 1% of the overall project price, it will be a much better base for the pool bottom and should help the longevity of the pool-crete.