Decommissioning a pressure-side cleaner

[svinki]

Hi all,

I'm switching from a Pentair pressure-side cleaner to a robot, and I'm trying to figure out what to do with the leftover cleaner port (currently a 1.5" threaded maw).

I'm not sure if I should plug it, or replace it with a regular return fitting (I can feel some pressure coming into the pool when the pump is on). Further, I have no idea what either part would be called, so Googling hasn't been helpful.

Any knowledge would be appreciated…thanks.

 

[ajw22]

Are you removing the booster pump?

I would leave the pool side open. The question is what you do with the equipment pad side. Post a pic of your equipment pad and the booster pump area to see your situation.

 

[Mikekantro]

Can I ask why you are switching?

 

[tomfrh]

You isolate it or leave it there. Doesn’t really matter.

 

[Dirk]

Not decommission. Repurpose!! EZPZ. You don't want to close that off, that'd be stagnant water. Unless you need another return, I wouldn't run it as one, as that will likely just unbalance your other ones. Remove the pump and sell it. Plumb the remaining pipe as a return with a dedicated valve at the pad and a 1.5" thread at the other (which is what might already be there). Then attach fun things to the threaded end. Single stream for nice effect. Fountain on low for nice ambient sound/visual effect. Aerator for adjusting pH. Fountain on high for kid fun. You could attach it to a water slide. Etc. Turn it into one or multiple/interchangeable water features, most of which you could make yourself out of PVC and a drill.

 

[PoolguyinCT]

Winterize the cleaner pipe & save it for the day your return pipe fails.

 

[svinki]

Hi folks…thanks for your responses. I'll try to address all of them in one place:

Can I ask why you are switching?

We just completed an automation overhaul, and finally got to addressing our cleaner. It's breaking down (mechanically and otherwise), and our booster pump is loud and inefficient. I looked into the cost of replacing the pair (including the ongoing energy cost and "neighbor capital"), and the robot wasn't that much more expensive.

Also, I'm geeking out a little bit.

Are you removing the booster pump?

I thought I might keep it around as a backup for the first few months, just in case the robot doesn't work out. But…

I would leave the pool side open. The question is what you do with the equipment pad side. Post a pic of your equipment pad and the booster pump area to see your situation.

The pad is ugly and cramped, so I'll spare you the photo. But mechanically, there's a hose branched off of the main 2-inch return line that goes to the booster pump, and the pump's outlet hose goes to a 1.5-inch dedicated PVC line.

Not decommission. Repurpose!! EZPZ.

This sounds interesting. Maybe I preserve the current plumbing, detach the hoses from the booster pump, and splice in an automated valve instead (they make valves with hose fittings, yes? I'd rather not strike the existing hookups).

I'm a bit reluctant to have a big nozzle sticking out of the wall (and my pH is already high enough that an aerator might not be the best option), but if somebody makes a cute little laminar flow fountain that fits a cleaner port I'd consider it. Does that exist?

Meanwhile:

Winterize the cleaner pipe & save it for the day your return pipe fails.

We're in California, so we don't need to winterize per se, but I don't like the idea of stagnant water. We plan to replaster the pool at the end of this season, so we'll take that opportunity to clear and cap the pipe (provided we haven't attached something more interesting ).

 

[Dirk]

This sounds interesting. Maybe I preserve the current plumbing, detach the hoses from the booster pump, and splice in an automated valve instead (they make valves with hose fittings, yes? I'd rather not strike the existing hookups).

I'm a bit reluctant to have a big nozzle sticking out of the wall (and my pH is already high enough that an aerator might not be the best option), but if somebody makes a cute little laminar flow fountain that fits a cleaner port I'd consider it. Does that exist?

We're in California, so we don't need to winterize per se, but I don't like the idea of stagnant water. We plan to replaster the pool at the end of this season, so we'll take that opportunity to clear and cap the pipe (provided we haven't attached something more interesting ).

I'd want to eliminate any hoses and use standard PVC and fittings, especially if you're thinking Jandy valve and actuator, for automation purposes. Unless you have no room, the PVC is going to be more reliable (everything would be glued in).

Yes, you'd have this PVC gizmo sticking out of the wall, not ideal. It's a quickie solution. Something to take on and off for special occasions type deal. I don't know if they make a laminar you could screw on to a return. Google time.

I think by "winterize" he meant you would do the same process to the pipe as you would to winterize it, as in: blow out the water and seal it up. No stagnant water. Nothing to do with the seasons...

 

[ajw22]

I thought I might keep it around as a backup for the first few months, just in case the robot doesn't work out.

I would just leave the pump as connected until you have another use for the line. It becomes another return line. Deal with changes to the plumbing around the booster pump when you have a specific use for the line.

 

[igneous]

I did the same thing a couple months ago, as the connections and booster pump were all steady drip leaking. All I did was get 1.5" plugs and plugged both lines from booster pump and disconnected it from Intermatic timer (power). I still have pump sitting there in case I need to hook it back up, and have my Polaris stored. The Maytronics S200 uses virtually no power to run and actually scrubs the walls and bottom of pool.

 

[Dirk]

Not a big fan of the laminar, but a boosted one?!? Yah, leave the pump in line and get that arc up to a couple hundred feet high!! Now that's a water feature!!

Not sure if I should say I'm joking or not, I sure would like to see him try...

I kept my pump long enough to get tired of looking at it, then tried to sell it on Craig's List. Couldn't give it away (as I had owned up to the leak). I ended up tossing it out. I suppose if there was a Polaris owner out there with a pump in worse shape, but I didn't want to keep a Craig's List ad going for months or years waiting around that!

I was able to sell the Polaris, which was six-years-old and had some issues with the tail, but only for $100. Guy just wanted something moving underwater as he was selling his house. Let the next owner hassle with it type deal. Which is probably why I inherited that junk when I bought my house. Pay it forward! (Just kidding karma gods!)