Hi everyone. Long time reader, first time poster.
I have a 40 year old, roughly 30,000 gallon in-ground pool in Southeast Michigan. It's new to me, we moved it at the end of summer last year.
The current configuration as I understand it:
Single skimmer with floating weir (looks like they converted it at some point, there's a weir door but it's stuck down) with a 1.5" run back to the pad
Single main drain with 1.5" run back to the pad
Those 1.5" runs come back to the pad, up out of the ground, to a diverter valve and then continue on via 1.5" to the pump.
The pump is a STA-RITE PHK2RA6E-102L (1HP, wired w/ 230v)
There is a Pentair LA01N booster pump feeding a Polaris 380 (edit) pressure-side cleaner. This has a 3/4" output and it's 3/4" into ground but... I THINK must turn into 1.5" underground (again, hopefully right below where it enters / right next to the pad) <- you can see a photo here of the recent repair work. The copper line is the high pressure return, the white flexible section is, I believe, the skimmer based on the location of the pipe, and the line on top of it... maybe... sprinkler line? Unknown. Those two look like 1.5" to me though. Please correct me if you think I'm wrong!
The pool is heated by a Hayward H250FDN of unknown age but it seems to be rock-solid so far.
The filter is a TR60 sand filter (also of unknown age and unknown sand volume, condition, etc) After the filter has been backwashed, PSI readings are 18-19. I generally backwash at 25-26.
There are two return jets on 1.5" piping (a single 1.5" pipe enters the ground and, I assume/hope, splits off two 1.5" lines directly beneath that spot, underground)
Here's my dilemma: It seems as though I have to run the pump 24/7 in order to keep the pool clean from a visible debris perspective both small and large (barely visible all the way up to bugs, leaves, etc. Admittedly, I do have a wooded lot. Chemistry seems to be spot-on. No sign of really any algae to speak of.
My goal is to improve things, where possible, without digging up and replacing or adding additional plumbing to/from the pool. That's just not in the budget at the moment.
Initially, my thoughts are: VS pump, appropriately sized (perhaps oversized) filter with reduced head loss (perhaps a filter without a multiport backwash valve?), remove booster pump, re-purpose existing high pressure line as suction-powered cleaner (so the pool would go from 2 1.5" suction lines and 3 return lines (including the existing high pressure line) to 3 1.5" suction lines and 2 1.5" return lines. Replace 1.5" pad plumbing with 2" plumbing at same time as previous changes.
Am I on the right track? Is it a lost cause without increasing / adding plumbing? Am I right in believing that the TR60 is undersized for a 30,000 gallon pool, especially one in a wooded lot?
Thank you very much for your thoughts on the matter and I hope the above mostly makes sense! haha
-Ryan
I have a 40 year old, roughly 30,000 gallon in-ground pool in Southeast Michigan. It's new to me, we moved it at the end of summer last year.
The current configuration as I understand it:
Single skimmer with floating weir (looks like they converted it at some point, there's a weir door but it's stuck down) with a 1.5" run back to the pad
Single main drain with 1.5" run back to the pad
Those 1.5" runs come back to the pad, up out of the ground, to a diverter valve and then continue on via 1.5" to the pump.
The pump is a STA-RITE PHK2RA6E-102L (1HP, wired w/ 230v)
There is a Pentair LA01N booster pump feeding a Polaris 380 (edit) pressure-side cleaner. This has a 3/4" output and it's 3/4" into ground but... I THINK must turn into 1.5" underground (again, hopefully right below where it enters / right next to the pad) <- you can see a photo here of the recent repair work. The copper line is the high pressure return, the white flexible section is, I believe, the skimmer based on the location of the pipe, and the line on top of it... maybe... sprinkler line? Unknown. Those two look like 1.5" to me though. Please correct me if you think I'm wrong!
The pool is heated by a Hayward H250FDN of unknown age but it seems to be rock-solid so far.
The filter is a TR60 sand filter (also of unknown age and unknown sand volume, condition, etc) After the filter has been backwashed, PSI readings are 18-19. I generally backwash at 25-26.
There are two return jets on 1.5" piping (a single 1.5" pipe enters the ground and, I assume/hope, splits off two 1.5" lines directly beneath that spot, underground)
Here's my dilemma: It seems as though I have to run the pump 24/7 in order to keep the pool clean from a visible debris perspective both small and large (barely visible all the way up to bugs, leaves, etc. Admittedly, I do have a wooded lot. Chemistry seems to be spot-on. No sign of really any algae to speak of.
My goal is to improve things, where possible, without digging up and replacing or adding additional plumbing to/from the pool. That's just not in the budget at the moment.
Initially, my thoughts are: VS pump, appropriately sized (perhaps oversized) filter with reduced head loss (perhaps a filter without a multiport backwash valve?), remove booster pump, re-purpose existing high pressure line as suction-powered cleaner (so the pool would go from 2 1.5" suction lines and 3 return lines (including the existing high pressure line) to 3 1.5" suction lines and 2 1.5" return lines. Replace 1.5" pad plumbing with 2" plumbing at same time as previous changes.
Am I on the right track? Is it a lost cause without increasing / adding plumbing? Am I right in believing that the TR60 is undersized for a 30,000 gallon pool, especially one in a wooded lot?
Thank you very much for your thoughts on the matter and I hope the above mostly makes sense! haha
-Ryan
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