Ideal location for booster pump inlet plumbing

[TexasDogs]

Now that I've got a heater installed and I've used the spa a bit, I'm realizing how annoying the plumbing for my Polaris booster pump is (upstream of pool/spa diverter valve), because even in spa mode, some water flows through the Polaris line, so in spa mode it will slowly drain the spa, and I'm losing some of the heated water. My current workaround is to plug the Polaris return in the pool when I'm heating the spa, but that's quite a drag. So I'm thinking about replumbing to put the inlet after the jandy valve, on the pool return side. Is this a reasonable plan?

Is it bad to have the inlet down stream of my salt cell? Would there be any issue with it being t-ed off on the vertical run there?

I've thought about just putting a valve to close of the Polaris inlet but I'm afraid that would make me more prone to accidentally leaving it closed off and ending up with the pump running dry. Maybe that's no different, though, since the pool/spa valve would have the same effect. If I went that route, what kind of valve would be recommended for this application?

 

[ajw22]

That was a dumb place to put the booster pump pickoff.

Yes, you have a reasonable plan and there are no issues in picking off the water on the POOL side of the diverter valve.

 

[1poolman1]

Now that I've got a heater installed and I've used the spa a bit, I'm realizing how annoying the plumbing for my Polaris booster pump is (upstream of pool/spa diverter valve), because even in spa mode, some water flows through the Polaris line, so in spa mode it will slowly drain the spa, and I'm losing some of the heated water. My current workaround is to plug the Polaris return in the pool when I'm heating the spa, but that's quite a drag. So I'm thinking about replumbing to put the inlet after the jandy valve, on the pool return side. Is this a reasonable plan?

Is it bad to have the inlet down stream of my salt cell? Would there be any issue with it being t-ed off on the vertical run there?

I've thought about just putting a valve to close of the Polaris inlet but I'm afraid that would make me more prone to accidentally leaving it closed off and ending up with the pump running dry. Maybe that's no different, though, since the pool/spa valve would have the same effect. If I went that route, what kind of valve would be recommended for this application?

Yes, after the valve in the pool return is a much better option.
You could put a valve before the booster as well and make it a routine to be sure to turn that valve each time you use the spa, but the danger you speak of is a possibility.
I've seen some customers with light-use spas just put the Polaris in the spa when they use it because they didn't want to pay to have the plumbing changed. You still lose a little out the Polaris wall fitting.