Inlet hose dilemma

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taprackbang

taprackbang

Active member
Mar 31, 2020
29
Cerritos, CA.
I have an AG pool, approx 2900 gallons, that has 2 inlets and 1 outlet (hope this makes sense). I'm currently running 1.25" hoses buy have the fittings to go to 1.5" hoses. I got the dual valve that would connect the 2 inlet hoses to send to the pre-filter. My issue is I want to run 1.5" hoses from pool to the dual valve but - alas - the valve on the dual is 1.25" I would like to keep all the hoses on the system uniform size, 1.5" (I'm okay on sizing the outlet side - 1.5" plunger is installed). I've seen a few YT videos where bigger AG pools, than mine, have only 1 inlet and 1 outlet (once again apologize for the lack of using correct plumbing terms) and thus skipping the problem with sizing on the dual valve - they don't need it. My new sand pump came in and it is 2800gph .6 HP Intex.

My ideal setting was going to be use a skimmer and and extra water intake, but now if I want to stay 1.5" hose to pre-filter I will have to find something to do with the other inlet.

What are your suggestions?
 
In the US there is a law that pools are required to have two suction ports (inlets, as you are calling them) so that if a little kid were to get their hair or skin caught in one of the ports they would be more likely to be able to release the pressure and not get stuck under water and drown if there was a second port, since some of the pressure would be diverted to that second port.

That said, with a small pool and a small pump this is much less of a problem than it could be with a deep pool and a powerful pump. However, I mention this so you are aware of the reason behind the two ports and you can decide for yourself if you want to bypass this safety feature.

Now, after all that, I have a larger Intex above ground pool and the Intex 16” sand filter and pump, which is a little stronger than yours. I replaced my 1.25” suction ports with 1.5” suction ports and I have used a combination of 1.5” intex hoses and regular PVC pipe to T the two suction ports together before the pump. I spent a decent amount of time looking, but unfortunately intex just does not make a 1.5” T... the only part they make is the one you have that has two 1.25” and one 1.5” connection. Using all or some PVC pipe is probably your option if you want to use 1.5” hoses for everything and still connect the two suction ports.

However, you also said that you have a skimmer. I’m not sure if this is the round intex skimmer or a different skimmer, but I will say that my 16” sand filter and pump just barely has enough power to effectively run my round intex skimmer with some water coming in from the other suction port. I need to use a valve to reduce the flow from that second port or the skimmer won’t get enough flow to actually work. I suspect your smaller pump may need 100% of the flow (or close to it) to come from the skimmer, so you might go through all the trouble of redoing the plumbing and discover that you can’t use that second suction port anyway.

As long as you understand the reason for the second port and are OK without it then you could always just not use it at all. Connect the port with the skimmer directly to your pump and not connect the second suction port to anything at all.
 
No no, I’m still using the intex skimmer and I think it’s definitely very helpful to keep the water cleaner. What I was saying is that I don’t think your pump is powerful enough to run the skimmer and get suction from the second suction port at the same time. I didn’t want you to go through the trouble of trying to redo your plumbing and then find out that you need to turn off that second port anyway so your skimmer will still work.
 
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