Liquidator may not work for me...

[Katana]

More bad news...

With pump running, I removed the check vlave on the LQ inlet. Water stream was what I though to be very strong. Connected directly to LQ inlet and still could not keep up...flow went up to 5...but eventually dropped to 3.5. I even removed inlet float and just let water come right in...still no good.

I guess I have too much of a pressure drop across filter and heater???

Your pump height gives you strong suction for the outflow, so you are clearly limited by inflow. The inflow side of the Liquidator is driven by pressure from the lines from the filter to the pool. Where exactly is your inlet line tapped into the plumbing?

Inlet to LQ: Using the saddle valve, it is after the heater outlet just before the return splits going back to "pool return" and "spa jets".
Oultet of EQ: Using the saddle valve, it is inches before the coupling to the pool pump...right before stainer basket.

I am not home to get the measurements on the piping or eye balls....will get them tonight

 

[JohnT]

Inlet to LQ: Using the saddle valve, it is after the heater outlet just before the return splits going back to "pool return" and "spa jets".
Oultet of EQ: Using the saddle valve, it is inches before the coupling to the pool pump...right before stainer basket.

My thought is that you want to move the inlet to the Liquidator to just past the filter. The extra back pressure from the heater will help push water into the Liquidator. I hate to have you drilling more holes on a hunch though.

 

[Bama Rambler]

The reason I kept asking you where the inlet of the LQ was located is because I was thinking the same as JT. It just wasn't seeing enough pressure to force enough water through the tubing and fittings to keep the LQ full. I agree with JT that moving the inlet tap prior to the heater will help. One way you can test it is to close of some of the eyeballs and see if it keeps it full then. If it does then I think it's worth moving it prior to the heater.

 

[Katana]

How many returns do you have and what size are the eyeballs?

Outlet to heater splits to "pool return" and "spa jets".

Pool return splits again (selectable): Currently both open, side pool jets and several bottom pool returns.

One for spa jets: Splits to 6 spa jets...spa over flows into pool.

Maybe this helps: Isolation valve for spa retrun jets is an automatic valve (for when I go into spa mode) that is partially throttled in normal circulation mode. I think this is because spa is above pool by about 3 feet, so return water is balanced for spa spillover into pool and the pool bottom returns.

Returns are equal size piping...I'd say 2.5" grey PVC. Not sure about eye ball size...not home.

 

[Bama Rambler]

With that many returns and the spa getting part of the water, there's no wonder you have very low pressure after the filter.

 

[Katana]

The reason I kept asking you where the inlet of the LQ was located is because I was thinking the same as JT. It just wasn't seeing enough pressure to force enough water through the tubing and fittings to keep the LQ full. I agree with JT that moving the inlet tap prior to the heater will help. One way you can test it is to close of some of the eyeballs and see if it keeps it full then. If it does then I think it's worth moving it prior to the heater.

Thanks to both of you for hanging with me...much appreictaed...

I was thinking the same thing and thought I'd try to the heater drain plug?

If I did move the saddle...how would I seal the old saddle hole? I was thinking of getting some rubber gasket material and applying strip over hole covered with hose clamp?

 

[Bama Rambler]

The gasket material would work. You could also thread the hole and screw a plug into it.