New pool owner

[jatracy]

We have had our pool for almost a year now and I am starting to take over the maintenance.

It is running pretty clean. Here is a list of our equipment:
Jandy 1.85HP VS main pump
Jandy 1 HP pump for waterfalls
Polaris booster pump for vacuum
Cartridge filter (not sure which brand)
Gas heater (not sure which brand)
UV sanitizer (not sure which brand)
Aqualink controller with iAqualink access module
WaterGuru Sense

Here are the changes I think I want to make:

• We have bubblers that are controlled by a valve with the main returns. I'd like to add a VS pump to control them independently. The pool contractor changed the plumbing when the waterfalls were not getting enough flow by adding the single speed pump listed above and pulling the water from the main drain (bypassing the filter). Can I simply pull from the main drain for this pump as well? The main drain is a 4 drain setup that is all connected in "parallel" for anti-entrapment.
• I'd like to install a in-line chlorinator. My though is that putting it in the plumbing for the waterfalls makes the most sense since then I could turn it on and off at will and it would be on when the pool is actually being used. I read that I should be running the waterfalls daily anyway. The pool company says I only need to run about 1ppm of chlorine because I have the UV sanitizer. As stated earlier, the input for this pump does NOT go through the filter though. Would this cause problems with the in-line chlorinator? I think my filter has additional inputs and outputs available. Can I just add another pump to my filter?
• I'd like to pull all the inputs for the pumps off a "manifold" of sorts like it was originally plumbed (before the contractor added the waterfall pump). Is there a reason that that is not acceptable? Each drain and skimmer has a Jandy valve associated with it so I could make adjustments if needed. I could add check valves to ensure water does not back wash into the other pumps.

 

[MITBeta]

You need more than 1ppm of chlorine in your pool. How much you need is related to the level of sanitizer, and how the minimum amount of that you want is 30ppm. So you need at least 4ppm based on the FC/CYA Levels.

How are you testing your water? You should have your own, reliable test kit. See: Test Kits Compared.

Please take some time to read through ABCs of Pool Water Chemistry.

 

[AK-]

Regarding your second bullet point of your post… I know it is not exactly what your are asking, but here pool owners try to help other pool owners to have a trouble free pool. So this will be long…

An in-line chlorinator is a waste of money (I have one). On an in-line chlorinator you will use chlorine pucks/tablets that are made with Trichlor that will add roughly 6ppm of CYA for every 10ppm of chlorine added to the water over time.

An UV system is an inefficient way to sanitize a pool regardless of the misleading sales pitch. It only kills harmful microorganisms going through it and what is in the pool water remains in the pool water. The UV also decomposes the chlorine, so you are left without anything in your water to sanitize your pool. In the a UV system harms your pool rather than helping it.

With FC at 1ppm and no CYA your chlorine won’t last long enough to sanitize your pool. Well with less than 40ppm of CYA you will lose well over 4ppm per day due to sunlight.

With FC at 1 ppm and a CYA over 14ppm all your chlorine will be in the form of chlorinated cyanurates and no hypochlorous acid will be left to sanitize your pool.