Pentair laminar installation

[Mattgintx]

My pool builder is suppose to install 3 pentair laminars on our pool that’s under construction. As they are expensive and the pool builders in the area didn’t seem like it’s something they’ve installed frequently I want to make sure they are installed correctly

from what I have gathered you want to individually valve each one, install a pre-filter and they require a drain.

when they install a drain where should it drain to? Does it just feed by gravity out the side of the decking? Are there specific types of filters/sizes that are optimal?

One pool builder told us it would require it’s own dedicated pump for the laminars. Any truth to this? Another builder told us using a separate pump for all the water features would be adequate.

we are having two intelliflow 3hp pumps installed. The pool is 16x32 with an additional tanning ledge that’s 9x11. Our pool will have a bubbler in the tanning ledge, overflowing spa, 3 laminars and a sheer descent waterfall. Are the two intelliflow pumps enough?

 

[HermanTX]

Having 2 pumps provides you 2 advantages. First is that it dedicated to ensure that device flows at optimal performance and not competing with the circulation of the pool or spa. Second is, most laminars, sheer decents all flow into the pool. Therefore if you want to run them when only using the spa (SPA mode) then you need a dedicated circulation path for them.
Your main VS pump will perform circulation for either spa or pool - depending what mode. This will also control the overflow from spa to pool. You can also hook up the bubbler to that if you wish but understand it will only operate in Pool Mode.

Your other VS pump can supply the laminars and sheer decent waterfall. Since they will be on their own circulation path, they can be operated in either Pool or Spa mode (or even if the main VS pump is off). You would want to have the PB verify the flow rate for each device, especially if you want the 3 laminars and the sheer decent waterfall all operating at the same time. You want separate lines to each and have a valve on each line thus you can control the flow going to each feature.

You could also pull the instruction manuals for each and verify the flow rate requirements and sit down with the PB to ensure it will operate the way you wish it to. Also, some sheer decents do require a mini-filter so verify if that is needed.
One of the key points is to define what to what to flow when you are in Pool Mode and what do you want to flow when in Spa Mode. Then you can set up plumbing to achieve that.