I have a 29K gallon, vinyl-lined pool. Just re-plumbed the equipment pad, and installed a variable speed pump and three-way valve that allows me to configure how much suction I want to pull from the skimmer vs. the sidewall port.
Our pool is very simple. It has two returns on one side (one by the steps, one in the deep end, about 18" below the water), and a skimmer and sidewall port (also about 18" below the water) on the other side. This creates a weak flow around the pool. As the water moves around the pool, it passes the sidewall port first, and the skimmer a few feet later.
I run the variable speed pump on high for two hours a day, and then on low speed for the balance of the day. If the sidewall port is open, the skimmer barely has any suction when the pump is on low speed. It gets better if I close the sidewall port, and works great with the sidewall port closed when the pump is on high.
So...
Is there any harm in just running the skimmer in this case? I can understand running both in a pool with a floor drain, but in this case, the sidewall port is only a few feet laterally and about 18" vertically from the skimmer. Does it really have a big impact on circulation?
If there aren't circulation issues, I'd prefer to run the skimmer only to maximize "skimming action."
Thoughts? Thanks!
Our pool is very simple. It has two returns on one side (one by the steps, one in the deep end, about 18" below the water), and a skimmer and sidewall port (also about 18" below the water) on the other side. This creates a weak flow around the pool. As the water moves around the pool, it passes the sidewall port first, and the skimmer a few feet later.
I run the variable speed pump on high for two hours a day, and then on low speed for the balance of the day. If the sidewall port is open, the skimmer barely has any suction when the pump is on low speed. It gets better if I close the sidewall port, and works great with the sidewall port closed when the pump is on high.
So...
Is there any harm in just running the skimmer in this case? I can understand running both in a pool with a floor drain, but in this case, the sidewall port is only a few feet laterally and about 18" vertically from the skimmer. Does it really have a big impact on circulation?
If there aren't circulation issues, I'd prefer to run the skimmer only to maximize "skimming action."
Thoughts? Thanks!
