Temporary/Backup Pool Cleaner?

[Newdude]

Since neither ordered, I guess it's a welcome available option.

My PB plumbed my first pool with a spare pipe to be used if we ever decided. For pool #2, PVC was so spendy I got exactly every inch I needed and not one more.

 

[Toxophilite]

My PB plumbed my first pool with a spare pipe to be used if we ever decided. For pool #2, PVC was so spendy I got exactly every inch I needed and not one more.

No doubt I still "paid" for the luxury "option". I doubt me ever buying a booster pump and using or hooking up, but if robots get out of hand, well?

 

[Ahultin]

Odd, isn't it. Don't know the reasoning to plumb all the way from pad to pool then cap, but mine was done the same way. I guess, not knowing or not buying a cleaner from the PB, they leave it where can be plumbed one side or other, either for a vacuum or pressure side cleaner. Since neither ordered, I guess it's a welcome available option.

That makes sense of the tee below the water bond as if the op opted for a pressure side cleaner that output would be needed along with the other capped pipe. If opting for a suction side cleaner then he would only use the capped 1.5 pipe. So it would appear that the builder was not supplying a cleaner but thoughtful in supplying options to add it later

 

[Toxophilite]

That makes sense of the tee below the water bond as if the op opted for a pressure side cleaner that output would be needed along with the other capped pipe. If opting for a suction side cleaner then he would only use the capped 1.5 pipe. So it would appear that the builder was not supplying a cleaner but thoughtful in supplying options to add it later

I didn't notice that was a cap on the tee but now makes sense to feed booster if added. I've often thought if I shouldn't also just cap off the pool end, as no use having a long blind pipe breeding and feeding unwelcomes.

 

[JoyfulNoise]

I’m personally of the opinion that having a dedicated suction port, fully plumbed, should be on every pool. Manual vacuuming may be something pool owners wish not to do but it is sometime unavoidable. And it is WAY EASIER to vacuum a pool using a dedicated suction line that fiddling around with skimmer plates or jamming a hose adapter into a skimmer pipe and having it pop off every time you tug a little too hard on the hose. I can manually clean my pool faster than my suction cleaner and faster than my old robot ever could. When you have guests coming over in an hour, I’d much rather clean the whole pool than let an automatic cleaner do half the job.

 

[BDY]

Take the 90° elbow off the pump inlet and replace it with a Tee fitting. Then the Skimmer/MD combo can go to one side and the suction line to the other side. At least that would separate suction line.

Honestly, whoever did the equipment pad plumbing didn’t leave you a lot of room and violated some general rules. There needs to be more straight pipe in front of the pump to avoid cavitation from fittings. Should be about 10"-12” of straight run before the pump. Also, the inlet side of the SWG should have approximately 12”-18” of straight pipe before it. And, while not a big deal, the zinc anode contraption they installed after the SWG is useless. Someone in the pool industry pushed the silly idea that a sacrificial anode is needed in an SWG pool and now all the builders seem to be installing them. They are a placebo at best. You don’t have to remove it but it’s not doing anything useful.

Hmmm.. Maybe i can fix the pump line length when they install the auction?

That thing below the salt cell is a ground of some sort. The electrician had a headache with a very thorough inspector who made them redo the grounding twice on the shell and then install that thing after the plumbing was done before they signed off. Fwiw…

 

[BDY]

I’m personally of the opinion that having a dedicated suction port, fully plumbed, should be on every pool. Manual vacuuming may be something pool owners wish not to do but it is sometime unavoidable. And it is WAY EASIER to vacuum a pool using a dedicated suction line that fiddling around with skimmer plates or jamming a hose adapter into a skimmer pipe and having it pop off every time you tug a little too hard on the hose. I can manually clean my pool faster than my suction cleaner and faster than my old robot ever could. When you have guests coming over in an hour, I’d much rather clean the whole pool than let an automatic cleaner do half the job.

That was what i intended when i asked them to plumb it. But apparently they took the contract literally and plumbed the line to pad. I didn’t think i had to specify tying it in but i guess they thought it was for a future booster pump.

 

[BDY]

I think the only way for them to get a straight pipe into the pool would be to come out the other side of the skin/MD tee and loop around. Not much room on that side b/c of generator.

How much of an issue is it for pump?

For the salt cell i could probably raise the cell myself by cutting and patching both sides PVC…installing 10” on both verticals… does it matter it it’s waist height (mid filter height)? How much of an issue for the cell is it not to have 10”?

 

[Toxophilite]

I’m personally of the opinion that having a dedicated suction port, fully plumbed, should be on every pool. Manual vacuuming may be something pool owners wish not to do but it is sometime unavoidable. And it is WAY EASIER to vacuum a pool using a dedicated suction line that fiddling around with skimmer plates or jamming a hose adapter into a skimmer pipe and having it pop off every time you tug a little too hard on the hose. I can manually clean my pool faster than my suction cleaner and faster than my old robot ever could. When you have guests coming over in an hour, I’d much rather clean the whole pool than let an automatic cleaner do half the job.

Fully agree! This pool is not trashy at all, as any trees are way away. In my prior, a quick vac with pole vac was almost daily, but as for that jammed hose adapter, that thing almost always seemed to gall on me. Would fit loose, and like you say, sometimes pop out, but other times, it took channel locks to get it out. That was, after I would sprain my wrist reaching the bottom of the skimmer pot trying.

 

[Ahultin]

Hmmm.. Maybe i can fix the pump line length when they install the auction?

That thing below the salt cell is a ground of some sort. The electrician had a headache with a very thorough inspector who made them redo the grounding twice on the shell and then install that thing after the plumbing was done before they signed off.

If they are reconfiguring, they may be able to fit the three way between the capped pipe and the main drain giving a straight length between the three way and pump. If you had a 2 way jandy on each the main drain and the skimmer you could dial in the balance between those and use the three way to open/close/partially open the vac port

 

[BDY]

If they are reconfiguring! they may be able to fit the three way between the capped three way and the main drain giving a straight length between the three way and pump. If you had a 2 way on each the main drain and the skimmer you could dial balance from those and use the three way to opentclose/partially open the vac port

By two way you mean open/close? And a three way being a T with an adjustable diverter like the one on there now?

 

[Ahultin]

By two way you mean open/close? And a three way being a T with an adjustable diverter like the one on there now?

Yes, lol , I clearly didn't proofread. A two port jandy type valve (or ball valve but the jandy is the do it once option) and moving the existing three port over to the middle leg has a straight shot to the pump.

 

[BDY]

Is there a way to balance skim and drain with two 2-port valves or would i run the risk of having neither open enough? Or does that show up in filter pressure? Eg if I did that like you said am I solving one issue and creating a balancing headache/risk for myself? Hope I’m explaining the question ok

 

[Ahultin]

Is there a way to balance skim and drain with two 2-port valves or would i run the risk of having neither open enough? Or does that show up in filter pressure? Eg if I did that like you said am I solving one issue and creating a balancing headache/risk for myself? Hope I’m explaining the question ok

Theoretically you balance them where you want then remove the handles so nobody messes with them. There is some level of risk if they both got closed that there would be no suction.

 

[BDY]

Update

I’m arguing with the PB for a week now who says there is no difference to vacuuming through a skimmer with an in line filter and having a dedicated suction line plumbed to vacuum with an in line filter. He doesn’t want to connect the suction line to the pad and leave it for future use in case Polaris etc…

What arguments can i give him to use a dedicated line vs plugging into skimmer?

(Picture attached - the stub out of the ground is the suction line)

Thanks
B

 

[Ahultin]

1. Did the contract call anything out for the cleaner line?
2. Who's pool is it?

 

[Toxophilite]

What arguments can i give him to use a dedicated line vs plugging into skimmer?

Unless you contracted for one, it falls under PB's prerogative. I'm not using mine, didn't ask for one, but I am sure it was built into cost somewhere. If you had to argue a main difference in function, the separate run and wall fitting could also be an option for adding a booster pump later and then using a pressure cleaner with basket net instead of vacuum cleaner.

 

[JoyfulNoise]

Sorry. That’s rude. It’s not his home or his pool. It’s your money and you should get what you want. If he needs to charge you for the plumbers time to do the work then fine. But otherwise, he has no right telling you what you want or need.

 

[Newdude]

+1. I flat out told my GC he could pay for it if he insisted on building me 'his pool.' He forged ahead anyway and the 3rd time the excavator had to come back he told the PB it was either him or the GC. Evidentally similar was going on with other builds too because GC was fired that afternoon.

 

[BDY]

1. Did the contract call anything out for the cleaner line?
2. Who's pool is it?

The contract says “dedicated suction line to pad”. Which i assumed meant connected to the piping and apparently they took as “run the pipe in case he wants a Polaris type suction cleaner w/booster in the future”

So it’s not connected.

I asked for a quote on the change and told him i would pay for it and we are still going in circles..