His original quote had a Polaris and
Booster and i had them remove it but told them i wanted to leave the line for a suction line. In my naïveté i was not explicitly clear apparently
Temporary/Backup Pool Cleaner?
- Thread starter BDY
- Start date
Booster and i had them remove it but told them i wanted to leave the line for a suction line. In my naïveté i was not explicitly clear apparently
With some old school type grumbling about my changes the guy has actually been pretty good about doing what i asked for that he normally didn’t do.. (salt cell, upsize pump, Intellicenter etc etc etc). Just balking on this one..
Is it something i can do myself if it comes to that? To be honest i have no idea how much a pool plumber costs..
Last edited:
- May 23, 2015
- 25,720
- Pool Size
- 16000
- Surface
- Plaster
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Pentair Intellichlor IC-60
You or any plumber worth his wage can easily do it. It might require cutting and rerouting some of the current setup but it’s about as difficult as building with LEGOs.
Update…
PB wants $800 plus 3x$112 (valves) to replumb and would only use ball valves to control flows. So when I get a chance later this spring I’ll start a thread to do it myself if this group of experts wouldn’t mind advising
. I’m handy but only experienced with irrigation pvc….. the biggest headache I see is the lack of extra pipe to cut out…
In the meantime I’m going to get a hose, in-line and vacuum head…..
A few questions please…. (Note the skimmers are pentair Bermuda 2”)
1) PB recommended to put a tennis ball in one skimmer and plug directly into the other - I belatedly realized after reading posts last night I should have insisted they plumb the two skimmers in parallel rather than series. They are not connected to mains but run into a T and then in one line back to pad. (That explains why one skimmer has better performance than the other). I see also a flap at the bottom that can swivel over the hole. Does that flap plug the unused skimmer sufficiently?
2) are skimmer plates needed or can the hose plug directly into skimmer like PB says? I see both answers if I search online … if it can plug would i need an adapter for the skimmer?
3) are hoses universal? Or smaller is better for suction or bigger better for debris etc (in terms of hose diameter l)
4) can anyone recommend a good in-line leaf filter and hose?
5) i found the weighted triangle Hayward head that @Newdude recommended but not a larger 18” version. I think I am mixing up the recommendations…. For an 11x29 rectangle pool does an extra 6” make a lot of difference in skimming performance?
Many thanks in advance
B
PB wants $800 plus 3x$112 (valves) to replumb and would only use ball valves to control flows. So when I get a chance later this spring I’ll start a thread to do it myself if this group of experts wouldn’t mind advising
. I’m handy but only experienced with irrigation pvc….. the biggest headache I see is the lack of extra pipe to cut out…In the meantime I’m going to get a hose, in-line and vacuum head…..
A few questions please…. (Note the skimmers are pentair Bermuda 2”)
1) PB recommended to put a tennis ball in one skimmer and plug directly into the other - I belatedly realized after reading posts last night I should have insisted they plumb the two skimmers in parallel rather than series. They are not connected to mains but run into a T and then in one line back to pad. (That explains why one skimmer has better performance than the other). I see also a flap at the bottom that can swivel over the hole. Does that flap plug the unused skimmer sufficiently?
2) are skimmer plates needed or can the hose plug directly into skimmer like PB says? I see both answers if I search online … if it can plug would i need an adapter for the skimmer?
3) are hoses universal? Or smaller is better for suction or bigger better for debris etc (in terms of hose diameter l)
4) can anyone recommend a good in-line leaf filter and hose?
5) i found the weighted triangle Hayward head that @Newdude recommended but not a larger 18” version. I think I am mixing up the recommendations…. For an 11x29 rectangle pool does an extra 6” make a lot of difference in skimming performance?
Many thanks in advance
B
Yes. Very much so.
Not if you get an inline filter. The vac plate is likely cheaper.
Usually the hose is the same size as the pipe and you just smack it in there.
Yes.
You will find the sweet spot with pump RPMs. Too little and it doesn't suck well. Too much and it sticks to the floor. It's an unforseen bonus of the VS pump.
I just use my skimmer basket and the vac plate. Hang tight for more thoughts.
I looked also when he said that and only found the 12 inch. I would have bought the 18 on the spot if I found it. It's like mowing the lawn with a 54 inch instead of a 36 inch. Each pass covers 50% more ground and your done 1/3 sooner.
- May 23, 2015
- 25,720
- Pool Size
- 16000
- Surface
- Plaster
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Pentair Intellichlor IC-60
… in-line leaf traps, I use this one -
Hayward W560 PoolVac Navigator Standard Leaf Canister
Hayward W560 PoolVac Navigator Standard Leaf Canister
- May 23, 2015
- 25,720
- Pool Size
- 16000
- Surface
- Plaster
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Pentair Intellichlor IC-60
Update…
PB wants $800 plus 3x$112 (valves) to replumb and would only use ball valves to control flows. So when I get a chance later this spring I’ll start a thread to do it myself if this group of experts wouldn’t mind advising
I know you posted a picture of your equipment early on but if you could perhaps post another closer up view of the pool pump side along with some rough measurements, that would be helpful.
Based on my cursory glance at the plumbing, you’re probably going to need to move the main pool pump back a bit in order to get all the valves and connection on the suction side right. The PB really crammed all the pipes together on the suction side so without doing any digging to correct that below grade, the pump will likely need to be moved a bit. So this will require cutting and replumbing both sides of the pump. Not a huge deal but it’s going to be a long day’s worth of work.
You’ll want to be able to isolate each intake line (skimmers, main drain, and suction lines). This might require purchasing more Jandy valves. You could use ball valves to do it as the PB suggested BUT they have to be the serviceable type of ball valves that can be taken apart and rebuilt, not the cheap ones at Home Depot. Much of this will depend on if you want any of the valves to be automated and an actuator. That might be helpful on the suction cleaner side if you have an automation system and you want to do a special program and schedule for the cleaner line. Otherwise, manual ball valves can work for you.
The plumbing work isn’t hard at all. It’s just requires patience, good work practices, and lots of measuring and dry fitting to make sure everything fits the way you want it to.
I am making a drawing and will post that tomorrow as well as some other pictures. I had been planning on starting a new thread but will put it here
I havent forgotten you guys, apologies. Trying to transfer chicken scratches into something readable to upload and keep getting interrupted by life.
I hope to be done today
I hope to be done today