What size pipe to plumb my pool and spa?

Jump to latest Follow Reply
Re: What size pipe to plumb my pool and spa?

repairman said:
Also, Mark,
Thanks for chiming in since I want to do pretty much what you said was possible, have a spa overflow ability, but valve for how much mixing I want, and when. I think the heater would keep it real hot, even with the overflow on, since the incoming pool water would be mixing with a larger amount of hot spa water even before it goes through the pump, filter, heater, and back to the spa.
Thanks
Click to expand...
I think we went over this before but if you are drawing only from the spa and the spillover is engaged (most controllers do not allow this), then no water will spillover. If you draw from the pool, heat the water and have it spillover, you will be heating the pool and spa to the same temperature.

Bottom line is that the spa MUST be isolated from the pool when heating so it heats quickly and must remain isolated so the water is not cooled off too quickly.

However, other times, when not using the spa, spillover mode, from the pool into the spa and back to the pool, is just fine and a good way to chlorinate the spa water as well as removing floating debris.
 
Re: What size pipe to plumb my pool and spa?

I am re plumbing, resurfacing and moving and old octagon spa to the shallow end of my pool, and modifying it to spill over into the pool. I'm replacing all the plumbing and fittings. I have 4 jets at 13 gpm each. It originally had on main drain in the bottom and a skimmer and it will still have a skimmer. The question is: Can I just replace the bottom drain with a compliant anti-vortex drain and cover, or do I need to install another drain as well? Is my water volume enough to require two drains or can one good one do?
Thanks

Below are two pics, one of the spa before I emptied it and removed plumbing, and one after that (and the rains). Notice the raccoon footprints on the wall if you can expand the pic.

IMG_5647.jpgIMG_5896.jpg
 
Re: What size pipe to plumb my pool and spa?

Ok, I understood that I needed to draw some from the pool if the spa was spilling over. Have you tried to use the spa, after it was isolated to heat up, with the spill over running, say 80% or more spa in and out and 20% pool? You said above that it cools the spa too much but I just want to be clear that the heater can't handle it. I think I read a post today in the spa forum by someone who said it works fine but I'll check now.
 
Re: What size pipe to plumb my pool and spa?

Sorry reread your last post and I now understand what you are saying. And no, I have not tried that but it would cool off the spa quickly because the pool water is so much colder than the spa water.

But why do you want to do this. It is really inefficient and in CA, it will cost you a fortune. You will have the waterfall so I don't see any benefit to the spillover while using the spa.
 
Re: What size pipe to plumb my pool and spa?

Ok, I understood before that I needed to draw some from the pool if the spa was spilling over. Have you tried to use the spa, after it was isolated to heat up, with the spill-over running, say 80% or more spa in and out, and 20% pool in? You said above that it cools the spa too much but I just want to be clear that the heater can't handle it and keep it warm through that. I think I read a post today in the spa forum by someone who said it works fine but I'll check now. Just did. It was Richard in the Spa forum, thread "inground vs. hot tub" or something like that. He did not say he uses the spa while in overflow mode, but that he runs it that way most of the time. I just posed the same question to him as to you.
Sorry if I'm redundant, Mark. Just want to make double sure I'm communicating and I have the right info before I plumb everything and cover it. I would like the overflow when I'm in, and I would like it hot and strong, but if I can't have both so be it. I don't want to be expecting something from the work I'm doing that I can't get.

Here's the tub and the pool in delayed progress with trenches covered because of the incessant intermittent rain we've had. Wasn't last year El Nino? Don't worry about the mess. It'll have a new fence, waterfall in deep end, landscaping, new deck, plumbing and refinishing on pool and spa. It will be nice when finished. The raccoons can't wait for more pool parties and have been inspecting progress. Last night they signed their approval on the spa wall.

IMG_5647.jpgIMG_5896.jpgIMG_5703.jpg
IMG_5901-1.jpg
 
Re: What size pipe to plumb my pool and spa?

You really need to keep your posts together in the same thread. This makes it very difficult to follow. I am going to try to have a Mod move these.
 
Re: What size pipe to plumb my pool and spa?

Sorry about the confusion. I didn't realize the the post you answered just before this one got posted, so it was posted again when it was completed (with the pictures). Don't blame you for being confused. It's hard for me to keep track of it all. Kind of hard to keep all my questions in one forum since they are about different thing: spa, pool, refinishing, plumbing, concrete and construction. I certainly have learned a lot from everyone and I appreciate it. Let me know if I can make it easier.

On the above question, I don't have to have the overflow running when I'm in the spa, but I previously thought it was possible since my MiniMax heats it up so fast, and without the thermistor it gets way too hot to get in. (It broke so I've been running it manually, but I ordered a new one). But if it gets too cold with the overflow on, I'd be happy without it, just looking through the weir at the pool.

- - - Updated - - -

This thread was started by someone else and it's about overflow spa or stand alone. I joined in, but it probably should have originally been in the spa forum. That might be a reason for some of the confusion.
 
Re: What size pipe to plumb my pool and spa?

Kind of hard to keep all my questions in one forum since they are about different thing: spa, pool, refinishing, plumbing, concrete and construction.
Click to expand...
I think it is far more important to have the full history of the remodel then it is to split everything up in different forums.


Wasn't last year El Nino?
Click to expand...
The average length is 5 years so 3 to go. Which is good news for us.



Can I just replace the bottom drain with a compliant anti-vortex drain and cover, or do I need to install another drain as well? Is my water volume enough to require two drains or can one good one do?
Thanks
Click to expand...
Because of the remodel, you will probably be forced to have a split MD or it won't pass inspection. Your local building department should be able to guide you better on what is required. BTW, is this work being done with permits?
 
Re: What size pipe to plumb my pool and spa?

Ok, it looks like my questions are being put in this thread.
I was planning on going from a stand alone spa to one combined with the pool pump, filter, and heater, (though I haven't used the heater for the pool before). The spa filter was a Hayward 50 cartridge and I will be going to a Hayward DE 4800. Does anyone know if this will reduce my water flow to the spa or not? (just considering the filters and nothing else)
 

Enjoying this content?

Support TFP with a donation.

Give Support
Re: What size pipe to plumb my pool and spa?

I had the Mod combine all of your posts into the original so the full history is available for anyone that wants to post.

A DE filter has a multi-port valve which has quite a bit of head loss but the small cartridge has quite a bit of head loss too so it could be a wash. But it doesn't matter much anyway for your setup because the spa jets require so little flow rate.
 
Re: What size pipe to plumb my pool and spa?

Ok, I'll try it with the DE filter.

I thought I heard someone on the news say that it was now La Nina, but I don't have TV so it would have only been in passing. I better listen more closely - more stuff to research, but right now I have enough to research.

2 questions:

Out of my 3 existing pumps, one being the Hayward dual speed MaxFlo, do I have one that would work for the 4', approximate 25 gpm, 5' head waterfall? If not, how much would a low head waterfall pump cost?

Do they make suction covers that just clamp on the wall covering the pipe? Like maybe just screw in a plate to the wall around the pipe outlet and hook the cover to that plate?
 
Re: What size pipe to plumb my pool and spa?

repairman said:
Out of my 3 existing pumps, one being the Hayward dual speed MaxFlo, do I have one that would work for the 4', approximate 25 gpm, 5' head waterfall? If not, how much would a low head waterfall pump cost?
Click to expand...
Any pump would probably work for that although you may want a throttling valve at the output of the pump so you can control the flow. But with the MaxFlo, you would be able to run on low speed and probably have more than enough flow for the waterfall.


repairman said:
Do they make suction covers that just clamp on the wall covering the pipe? Like maybe just screw in a plate to the wall around the pipe outlet and hook the cover to that plate?
Click to expand...
Here is something that might work. It has several adapters and does not require a sump.

http://www.aquastarpoolproducts.com/docs/specsheets/4HPxxx.pdf
 
Re: What size pipe to plumb my pool and spa?

A tech at a spa site said bringing the pipe size down, like to 1 1/2", before the jets is a good idea because it makes the water velocity faster, which is what we want in a spa, right, but is that true? I'm skeptical. It seems to me how much pressure the pump can put out, (maybe that's called flow rate) compared to the total flow rate of the jets is more important, but maybe velocity coming into the jets is important. If so, how far in front of the jet should you reduce the pipe to get the effect?
 
Re: What size pipe to plumb my pool and spa?

Reducing pipe diameter increases the velocity of the water in that pipe but also increases head loss. The best place to reduce the diameter is at the jet (i.e. jet orifice) where it matters. Reducing diameter anywhere else simply increases head loss and ends up reducing the velocity at the jet.
 
Re: What size pipe to plumb my pool and spa?

Thanks, Mark.

Also, can I adjust the flow rate in some way that doesn't hurt the pump from a 1 hp, 1 speed Sta-Rite pool pump to use for my waterfall? (The Low Speed went out on the Max-Flo Dual Speed pump that I was going to use.)
 
Re: What size pipe to plumb my pool and spa?

Yes you can. You can use a valve on the return side of the pump to throttle down the flow. It isn't all that efficient but it won't hurt the pump either unless you shut the flow off entirely.


The Low Speed went out on the Max-Flo Dual Speed pump that I was going to use.
Click to expand...
That is sometimes caused by a dirty or corroded centrifugal switch.
 
Re: What size pipe to plumb my pool and spa?

Good news times 2! But where is the centrifugal switch so I can check it out? I'm not using a switch to test it, just wires so I hope you don't mean that low/high switch that goes on the panel. The pump was sitting for 12 years. When I first tested it the high worked but not the low. Four days ago I tested it again and the low and high worked. I tested it the next day and the high worked but the low just hummed, not turning the motor, so it sounds like a dirty switch could be the problem.
Is there a diagram that you could direct me to?
And thank you so much.
 

Enjoying this content?

Support TFP with a donation.

Give Support
You must log in or register to reply here.
Thread Status
Hello , This thread has been inactive for over 60 days. New postings here are unlikely to be seen or responded to by other members. For better visibility, consider Starting A New Thread.
Top Bottom
Back
Jump to latest Follow Reply