booster pump

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I

IndyD

0
May 9, 2016
9
Indianapolis
Hey everyone,
I am entering my 3rd swimming season with my pool. It was time for a new liner so while the liner was out I did some major enhancements to my pool. I added more patio area, a slide, a pool filter house, and all new plumbing. The skimmer was cracked so I just replaced it since everything was dug up and removed all the 1.5" flex and installed 2" pvc to drain and skimmer and 1.5" to returns and 1" so slide. I have one skimmer and one main drain going to the pump to filter to heater to chlorinator then split to 3 returns and 1 line to the new slide. The slide is about 9' of head more than the next closest return. When using the slide I have to choke down to almost 1/4 the other lines to get enough water to the slide. I was thinking maybe a booster pump to the slide will help this? My question is on a new build the booster has its own line in and out from the pool. I do not have a separate line to feed the booster. If I add inline with the rest of the returns will it cause any trouble with the equipment? I would have the power on a disconnect off my main pump timer so it will not run without the main pump.

pool2.jpgpool1.jpg
The first photo is last season. the second is March this year
 
Your current pump has more than enough head for the slide and returns. I think the issue is that the slide has much more head loss than the returns so that is why you need to redirect the flow so much. A booster won't help that. If you had a separate line for the slide, then it might help although running a separate pump for just the slide would use a lot more energy.

Exactly how did you connect the slide to the return pipe?

Connecting too close to the return will cause issues like this.
 
The slide and each return each have their own dedicated line back to the equipment. They then all have a shut off valve then connect together. I'm not concerned about the added power usage since it will be minimal. My thought on adding the booster would force more water to the slide without choking off the other valves. I am more concerned with the potential of dead head to the pump If the other valves are not opened after the swim.
 
What is the filter pressure with just the returns and then just the slide?

Do you know how much flow rate the slide requires?

This is what confused me:
I do not have a separate line to feed the booster. If I add inline with the rest of the returns will it cause any trouble with the equipment?
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Why would the booster be inline with the returns? The booster should be inline with the slide only. Otherwise, nothing will change.
 
sorry for the odd wording. I just caught that. Here is a picture of my configuration. the valve on the left that is closed goes to the slide. The other 3 are returns. The flow of the slide is not huge. It is a standard blue pool slide. I have modified it though for the water. Instead of the 1/4" tubing I fiberglassed 1" water line to the slide. When I turn way down the 3 returns I get plenty of water to the slide but at a reduced flow through my filtration system because I am taking the water from 4 1.5" water lines and forcing it through a 1" and 3 at 1/4 open. My thought was that if I added a booster pump for the slide only, basically take out the valve for the slide then it will force the water to the slide without taking so much flow from the system. It is a small booster pump that I was going to use.
filter.jpg
 
mas985 said:
What is the filter pressure with just the returns and then just the slide?
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And the pressure?

I suspect that because you have three separate return lines, the return head loss is quite low.

Does the pump ever cavitate? It sounds like pebbles going through the pump.


It is a small booster pump that I was going to use.
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Is it a high head booster?
 

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Technically, that isn't a booster pump. That is a utility pump. It might work but for that price you can get yourself a real booster pump meant for a pool:

Amazon.com : Zodiac PB4-60 Polaris Booster Pump with 60-Hertz Motor : Portable Power Water Pumps : Patio, Lawn Garden


You might also be able to get away with a very small AG pump. How high is the pump relative to the pool water?

I think the issue is that the pressure at the slide is not high enough to lift the water. You may only need a little bit of pressure to get the water up the slide and a small AG pump can provide.
 
I think the issue is that the pressure at the slide is not high enough to lift the water. You may only need a little bit of pressure to get the water up the slide and a small AG pump can provide.
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The slide is 6' more head than the pumps.

I know this isn't a true booster pump but I already have this. I figured it would work fine for a slide since it would be similar to the usage it was designed for. I was just concerned that the suction side of the pump would pull too much from the filter system. All the plumbing diagrams that I have found for booster pumps show the suction side of the booster coming directly from the pool to the booster and not from the filter system.
 
All the plumbing diagrams that I have found for booster pumps show the suction side of the booster coming directly from the pool to the booster and not from the filter system.
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I rarely see that. Where did you see that? Sometimes the term booster is used for a spa jet pump that runs independently from the main pump but that really isn't a booster because it isn't boosting the pressure of another pump which is what the term booster really means. Cleaner boosters are always plumbed in series with the main pump and require the main pump to run with the booster.

Since you have that pump, you might as well try it. The flow on that pump is quite low so it should not be an issue.
 
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