I love the modularity. It makes it very easy to replace any part.

Hey question for you, I have a 30 by 30 round above ground pool which holds 22000 gallons of water and I have a DE filter from Hayward it's in ec50 theme stores put a drain hose underneath and a main drain in the middle and installed a ball valve before the skimmer was that done correctly? When I vacuum I shut that valve off which is connected to the hose before the skimmer line

That explains that! Fantastic setup.

THE cleanout on the top of the pump (clear viewing )why is it not completly full of water ? . mine is completly full of water no air bubbles etc.

I'm installing a cartridge filter. I noticed you installed the diverter valve for waste after the cartridge. I'm planning on installing the diverter valve prior to the water reaching the inlet of the filter. The reason is mainly for opening the pool. Most times when opening my pool, there is a lot of debris (worms, leaves etc) in the pool. I'd like to vacuum that to waste so all that debris doesn't go right to the filter. I assume this is ok. Is there a problem with pressure or anything else while water is diverted away from the filter when the pool is running?

thanks a lot for posting this video....I'm thinking of getting a fiberglass pool and this just gave me a better understanding of the plumbing. Just one thing! I want a water heater but im confused about the type and brand. I need some thing to be powerful. You mentioned something about electric over gas heater. Can you explain why? Thanks!

Beautiful pool set up guys new friend here supporting

Does a broken pool valve affect the way a pool pump works?, because I believe I hear air escaping from the broken valve, and the water isn't swirling as hard as it was before when I look at the water turning at the top of the pump.

You have ball valves before the 3-way valve on the intake side, and after the 3-way on the return. Were the ball valves original and the 3-ways were added later, or is there some purpose to the redundant valves?

So if the Autopilot cell is in backwards does it remove chlorine from the water?

I have a cracked valve on my pool pump plumbing maybe I could send you a picture and you could tell me what I need to fix this?

This dude has a pump half primed, and all those 90’s and unions this is a terrific setup. Just think he is out here teaching people this method.

Great video. I can see how the way you plumbed the system can greatly aid in servicing any parts should they fail and need to be replaced. I'm replacing a bad diverter valve and would like to plumb the new valve the way you have in the video. Can you please tell me the name of the blue handle valves you're using prior to the diverter as well as the name of the union after the diverter? Also, what brand of diverter valve are you using? Thanks!

Plumb job looks very clean and well done, but in some places excessive. Also taking into consideration the video is old, but what is the point of having 3 valves on influent side of pump intake? I can understand, for winterizing pool purpose on returns, but not necessarily a must have either. As well as it has been my experience that those ball aren't as durable or reliable as "jandy" style 3 way valve. Doesn't the 3 way valve for main & skimmer already suit the purpose of diverting water flow? Also, from a maintenance perspective if the 3 way valve goes bad you can replace the insides (gate, o-ring & etc...), so the 2 Union/ball valves seem excessive. I also recommend a threaded/slip union(I prefer Haywards) on pump intake & output, bc unfortunately no matter how good of a pool guy you are home owners & renters alike can introduce circumstances causing pump running hot disfigured male adapters rendering them unrepairable, in this case it's much easier to replace the threaded half of union then to replace half a union, pipe & male adapter. I was surprised you didn't make mention that the choice of millivolt heater also accommodates scale forming condition introduced from salt system(chlorine generator) bc they have rust resistant water path. I agree heat pumps are the way to go as long as use of pool is in climate of above 50°F and too understand the reasoning for that customer's situation being he uses so late into the year. Personally I hate cartridge & D.E. filters, although you have to use what works best for the overall scenario of the pool. I prefer sand filters w/ vitroclean media. Also take note, I live in a vacation oceanfront island with seasonal vacationers, so with the elements in which we deal with sand filters just overall work best. As you probably are well aware of there are tons of pros and cons in filter and sanitizer choices, hard to say there is any one way that is the best for all scenarios. Looks like you do great work! Keep it up, the Pool community needs more educated people out there doing things correctly!! - OBX, NC

Thank you so much learning a lot from you🎉

I want to redo my plumbing like yours! My jacuzzi and pool intake are right next to each other so can I put 90's on them to spread them apart for the diverter valves? Also I want to divert from the pool heater so it does not go through it unless I am heating the jacuzzi. Is this wise?

Do you backwash to the waste outlet?

Here are some points I would like to make as food for thought. The difference between the common 90 and the sweep 90 is 4.3US gallons/min, which works out to 258US gallons/hr. As I mentioned, it doesn’t look like much, but let’s go just a bit further with it. 258US gallons/hr is 6192US gallons in a 24-hour period. Your setup is terribly inefficient

Do you need a valve for every return and skimmer? I am just about to start construction on my 20x40 rectangle and want to minimize the number of above ground valves and pipe? If it is ok to tie returns and skimmers lines together where is the best spot? I am using 2 skimmers, likely a main drain but would like to hear your thoughts on deleting that and either 3 or 4 returns. All hard 2” pvc with a 2.25 HP VSP, 31” sand filter, likely a heat pump, salt chloronator. I’m only concerned with space and problems using too many valves. Thanks

While this plumbing is clean looking compared to many installations there are a number of major problems with this installation that certainly do not qualify as what a "proper install" looks like. Most notably there is no check valve in between your heater and the salt cell. I am not surprised that you do not like gas heaters since your customer will be replacing that one in less than 5 years. Less than 2 if they cycle their pump on and off multiple times per day. The flow dynamics themselves are acceptable until you reach the salt cell. The flow meter is not installed correctly. To achieve reliable contact with a mechanical flow meter like this you need a straight unobstructed pipe run on both sides of the meter. 10x the pipe diam before and 4 times the pipe diameter following the meter. You do not have anywhere near to the correct run here. In terms of the flow dynamics you would be well advised to insist to your customer that you create a larger pad so you do not need to create flow restrictions with 90 degree fittings so close together. Sorry to rain on your parade - as I said it is a nice and clean looking install but if you are going to advertise this video as how it "should" look you should revisit these glaring oversights.

The discharge pipe should be longer. To optimize head flow you want to have at least 4 times the diameter of the pipe in length. (2" pipe needs 8" length minimum)

I am getting ready to convert my inground pool to salt and would love to repipe all of my equipment. I have no idea where to start and have decided to try to find help. Seems there are a lot of concerns about the number of 90's used. What about 45's? Anyone willing to offer assistance or advice would be great.

Nice video. I'm curious to why the discharge is after the filter. Filtering discharged water doesn't seem to make much sense. I'd love to hear your input on the reasoning! Have a Happy Holiday.

It appears there are wires running on gravel to the chlorine generator. Is that code there? The pump was pulling air. Also you can wrap a rag around the male adapter, and then put your channel locks on to tighten. This keeps from scarring pvc, and a better appearance.

Nice setup. I would only recommend moving the backwash (drain) like to before the filter. We do this for when we open our pools and vacuum to waste that is doesn't dirty the filter. Another question is why you put ball valves in the suction line before the 3 way?

I just bought a new home and had pool guy come over but wasn't very knowledgable, so I unclogged my skimmer line myself. I wanted to ask you how to get sweeper to work on other drain or skimmer line ad other side of pool? First time owning a pool.

Please tell me where the PVC Unions come from. The ones I find in Texas are super big. Both Sch 40 and Sch 80 are very big. Thanks!

IF I SEND YOU A VIDEO OF MY POOL IM INSTALLING CAN YOU TELL ME IF ITS CORRECT?

Is this type of pvc of UV resistant type or will you be required to wrap, paint or cover your equipment. I know some areas like SoCal require some type of protection for pvc pool piping exposed to direct sun. Thanks for sharing.

Hey guys I’m trying to get the proper sizing for my pipes I’m installing for deck jet and they are each 5 GPM I have the loop set up from 1 inch to 3/4 and then out but my main line I’m curious if I should just go with 1 inch or 1 1/2 any suggestions

How would i assort my pipe for a sand filter, cartridge, and a DE filter with a electric heater. 2x

Hello, would you mind providing your professional expertise with how laminars should be plumbed?

Gas heaters may be cheaper than heat pumps to put in BUT they cost a lot more to operate. Additionally most gas heaters have copper heat exchangers which will corrode and fail if a salt system is ever installed.

how do you do a tutorial video and use ball valves?

The pool pump is not even fully primed up. THe autopilot salt cell is in the manifold upside down. You should get into sweep 90s or street 45s.

Got a question guy has 2 sets of return lines His buddy seat return are not busted but the 2 returns inside pool are leaking guys got a ball valve on bad return line is it ok to close off ball valve to bad return and I removed handle will it be fine till he get his return line fixed

Is there a reason the heater is before the salt cell? I am looking to install an electric heat pump and was going to connect it right after the cell as the last thing before returning to the pool. Thanks!

I know this vid is long in the tooth, but I'm hoping you might still field a Q that this raises at 2:20 in - as you pan to the salt cell: it appears to me that the circuit through that cell is a loop that must contend for flow with what looks to me like a simple, straight-through slip coupling (that has 3 stickers still on it). In other words, water can flow straight through that line, OR it can turn through the 1st Tee, go up and over to drop down through the salt cell and rejoin the other line at the 2nd Tee, which I'd GUESS would radically diminish flow THROUGH the cell. Am I missing something, or is that beneficial in some strange way?

1.5 horse power pump. It is servicing a 20k pool at the same elevation.

FYI there shouldn't be so much air in pump basket area. its pulling air from intake line, might need to check that out. other than that clean set-up brew

Nice clean setup great job

Yes it will. What you are hearing is actually air being sucked in and thereby causing the pump to not fully prime up. When you turn the pump off it will alos allow air back in the line and the water to run all the pool. This will make the prime up process harder as well. Best note....get it fixed. :-)

Should the winterizing diverted be before the filter?

What do you think about people that say they should paint your plumbing that's in the sun is it that important or not really

I'd also go 2" plumbing on 1hp or up. You build friction trying to push that much flow through a small pipe.

Well i guess we have different customers in different locations. People here can not be convinced to yank the cartridges out when they vacuum up waste. Glad to know your customers have the extra time and patience

Is it possible to create a video on “how to” close off poop valves from below grades. I’m having a difficult time understanding this. Beginner 101 Class in session pls

Aren’t you supposed to have 10 times the pipe diameter I. Straight length before the pump? I haven’t seen many examples that do have that, and certainly not this one.

you should add high temp threaded unions to pressure and suction side of pump

Is it just me or are there way too many short 90's used in plumbing the equipment? Why weren't sweep elbows used instead?

Watching this after working on some 315 and 250mm makes me feel like a giant

Good question. They are used for 'locking' the water at the equipment pad when the equipment is taken apart for cleaning. this will make the prime up process MUCH easier and almost instant. They are also used for 'Air Locking' the system durring the winter. I realize the diverters COULD do some of that but why not make it as SIMPLE for the owner as possible...?? Thanks Jeff.

Yes. Injecting (or creating CL via salt cell) before the heater will dramatically decrease the life of the heater. If you are using a salt system make sure you have a heater with a titanium (or cupro nickel lexchanger so it will resist corrosion and failure.

y have a diverter valve at the suction manifold when the skimmer and drain already have valves......waste of money. and raypak is the way to go heater wise

That is so many elbos... That is so much resistance on that pump.

I like the unions because I always wonder about a repair job when I see a huge manifold all glued up. I will insist upon this when I get my pool built.

Maybe I misunderstood but if you have a millivolt heat pump then you have solved the world's energy problem. Those three-ways can do everything you "should" be doing to your pool, the ball valves are redundant. I like many of the unions some might not be necessary though. The drain plug in the filter serves the same purpose as your bypass valve. If you wanna frequently vacuum your pool to waste that union after the pump would be the handiest. Salt systems are not that complicated. Use less fittings.

I leave more pipe between valves and connections in case of future cuts. Valves are expensive and you want to be able to use them. I’m not a fan of connectors which can be prone to leaking, plus they’re expensive. Fittings are cheap. Not a fan of ball valves. They don’t last.

Nice looking layout. I'm about to redo some of my lines on my 37 year old inground pool. I'd like to replace my valves with the type that your are using. Where are they available. Thanks again for the video, hopefully my layout will look similar to yours.

You should put the 3 way before not after the cartridge filter. Common mistake, but a bad one! Goldline low salt (1200ppm) is the only way to go.

@Nine-- The purpose of the drain to waste to allow the contaminated water to exit the filter after restart and not send it back to the pool so it HAS to come after the filter. Putting it in front of the filter accomplishes nothing.

So I am having a pool installed. The plumbers were out on friday and rough piped the pool. The odd thing is they mixed the primer with the glue. So they made a 2 step process into 1.

If you already have 3 way valves. What is the point of adding the ball valves. No need for them. And why not a electronic ignition heater?

Why both a diverter valve and individual ball valves on the inlet side?

Hopefully this answer is not buried below in the comments... How did you make your joints so clean? Assuming you used PVC primer and glue. Or are the pipes/joints painted? Thanks

Sorry about some of the words I was speaking through my phone

Dye testing cones can take the place of cumbersome pressure testing and quickly tell you whether the pool plumbing is good or bad. Pressure testing that is hard to do properly- if one plug leaks slightly the test will show a false positive and your on a really bad goose chase. www.poolleakacademy.com/dyetestingcones.html

Now my only problem is is I do not like sharp 90s I prefer a long radius 90s instead

i thought you said you were a plumbing geek, where is the isolation valve for the heater when it is not needed?

You did a nice job piping and installing isolation valves but one big mistake was made. Since the pool heater can be isolated a relief valve ( tpr ) & relief pipe is required in United States . In Canada , a relief valve is required no matter what ( isolation valves or not).

I like that the owner flirts with December with that fossil fuel heater, a True man indeed.

Oh my God the words really came out wrong, I was trying to say the installers ran a pipe Underground which is connected to a main drain in the middle

Your pool pump inlet should be further from the diverter. Inlet length is supposed to be AT LEAST 5x longer than the di of the pipe.

Not to bad of a system. Only problem i seen was the pump wasnt catching a full prime. And everyone that has a pool should be considering upgrading to a d.e. Filter fyi.

Cartridge filters dont require backwashing. Thats one of the benifits of them. The 'drain to waste valve' is a valve that allows a place for the dirty water to exit while your cleaning the filter. There is nothing more aggravating than to clean you pool and filter only to have a 'poof' of dirt get sent back to the pool when you turn the system back on.

I've been in the pool business for 25 years and I've seen some of the worst pool plumbing to the best. I would be happy to work on this system. It has plenty unions and room to work. Yes it has a lot of elbo's and no check valve between heater and salt system. But who cares? It hasn't been a problem for most of my career in tennessee. I never see check valves and never see problems with the heater or heat exchangers.

My bad your right...

Anyone ever come across an online simulator to help understand how the valves and pad plumbing all work?

so why not a GAS heater?

no check valve --- grounding straps--- anode ? This is why I will be doing my own..... lots of 90s nice huge pump though :/

The 90 turned down into the ground is for drain pipe not pressure pipe.

Well that is not true. When you vacuum up stuff stuff for example why would you want algae to be filtered and then have the clean water drained out? Good way to to spend more time cleaning cartridges than you need to. If you want anyway to flush a cartridge filter attach a valve at the drain port. From my experience there is no way effective way to flush a cartridge filter

too many 90° fittings. 1 90 = 8' of pipe.

Why is there air in the pump basket?

Nine......You are absolutely incorrect. There are 2 ways.... the best way is to simply pull the cartridge from the canister. It takes less then 2 minutes then vac to waste till your harts content. Or if 2 minutes is too long for you, open the drain port on the filter canister (which is PER-FILTER) and discard water out the back.

Why is there a tee fitting below the salt cell? Path of least resistance would be straight thru the tee fitting to the outlet side of the salt cell, instead of sending full flow thru the salt cell. Can see the tee fitting I am referring to at 2:20. I Also don’t see a tee fitting with a sacrificial anode and bonding wire? Why wouldn’t you recommend a sacrificial anode on a salt pool?? I also don’t see a bypass to isolate the heater. Bypass is useful to isolate the heater from pump flow while getting the water chemistry correct. Pipe and valving work indeed looks neat and clean on this setup. Might work, but I don’t agree with the title of this video.

WHATS WITH THE UNIONS

(This comment is not directed at this video's author) I had that exact salt cell system on my pool. For two and a half years I thought I was in pool heaven, then the darn thing stopped working...after ONLY 2 1/2 years!! Our installer said "they usually last about 5 years" but offered us no remedy to fix or replace (under a $1000 total replacement). This winter, that little length of plexiglass tubing (shown at 2:30 and 2:38) cracked and fell apart (and no, there was no water frozen in there). Maybe we just got a lemon, but I would not advise anyone to purchase that type of "bypass" salt system. Someone please reply if you've had that type of salt system (or any) that has lasted over 5 years. Thanks.

Man, way too many people with single track minds. I imagine everyone commenting is probably from a state like Cali with very different regulations for plumbing a pool. Also, a few sweep elbows isn't going to mean much if all the piping under ground is all hard 90s.

Needs more unions.

I'm in agreement with Steve on his points mentioned. I do also see other issues.First, the pump is starving for water because the inlet pipe size from the skims and main drain are TOO small. 1.5" pipe? It should be a minimum of 2.5" PVC on the inlet side. 1.5" pipe on suction lines is a recipe for disaster regarding suction entrapment. The water velocity is so damn high in that size.Why have 2 additional ball valves on the inlet side when a 3 way is in place? The insider diameter of the diverter ball in an 1.5" valve is tiny. No wonder the pump starves.6" of straight pipe minimum is needed prior to any 90 degree elbow at 2" size. If space is an issue, Waterway has sweep els that offer less restriction than a conventional 90.The Autopilot salt cell comes as a kit and the cell is oriented that way-not great but that's how they set them up.Not a fan of gas heaters? It's a millivolt heater to boot. Why? Electronic ignition heaters have been around for 20 years and are far more reliable. Besides, gas heat outperforms other types in temp turnaround. I'm not a fan of heat pumps-too big, too much power needed, slow to heat.The set up is neat and clean but the water hydraulics is a major flaw in this equipment set.

needs a filter change

Don"t like gas heaters? Every pool I have had had a 400K btu heater. they work great. Nice plumbing on this pool tho.

You want the waste valve BEFORE the filter! Not after the filter. You want to be able to vaccume to waste, before going through filter.

You are exiting your pump with a 90 deg fitting ....most sites say NEVER to do this ??

Missing a heater bypass, there's one for the drain but should have one for the heater.

No sweep 90s

25 bux a union

That’s a disaster, so many 90’s..... the amount of hydraulic issues. That pump should be glassed over with water. My good sir your plumbing causes major flow problems.

Ima be the only one that doesnt think i know what im talking about and just say keep on keeping on