PVC piping

[CoffeeBean]

Can anyone post a photo of their pump & filter setup done with PVC tubing?

Thanks

[Poconos]

Coffee,
What specifically are you looking for? Perhaps any pics posted can be targeted to your area of interest. Here's mine located in a poolhouse along with a generator and other goodies. The pipes from the pump and filter are joined with sections of straight auto radiator hose and hose clamps. Cheaper than unions and allows for some movement thus reducing stresses on the threaded joints. Also cuts down on noise conduction.
Al
PS: I know Carl...the electrical panel isn't to code. But up here...who cares?

614

[CoffeeBean]

Poconos,

Thanks for the photo. I'm just trying to get an idea of how folks have converted the typical hose and clamp setup to a PVC pipe setup. I guess I'm interested in seeing every aspect of how the PVC fits into their systems and whether they have had any unforseen problems so I can plan for my own for next spring.

You said you still use hose and clamps to lessen the stress on the threaded joints. Any problems with clamps? Did you try all PVC at one point and have a problem?

I've had 3 separate incidents where the clamps let loose and the set up sprung leaks; two minor, one a whopper. I also have a slow leak at the connection between the pump and the hose leaving it to the filter. I temporarily "fixed" that with plumber's putty but I know it's not a permanent fix.

CB

[Poconos]

CB,
I inherited the pool in 97 when I bought the house and had a pool company come in and redoo everything...plumbing, equipment, liner. Was all shot and I knew nothing about pools then. They hard plumbed everything together which is the cheapest and quickest way but you can't take anything apart without cutting pipe. Later I redid the above ground plumbing myself and added the hoses. The auto radiator hoses are relatively soft and I don't have leaking problems. On one pressure line I do have two clamps though. It turns out 1-7/8 radiator hose is a good fit for 1-1/2 PVC pipe. The hose does tend to stick to the pipe and doesn't want to crack loose easily but a thin screwdriver pushed in to break the seal a little and then a pair of channel-locks on the hose will break it loose if you can't do it by hand. Makes it easy to remove the valve assembly for the Winter.
Al

[CoffeeBean]

Sorry it's taken me awhile to respond. Thanks for the photo and the tips. If I understand you correctly, in addition to the PVC pipe, you are also still using hoses and clamps for part of it. Am I correct? Have you had any problems with them. You mentioned "pressure hose". Which one would that be? They all seem to have some amount of pressure behind them from my experience.

Thanks.

CB

[CarlD]

Here's mine. It's very easy to use PVC. Poconos uses auto radiator hose, but I don't know how that holds up to sunlight and UV. I use TigerFlex, which is a flexible form of PVC. In the picture below, the horizontals from the filter are PVC, and the vertical to the pump and the hose-like piece are TigerFlex. Use Schedule 40 fittings on both.

I can roll up the T/F at season's end.

http://home.earthlink.net/~dashmanc/pool/Filter05.jpg

[CoffeeBean]

Thank you again CarlD. Is Tiger Flex something that I can get at Lowe's? They'll know what I'm asking for?

Do the fittings to the pump & filter just screw on and off?

CB

[Cal_Newbie]

Very nice setup ....very clean.

Bob-

[Poconos]

The pressure lines I am referring to are the lines on the output side of the pump and filter as opposed to the skimmer or suction line. I likewise don't know how the hoses hold up to UV as they are inside a poolhouse but I would suspect pretty well. They are tough and reinforced because under a hood they have to handle probably 260 degree water at 15 psi pressure.
Al

[CarlD]

The fittings on the pump and filter are all standard 1.5" fittings, and yes, they do screw on and off. You use teflon tape on the threads.

TigerFlex is probably not available at Lowes, but most pool stores sell it, as do on-line discount houses. I don't know if plumbing supply houses stock it, but they should. I only know that one brand not others.

Thanks for the complement. I like the plumbing to be clean--I re-plumbed it after the installers messed up big-time on the plumbing. It was sloppy as heck and leaked from the get-go. They had used barbed fittings INSIDE the TigerFlex. A lot of pool guys do that but its a no-no. It's very difficult to keep it from leaking--you may need 2 or 3 hose clamps. The glue-on schedule 40 fittings don't leak. So I immediately had to re-plumb the pool. It worked but wasn't as clean as I like so I replumbed the filter connections again.

[nater]

Here's a pic of my setup. Not as clean but lots of options. The Main Drain and Skimmer have valves, I added unions so I can do repair work as needed (after having to cut the pipe for repairs), and I hard piped my backwash line under ground to a better discharge area. After the filter it goes through the SWC cell and then I have the option of running through the returns, fountain, or both. The controll box on the wall is for the Autopilot.

If I were doing a fresh instal I'd eliminate some of the 90's and lay it out a bit more efficiently, but I inherited the basic setup with the house.