Hard Plumbing

Happy Memorial Day!! I have four questions for today :)
1. We're in the process of hard-plumbing the filter and pump. After searching and searching this forum, I can't find any specs or pics that clearly show how (or what is used) the rigid PVC is connected to the return line and the skimmer.
2. We are replacing our liner and adding a main drain to the pool. Pictures of plumbing for this would be helpful too.
3. Also, does anyone have any experience hard plumbing the return line to a 2-speed Waterway pump? It has a threaded fitting that looks like it needs an adaptor of some sort.
4. Any advice on how to drain the pool without using the filter/pump/vac combo? (Our pool has the buckled service panel that is getting replaced along with the liner and the addition of a main drain.) When should we start draining it? The pool guys are coming on June 6 to do the work. We are doing our own plumbing; it has to be ready to connect and go!
Thank you in advance!

Personally, I would NOT do a main drain on an AG pool, especially if in a frost zone - you would not believe the amount of movement an AG pool undergoes due to frost and that center drain will only become a problem spot. It's realatively easy to slope your ground inside the pool to be about 6" deeper in the middle, when setting your return jet to create a vortex, most dirt will accumulate in the center portion of your pool anyways and vacuuming that up really takes no time at all.

In answer to my own question, we figured out how to connect the hard PVC to the skimmer and the return. The existing fittings screw out and so we took those to the hardware store and bought new ones that will screw into the new skimmer and return. It will work fine. Yeah!! Now we wait.... :)

Just make sure you use Schedule 40 PVC for your fittings and piping. It needs to say Schedule 40 (or Sch40 or something like that). Locally (in NY), of the "local hardware" store types, only Lowes carries Schedule 40. Home Depot doesn't and most of the smaller stores don't either. Pool stores do, some more than others.

This is important!! Waste lines and fittings (which HD does carry) are not pressure rated! Please recheck your fittings and pipes!! Also, you will need to make sure that you use a good PVC cleaner and at least medium strength PVC cement. Some folks like to use the purple PVC primer - I don't because it makes the pipe joints purple. I just clean very well using the PVC cleaner, then use the medium strength (black can normally) PVC cement.

I just finished hard plumbing my pump and filter lines,and got all pipes and fittings from Home Depot.I guess some H.D.'s carry Sched.40 PVC and some don't.Down here in South Florida many homeowners have sprinkler systems
so there's definately a demand for it I guess.

John

Ive been thinking of doing just this, but im curious what you all that have hard plumbed your AG pools do with your pump in the winter months, or are you all in warmer climates, seems I would have to be able to unhook the pump from everything else to bring it inside for the winter as well as my multi port valve on the filter?

TIA

When doing solid plumbing I would strongly recommend three quck disconnects and two PVC shut off valves. That makes repairs and storage a breeze.

Dennis

As Dennis said - quick disconnects - the only way to go.
I find them to be a necessity anyways.

This is exactly what we are doing, using lots of shut-offs and unions so that winter take-down is a breeze. I will post pics of our progress soon.. Next Wednesday is the day we get the new panel and liner! WooHoo!

I'd love to see some pics of some AGP hard plumbing installs.

Anyone have any? :)

I will be replacing my filter shortly and would like to hard plumb it also. I have a 24' AG. How would one reccomend handling the intake side? The skimmer has a graduated pipe designed to fit different size hoses. Is there an adapter for threaded pipe? Is there a skimmer with a threaded tail?

That fitting unscrews and you can buy the correct size fitting at the hardware store. That's what we did. Just make sure that it's schedule 40 PVC. I really will get pics posted once the pool work is done. I promise!

My skimmer is one piece there is no fitting on it, just the tail piece.

Doughboy makes a hard plum adapter. One end attaches to the skimmer or return and the other end accepts 1 1/2" PVC pipe. Two hose clamps tighten the thing up and you are hard plumbing. Doughboy is one of the few styles of skimmers that are not PVC compatible.

Here is a trick I used before the adapter became available. Take a 1 ½” male adapter. Meaning slip on one side and male threaded on the other. On the inside of the threaded end, use a utility blade and scrape out some of the insides, until it fits snuggly over your skimmer fitting. Use plenty of PVC glue and you are all set.

Later, Dennis

If you go to Home Depot or Lowes you can get a rubber adapter that will fit over the skimmer and the pvc. It has two hose clamps one on each side. It works great and limits vibrations. It is often with the sump pump plumbing.

That same rubber adapter is used to make permanent repairs in damaged PVC (like when the HVAC guy damaged a tub drain over my kitchen!).

There are also PVC fittings that allow you to go to clamp-on hoses. It's usually an end cap with female threads. You then screw your clamp-on fitting into it, with lots of tape dope and you are good to go.

careful with the rubber adaptors..if they are going to be exposed to elements sun, hot and cold temp variations) they will go brittle and crack over time. i had one in my poolshed stuff and i ditched it. it was about 7 years old, had not been exposed to the sun but had temperature extremes.it was cracked and brittle as can be. i'm not sure that it wasn't the chlorine that might have caused it's condition more than anything.

regarding schedule 40 pvc. yep, most home depot stores will sell a variation of it.they may also call it electrical conduit and it'll be grey. i've used it for in a pinch fixes but use a lot of glue if you use it as it is not speced for use in watertight applications. it's meant to be used to contain electrical wire so the tolerances i've been told are not as strenous as the white pvc sched 40. it may also have different burst strength etc compared to the white. like i say, i've used it..i am using a few chunks of it and no problem except it definitely was not as water tight as the white and i had to use jb weld to seal the edges where i had some small leaks.

I would also like to see some pix. We are having trouble thinking about the aqualuminator. Seems they made it a hair smaller than the other fitting. Darn Baaaa staaads! Anyway, we love the light, but would love for some posts of photos of hard plumbing with and with out the Aqualuminator.