Hydraulic changes due to pipe upgrade
My pool operates with a Sta-Rite Dura-Glas (P2RA5F-182L) pump and a Hayward Star Clear cartridge filter (C1200). The pump is fed by three (3) 1 - 1/2 inch pipes, two skimmers and a main drain. The pool return was a single 1 - 1/2 inch pipe routed to a Master Pools Turbo Clean water valve. The valve selects one of five in-floor circuits, in rotation, which are also 1 - 1/2 inch lines that are branched at some point to feed two pop-up heads per circuit. The pipe from the pump discharge to the filter is also 1 - 1/2 inch - about 2 feet in length.
The water valve is not working right and two of the circuits are leaking so I currently have two circuits open to the return flow at the same time and the others are plugged. This effectively gives me two 1 - 1/2 inch return lines after the water valve, but a single 1 - 1/2 inch lines from the filter to the water valve - about 60 feet in length.
Putting in a patio and anticipating adding solar prompted me to upgrade the plumbing. I replaced the pipe between the pump and filter with 2 inch (1 - 1/2 inch pump discharge fitting), and from the filter to the water valve with 2 inch. Eventually, I'll eliminate the in-floor fittings.
So when I fired it back up, the filter pressure was half it's previous value. It had been about 20 psi and now it's about 10 psi. I expected some reduction in output pressure, but that's more than I thought. (I can help you move water with a fire pump, but this is a different bag)
Is this unexpected? Did my flow rate go up as well? Is this a satisfactory operating condition for the pump and filter? I suspect that the system is more efficient. Hoping Mark can chime in.
In-ground gunite 16 x 30 13,000 gal. Full screen enclosure. 120 sq ft. Filter cartridge, 1-1/2 HP pump. Master Pools In-floor cleaner. Taylor K-2006.
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