My pump housing has iron pipe in the inlet/outlet

[sailork]

Thanks Waste, I'm planning to replumb the whole pad and I'm hoping to plumb it for minimum head. I'm considering things like smooth curve pipe or 45 degree angles. I don't have a backflush valve for the DE filter and I don't plan to bother with one so I should end up with very low head pretty easily. I've got a barracuda that will be on it's own suction port and I'll be plumbing the main drain so I can pump into or out of it. (the baracuda sticks to it if I leave it on suck anyway..;0)

[chrisexv6]

When I plumbed our new equipment I never even though about low head amount. Our Northstar pump allows for a 2" connection from pump to valve, so I used 2" pipe, even with a 90 degree elbow in it. its such a short run from pump to valve I didnt think much of it.

As far as flexible PVC........Ive really only seen it used underground (although our original equipment had it above ground too). The problem with it above ground is......weedwackers! I had our lines pressure tested before determinig if we should save the pool, and there were a couple gashes in the flexible PVC where they left the ground. ive since converted everything above ground to rigid PVC. Granted you can cut that up pretty well too, but I just stay clear of the equipment with the trimmer (and this year Ill finally dig out around the equipment pad and put in gravel so I dont have to trim around it anymore).

Good luck.

-Chris

[sailork]

Thanks Chris. I'm being very obsessive about the head in the system because I like doing that kind of thing.

Thanks for the input on the flexible PVC, I'll steer clear of it.

[Sumo1]

I have a flexible PVC run in my pump house from the pump outlet(faces the back wall) to the multiport (faces the front wall). I've had no problems with it but it does look gnarly more quickly than hard PVC. Without it I would have to use several 45 or 90 degree elbows to accomplish the same thing, adding resistance and head pressure. Good luck!
Hal