Wanting to plumb a dedicated vacuum port in my IG pool. Need advice...

[Socal_biker]

I'm totally refurbishing my 30+ year old IG gunite/plaster pool.

I have new pool equipment on it's way: pump, DE filter, salt system, pool light, etc. I will be doing all the work myslef, and it's well within my DIY capabilities.

Since, my pool is of an older design, it's lacking a lot of features that newer pools have. One of the items on the top of the list I'd like to add is a dedicated vacuum port. But, I have a few questions that some of you can help me with.

• How far down from the tile line do most have their vacuum port installed? I figured 5"-6"...
• When I drill through the wall of the pool to install the line to the pump. How much bigger should the hole be compared to the PVC line to allow for a proper seal with plaster, cement, etc...
• What should I use to seal/patch around the new line? (pool plaster, cement?)
• I have drained, cleaned, power washed, acid washed and painted the pool with pool epoxy paint (3rd time I've painted in the 18 years I owned the house). I still have plenty of epoxy pool paint to clean up and blend the work. How long should I wait for the plaster/cement to dry & cure, before I can paint over it? It should help with water proofing...
• I figured I would use a masonary drill bit and maybe a hole saw to cut through the wall of the pool.
• Is there anything else I should be thinking about?

Reason for the dedicated vacuum port. I only have a single skimmer, and when I have the Kreepy Krauly plugged into the skimmer to clean the pool, the skimmer is basically useless. With a dedicated vacuum line, I can keep the suction cleaner plugged in to clean the walls and floor of the pool, and the skimmer can take care of the water surface debris.

A dedicated vacuum port, will definitely help with keeping the pool clean. It should help with all the pine needles and stuff that fall from a couple huge pine trees that are always dropping debris into the pool.

I already have the Hayward Vac Lock port interface (W400). So, it will be safe for swimmers...

[topnotch]

I found out a few things about this having just done it....You can tee the line to add the second suction but the closest one to the filter will have the most pull. Initially I put in one ball valve to close the skimmer, but I realized i needed one on each suction, the skimmer and the vac suction. I also put unions downstream so I could disassemble the sections to replace the valves...i also put my suction line about 18" down from the water line so I could hook up the vac without being in the pool....a good idea since my kids can also reach it and I can delegate that small task.

Best of Luck

I was talked out of a balancing type valve...but you definitely need a domed safety insert for the suction so nobody gets stuck to it when its not in use. I hope I helped...i am a pretty good plumber but new to pools.

[sailork]

I'm going to be replumbing my pressure side return as a vacuum line as well. It's a 1 1/2 inch line and I've been trying to figure out the lowest head way to add it. I've got aged bronze gate valves that have to be repacked or replaced so I'm going to cut them all out and put in some nice ball valves. While I'm at it I'm going to plumb my main drain so that I can have it on either the pressure or suction side. I'm convinced that I can keep the pool a little warmer this winter if I pump the warm water into the drain. Any comments, suggestions, previous experience would really help me out before I take a hacksaw to it.

Oh, and Socal_biker I'm pretty sure my port was origionally plumbed as a vacuum port (Just a guess...) I think it's about 8 inches below the tile. I'll measure it when I get a chance.

[Socal_biker]

With this Hayward Vac-Lock (W400AWHP (http://www.google.com/search?q=W400AWHP&start=0&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8&client=firefox-a&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official)) port, if you split/branch off other dedicated suction ports on the same line... it'll basically shut down that port with the door closed. It won't rob other suction ports of any suction power from the pump.

It has a SS spring loaded door that can lock down closed (snaps lock onto a lock tab). Small children would have a difficult time opening the door, as their fingers may not be strong enough to pry it open from the friction lock.

The door has a tight enough seal around the port (when closed) that if you have another suction port on the same suction line, the suction on the open port will get all the suction power it needs from the pump without the use of valves.

Another neat thing about the door, is that it has a little tab molded in it that locks into the ribs of the hose. Preventing the hose from coming loose or pulled out accidently.

The Leslie Pool store had it on the peg board. It was $27.

SKU # 58940 - W400A PV VAC LOCK

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[duraleigh]

SoCal,

How big is that pool?

I put a dedicated suction line into my large pool and have been less than pleased with the performance of my suction side cleaner (Starite Pool Shark). It is simply too slow to do a really good cleaning job and that long, big hose has a tendency to entangle.

To perform even minimally, I have to divert about 70-80% of my return capacity to the dedicated line.

My thinking is the expense and effort to get that line in might make it easier to justify a robot.

My experience is limited to this one cleaner and one pool but I am thinking most of the suction side cleaners do best on somewhat smaller pools....don't know if that's your situation or not. I'm gonna' get a robot.

[Socal_biker]

Pool is ~18K gallons. I will make a note of the water meter #s when I refill it this time.

I have a Kreepy Krauly which works great in my pool. Pretty much gets everything, but the steps. Which I just manually brush clean with the pool brush.

The suction line just frees up my skimmer to do it's job. The pine trees just dump a lot of pine needles and other stuff into my pool. I need the skimmer to suck in the floating debris before it gets saturated and sinks to the floor, which then clogs up the Kreepy Krauly sometimes (pine needles).

With the new pump & filter should make it even better than my 30 year old setup. The Big Brown Truck is slowly delivering the new pool equipment & parts. I should have the bulk of it early in the week. So, I'm trying to get everything else done this weekend.

The dedicated suction line will be a pretty short run, so I should have some really good suction. The dedicated suction line will be approx 20' in length (straight run) with the few bends to go down to the level I want the port on the pool wall.

Expense wise, since I'm doing all the work myself it will be inexpensive DIY mod.. some PVC pipe, elbows, glue, Vac-Lock port, pool plaster, pool paint (just finished painting the pool today, still have two gallons left), and a Jandy 3-way valve.

I'll start digging up the yard along the concrete patio pad to see what is involved in drilling through the pool wall.

[sailork]

Thanks Socal_biker! I think that port will be perfect. It had a pressure side bit that screwed in the same way and I've got exactly the same sort of vac line ready to clip in.

I suspect you no longer need it, but I ran outside and the top of the threads of my port sit just 10 inches below the center line in the tile that I use for a "perfect" waterline height. Like I said above I think it was plumbed as a vac line when the pool was installed roughly 30 years ago.

I've got a 20-25,000 gallon pool and the baracuda does just fine. I suspect it will have a little more Oomph when i get my disasterpad pump pad redone.