HtP,

Did you did dig that out? Impressive I know I don't look forward to that too often. I feel the pain.

Plug all ports in the pool. Including the main drain. Drain the spa too. Then you can lose those old valves and other old plumbing.

You can put the pump up some but why do that? The SRVS is adjustable if needed. If anything goes vertical, it's the Intellichlor to keep it's pressure switch closer to the surface and to keep potential flow switch issues from occurring in a flooded suction environment such as yours.

Yes, it can be plumbed to only use one pump. It should be in fact. There is only one drain in the spa. Since it's now empty, check the size of the opening under the drain cover. That will tell us how much flow you allow in spa mode safely. It's a single source of suction and needs to be respected.

You can tie the spa lines. Bet they are about the same strength to when your done. But if the spa drain is small, your available flow should be reduced for safety. Turn the make up line (I think it should be called a pool return in the spa) into a second suction line and get a grate on it.

If in the past you were running two pumps off it, you had a SERIOUS safety risk and probably didn't know it.

No Air line? That needs to be above the water line too.

Good luck.

Scott

Thanks poolguynj,

The air lines, I think, are visible in the second to last photo.

The "pool return in spa" is 1.25 inches.

1. Is that large enough to convert to suction.
2. How will the spa overflow during normal cleaning? Will the automatic valve adjust to a partial setting to use the 6 spa jets and 2 pool returns?

The idea of the pump at waist high would level the pump up with the lines coming out of the hill and give me less bends. I can do this because of the low pad height.

Good idea on plugging the suctions/returns and draining the spa. I will post pictures of the drain as soon as I can.

Thanks again

If raising the pump reduces bends and length of plumbing, then this is good. I would suggest a cinder block base for it. Mortar them together. Build it large enough for the heater and filter too. Don't encase the lines in cement again.

Thank you for pointing where the air line were.

There is a gray electrical conduit shown in the second to last picture. Is that your main power or lighting?

Using the return in the spa with the spa drain is better than just the spa drain alone.

The six spa returns, when tied will never close off entirely when the pool is in pool mode. Some flow will enter from each and create the spill over. This is easy to do. The valve actuator has cams inside that are adjustable. The rest of the the return flow will go to the pool's returns.

Thanks again poolguynj.

The gray conduit was the main power. I will be running a larger service to the equipment area and the original lines will be used for the lighting.

I assume a check valve will keep water from flowing back thru the jets when the system is off. Does heated water harm the check valve?

Call me crazy, but how much higher can a pump be mounted relative to the heater and filter?

Check valves for pools are meant t ensure water flows in only one direction. I don't like to install them less than two feet from a heater's return flow so that if the heater was fired and the pump shuts off without a cool down, the water in the heat exchanger has enough water to disperse the heat. Otherwise, you may warp the plumbing and harm the check valve.

Do yourself a favor and build a platform large enough for all the equipment and service space so you don't trip. Build it strong and durable. Otherwise you gain nothing.

A couple of 2 way gate valves would be a good idea too. One in front of the pump and one after the check valve off the heater to isolate the equipment from the pool when servicing. Don't use ball valves. They will leak eventually.