How Much Water Can 1.5" Pipe Move?

From www.swimmingpoo... - This video shows a bench test of maximum flow through 1.5" PVC pool plumbing system using a 1.5 horsepower variable speed pump.
#flowmeter #efficiency #poolpump #variablespeedpump #swimmingpool

[@NASNICK01]

The more I watch of your videos, the worst I feel about the hole I bought 30 years ago.

[@dkd114]

My pool builder is trying to tell me we cant upgrade to 2" pipes because they don't make pool return fittings for liner pools. What say you?

[@Swimmingpoolsteve]

This is a miscommunication. The port for the return is 1.5" pipe. The line feeding it can be 2" in size and then reduce down to 1.5" at the return port. This is what you want. More importantly you want 2" (or larger) on the suction lines. Small pipes on suction lines is even more limiting than small pipes on pressure side.

[@dkd114]

Swimming Pool Steve I’m trying to convince him of this but he says you have to build more lines in the pool so you don’t create back pressure within the system

[@Swimmingpoolsteve]

@@dkd114 larger pipes makes the pressure go down, not up. Your PSI on your filter will drop, and this indicates less resistance to flow because the water is not trying to move faster through a smaller pipe (greater friction and resistance to flow) but instead the pipe is larger, water moves slower and experiences less efficiency losses. I do not know enough about your pool specifically to say that you should do one thing or another, but for almost all swimming pool applications 2" pipe for the returns will operate more efficiently and 2" (or larger) suction lines is even more important for efficiency.

[@dkd114]

Would I need a bigger cartridge filter going from 1.5” to 2”?

[@Swimmingpoolsteve]

@@dkd114 Maybe. The maximum design flow rate is important. With bigger pipes you can move more water. You should have a flow meter installed so you know how much flow is too much for your filters.

[@GaryGaritoMoore]

me being a dumbass i want to see what it looks like