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58 views

ASPE - VOLUME - 3 p112,113

Uploaded by

Moayad Attalah
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
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112 ASPE Data Book — Volume 3

ing to the pool. An example of a poor design is a Lighting System


fountain system where the display water and the
filter water are combined such that a single pump Underwater lights are used to provide illumina-
draws from the pool and pumps through the fil- tion for the various displays. The number of
ter then back to the nozzle. When the filter is lights depends on the overall size of the pool,
clean, this system will work fine. As soon as the the depth of the water, the height and width of
filter gets dirty, however, the flow from the nozzle the water display, and possible interference from
will gradually drop until the filter is backwashed. ambient lighting. Lights can be white or another
Then the cycle will begin again. color as desired.

Water-Treatment System SYSTEM AND COMPONENT


The water-treatment system consists of two sepa- SELECTION AND DESIGN CRITERIA
rate processes. First, mechanical filtration
removes the solids and some of the suspended Filter Systems
organics from the water. Second, the chemical
filtration disinfects and balances the water to
Types of filter There are many types of filter on
provide clean, sparkling clear, odor-free water
the market today. Some of these are specialty
that is pleasing to the eye and not detrimental
filters for water treatment, RO systems and the
to the pool and equipment.
like. For fountains, swimming pool and spa fil-
ters best fit the application. Mechanical filtration
Makeup-Water System is required to remove suspended particulates
down to about 50 µ. In this range, cartridge fil-
It is essential to maintain the proper water level ters and high-rate, pressure sand filters are the
in the pool. The reasons are threefold. First, cer- best choice for fountains.
tain spray nozzles require that the water level
vary no more than ½ in. (12.7 mm) in order to There is a division in filter sizes that occurs
achieve the desired display. A variation in the around the 120 gpm (454.25 L/min) flow rate.
water level causes the nozzle display to become Above that rate are the commercial filters used
erratic and to differ from the original design. Sec- on larger pools and fountains and below are the
ond, underwater lights must be submerged to a residential filters used on smaller pools and foun-
specific depth to both protect the lights and to tains. Many manufacturers do not make a
remove heat. Third, a substantial water-level distinction regarding quality at the different lev-
drop could cause the suction line to entrain air, els, but some do. Check with the distributors
resulting in pump cavitation and possible and pool contractors as to which filters cause
damage. the least trouble.
When sizing filters, it is good practice to use
Overflow and Drainage System more than one filter when the flow rate is above
120 gpm (454.25 L/min). For example, a system
The fountain must be equipped with an over- that requires 280 gpm (1059.92 L/min) of filtra-
flow system to handle storm water and the tion would do better with two filters sized at 140
possible malfunction of the makeup-water sys- gpm (529.96 L/min) each than one filter sized at
tem. In addition, mundane reasons, such as 280 gpm (1059.92 L/min). The reason is clean-
draining the pool for winter and cleaning, man- ing time. Whether the filter selected is a cartridge,
date that a drain system be installed. sand, or diatomaceous earth (DE), it will have to
be cleaned at some time. With multiple filters,
Water-Heating System the filtration process continues while one filter is
being cleaned. In the case of sand filters, the fil-
If a fountain is to be kept in operation during ter type of choice for most large systems, the
the winter months and it is possible for the wa- backwash flow rate is lower, necessitating a
ter to freeze, an aquastat-controlled pool heater smaller backwash pit and sewer line.
should be provided. The heater should be sized
to maintain pool water at about 35 to 40°F (1.67 With multiple filters, use multiple pumps.
to 4.44°C). Although the pumps are not to be piped indi-
Chapter 5 — Reflecting Pools and Fountains 113

vidually to each filter, a pump can be shut down Backwashing a sand filter is exactly what it
while a filter is serviced. This will prevent over- sounds like. Backwashing reverses the flow so
running the other filters while one filter is down. that the pump now forces water through the
underdrain manifold with enough flow to lift the
Cartridge filters Cartridge filters are lower in sand bed and stir it around. The debris is floated
first cost than the other types of filters and are out of the sand and flows out the inlet pipe to a
relatively easy to maintain. The filter consists of drain. A backwash sight glass should be installed
a body constructed of plastic or stainless steel to allow the operator to see when the effluent is
that contains a polyester element. The cartridge clear.
filter element is cleaned by removing the filter
top and pulling out the element. It can then be Provisions must be made with the project
hosed clean and reinstalled in the body. These plumbing engineer if a sand filter is to be used.
filters are available in sizes ranging from 150 Many jurisdictions require that a sand filter be
gpm down to 5 gpm. The small-size filters are of backwashed into a sand trap to prevent sand from
the inline type made for filtering spas and are entering the sewer system. Some jurisdictions
excellent for small fountains. require that a sand filter backwash as an indi-
rect waste into a pit. The ultimate destination of
Cartridge filters must be removed from the the backwash effluent must also be determined.
body to be cleaned and require some space to be Some jurisdictions allow effluent to flow to the
hosed down. This is a consideration when the storm sewer, others require it to go to the sani-
fountain is indoors and requires that the car- tary sewer. Provision must be made to handle
tridges be taken away to be cleaned. A second the large flow rates that are customary with a
set of cartridges will be necessary for a swap. sand-filter backwash. Although the backwash
Cartridges should be sized at 0.375 gpm/ft2 only lasts 5 min at maximum, an enormous
maximum flow rate. amount of water can be used in that time. Back-
wash rates are generally 20 gpm/ft2 of filter area.
High-rate, pressure sand filters A pressure
A high-rate, pressure sand filter is generally
sand filter consists of a body constructed of plas- sized at 12 to 15 gpm/ft2 of filter area, although
tic, fiberglass, or stainless steel that contains sand the filter may be rated up to 20 gpm/ft2.
to filter the water. The term “high rate” comes
from the flow rate per square foot of sand bed. If Sizing filters To size a filter, first determine the
the flow rate is above about 10 gpm (37.85 L/ filtration rate through the pool. Once this is es-
min), the filter is classified as “high rate.” There tablished, divide the filtration rate by 0.375 for
are sand filters that are considered “low” or “slow” cartridge filters or 12 to 15 for sand filters. This
rate, but they are seldom specified today. Water will determine the required filter area. For filtra-
enters the filter at the top and is pumped down tion rates over 120 gpm (454.25 L/min), dual
through the sand to an underdrain manifold with filters should be considered, with the flow di-
slots narrow enough so that the water will pass vided equally between them. Filters should never
but the sand will not. The water is piped to the be sized at their maximum allowed flow rate. This
sand filter through a series of valves (see Figure will cause higher pressure drops through the fil-
5-3) or a multiport valve. A multiport valve is a ter over the filter run and will substantially
single-handle control with four ports that can be increase the energy used by the pump.
configured to either filter, backwash, rinse,
shutoff, bypass, or drain. They are limited to fil-
Pumps
ters with 3-in. (80-mm) or smaller connections.
Either the valve series or the multiport valve may
Display pumps Display pumps can be the dry
be automated.
type, the self-priming dry type, or the submers-
As the filter accumulates debris, the differ- ible type. When it is necessary to locate the pump
ential pressure across the filter will increase. above water level, a self-priming pump should
When the differential pressure has increased to be used. If the size and cost of a self-priming
a specific point, normally about 15 psi, the filter pump preclude its use, a foot valve or check valve
has reached the limit of its effective filter run may be installed in the suction line.
and requires cleaning. Cleaning is accomplished
by backwashing. Submersible pumps are more expensive than
dry-type pumps and may require additional water

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