Inground Pool Kit Plumbing

Inground Pool Kit Plumbing Tips

Before starting your inground pool kit plumbing make sure to check with your local building or zoning office for applicable codes! This is a very important part of your swimming pool kit construction process.

Pool Kit Main Drains

Note: Your main drains must be done before bond beam is installed. TWO main drains must be installed or NO main drains – Make Sure To Remember, It’s The Law.
To start Dig 2 holes at least 3′ apart in the hopper, 1′ diameter and 18″ deep. Partially fill the holes with approximately 14” of rock. When the pool main drains are correctly positioned in each hole, the top of the drains should be at the finish grade, and there should be 4″ to 6″ of each main drain exposed above the rock. The remainder of the hole must be filled with concrete to secure the pool drains in place. THE SWIMMING POOL MAIN DRAINS MUST BE SET IN CONCRETE. To install your inground pool kit plumbing lines, dig a small trench in the hopper, starting at the main drain, crossing the hopper, up the side or back wall slope (whichever is closest to the filter), and out under a panel. Set your line, cover and tamp. Leave the swimming pool main drain faceplate and gaskets off until the vinyl in-ground swimming pool liner is installed.

Installing Main Drains Is NOT Required.

If installed they MUST be installed in accordance with “Virginia Graeme Baker Pool and Spa Safety Act”.

Make Sure Your Pool Main Drain Installation Meet’s These Requirements!

THE COLLAR OR CONCRETE BOND BEAM

When you pool kit main drain plumbing line is run, you are ready to pour the concrete collar around the swimming pool. Make sure there are no gaps under the pool panels or pool step. If there are gaps, tamp dirt to fill the openings. Now stretch a string line down the length of each straight wall at the back edge of the coping and insure all panels are flush with the string. Next, begin pouring your concrete bond beam/collar. The concrete should be poured 8″ to 12″ thick.
CHECK WITH YOUR LOCAL BUILDING AND OR ZONING OFFICE FOR APPLICABLE CODES.
Make sure to pour concrete SLOWLY to prevent forcing the walls out of alignment. After the concrete is poured, recheck all pool kit wall panels for proper panel alignment, using a plumb string. When pouring concrete under the pool kit step, insure that the concrete touches the underside of the first tread for proper support. You may need to build a form to insure there is enough concrete to support the bottom step.

Optional SONO Tubes

Grasp the pool deck supports and break the polymer rings free from the center of the pool kit brace. Push the rings into the sockets until they lock into place then place a 6” tube (cardboard or DWV pipe) into the supports and cut to proper length. Pour the tubes full of concrete when you pour the concrete collar. This will provide a vertical column to support the deck.

Swimming Pool Kit Skimmers

The skimmer pool kit wall panel is pre-cut for your convenience. Simply slip your pool skimmer through the cutout (See fifigure 13), install the shim kit (if a shim kit is needed) and fasten the skimmer to the wall panel following the manufacturer’s instructions. Using this method of installation, gaskets are NOT required until vinyl inground swimming pool liner installation. DO NOT CUT THE VINYL LINER UNTIL WATER IS AT LEAST 12” DEEP IN THE SHALLOW END OF THE SWIMMING POOL. For Aqua Genie skimmer installation, see the Aqua Genie manual. *The Aqua Genie Is Much Easier To Install & Is A Superior Skimmer Over Traditional Skimmers.

Inground Pool Kit Plumbing Continued

Your inground pool kit return fittings can be located on any wall, as long as they produce a circular flow pattern (counter-direction) on the surface of the water, toward the pool skimmer. Drill a 3” hole in the panel, 12” to 14” down from clockwise the top of the panel (NOT to the top of the coping). Drill from the back to eliminate hitting the cross bracing on the pool kit panels. Slide the pool return fitting through the hole inside the swimming pool wall and install the lock-nut. Tighten snugly. Leave the fitting faceplate off until the vinyl inground swimming pool liner has been installed and the water is at least 12” deep in he shallow end of the pool. The Aqua Genie has built in returns, any wall returns are optional.
Note: Pool Step returns are different than pool wall returns. Your swimming pool kit wall returns have screws in the faceplate to attach to the walls, step returns have no screw holes.

The picture below is a great example of how you plumb your swimming pool when using the Aqua Genie skimmer system and a Hayward salt system.

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Jones
Pool Kit Specialist
[email protected]
Phone: 800-515-1747
www.poolwarehouse.com