I have a later model suction-side KK, inground pool. The primary under-concrete plumbing is all 1.5" and the pump is 1 hp. It’s a standard through-skimmer setup; KK mount eliminated the skimmer basket and I have many trees nearby (city-owned, so I can’t even trim them) I have to pull the pump strainer every day as it’s the only basket in the system (I know a leaf trap is one solution, but cleaning that is almost as pain-in-the-butt as pulling the pump cover–every morning).
I’d like to consider a separate suction line to power the KK, allowing me to go back to a proper skimmer basket. I also have a “spare” 1.5 hp Hayward pump if needed. I learned just this weekend that an abandoned pool cleaner pressure line exists and is airtight–and leads to mid-pool, rather than at the end like the skimmer. Problem is, it’s only 1" and mostly under concrete. Pipe lengths are ~25’ and not convoluted. Pump outflow is only about 16" above the pool’s surface.
Will I have any luck in attaching the KK at this line and “T-ing” it in near the pump’s intake to power it, letting me put the skimmer and basket back to standard? I’m not completely confident I can deliver the requisite 25 gpm through this 1" line, even with the larger pump (the 1.5 hp pump has 2" outflow, necked down to 1.5 for my pool. I think this is fortunate as it may allow me to run the KK and skimmer together with less liklihood of starving either one.
But more to the point, can any KK be run on a 1" line–meaning all entrained leaves will need to pass through that 1" line? Thanks for any guidance