Paramount Fitness MDX2 Installation Manual

295 East Corporate Place • Suite 100 • Chandler, AZ 85225

Phone: 0011 + 1 + 480.893.7607 • Fax: 0011 + 1 + 480.753.3397

[e-mail] • www.1Paramount.com

US and Foreign patents and patents pending see www.1paramount.com/about/patents/

004-027-8829-00 ECN_1298 REV08017

ANTI-E

NTRAPME NT DEBRIS DRAIN

MDX2 INSTALLATION MANUAL

RETROFIT FIBERGLASS, VINYL & CONCRETE POOLS WITH MDX

SUBMERGED SUCTION OUTLET FOR MULTIPLE DRAIN USE FOR

USE ON FLOOR AS A REPLACEMENT FOR MDX DRAINS ONLY

ONLY FOR POOLS
WITH AN EXISTING
MDX SUMP

Safety compliant according to the Virginia Graeme Baker Pool and Spa Safety Act

ANSI/APSP - 16 - 2011

Compliant with ANSI/APSP - 7 - 2006.

WARNING

MDX2 must be installed in accordance with Paramount’s written instruction
manual, and in conformity with applicable Federal, State, Local and Swimming
pool industry building and safety codes.

To Installers: Read and follow these instructions. Give these instructions to the
facility owner to keep for future reference. Follow all codes and regulations that
apply to the design, installation and use of suction outlet fittings.

NOTICE

For technical assistance call 1.800.621.5886 or contact your regional representative

2

PLEASE REVIEW THE OWNER’S MANUAL AND INSTALLATION GUIDE IN ITS ENTIRETY AND HEED
ALL SAFETY INFORMATION. Failure to follow these instructions and warnings can result in DEATH OR
SERIOUS INJURY.

DANGER indicates
a hazardous
situation which, if

not avoided, will result in death or serious injury.

DANGER

Signal Words and Symbols Used In This Manual

This Owner’s Manual and Installation Guide contains specifi c precautions and symbols to identify safety­related information. You will fi nd DANGER, CAUTION, WARNING and NOTICE symbols which require
special attention. Please read them carefully and follow these precautions as indicated! They will explain how to
avoid hazards that may endanger you or persons using or maintaining your pool or spa.

SUCTION ENTRAPMENT HAZARD:

DEATH or SERIOUS INJURY will result if a drain cover or grate is not
installed and used correctly.

• Pool and spa pumps produce high levels of suction and move high volumes of

water, which can cause death or serious injury if a person comes in close proximity to pool or spa drains.

• Keep clear of pool and spa drains to avoid death or serious injury from suction.

DEATH or SERIOUS INJURY will result from pool or spa drain covers or
grates that are improperly installed, missing, clogged, or broken.

• Inspect pool and spa before each use to ensure that drain covers and

grates are properly in place and secured.

• Ensure that drain covers are not damaged, cracked, broken, loose, clogged, not properly secured, or
missing because these conditions increase the chance of death or serious injury from entrapment.

• If a drain cover is discovered damaged, cracked, broken, loose, clogged, not properly secured, or
missing, you should:

• Close the pool or spa immediately; and,

• Post a closure notice and keep the pool or spa closed until an appropriate ANSI/APSP -16-2011

certified drain cover is properly installed.

DANGER

DEATH or SERIOUS INJURY will result from hair entanglement or
limb entrapment.

• Keep clear of pool and spa drains.

• Hair sucked into pool or spa drains will tangle and knot trapping the
swimmer underwater. Avoid placing your hair near a pool or spa drain.

• Avoid sitting on pool or spa drains because the suction can cause
severe intestinal damage, evisceration, and/or disembowelment.

DANGER

DANGER

DANGER

DEATH or SERIOUS INJURY will result from contact with a damaged,
loose, or missing drain cover.

• Do not allow limbs to contact or be inserted into a drain pipe with a
damaged, loose, or missing drain cover. This could result in swelling of
the limb and/or trapping a swimmer underwater.

• Avoid mechanical entrapment of jewelry, swimsuit, hair decorations,
finger, toe, or knuckle in a drain pipe with damaged, loose, or missing
drain cover. This may result in trapping a swimmer underwater.

• Do not allow body to come into contact with a drain pipe that has a
damaged, loose, or missing drain cover. This may result in trapping a
swimmer underwater.

WARNING indicates
a hazardous situation
which, if not avoided,

could result in death or serious injury.

WARNING

CAUTION indicates
a hazardous situation
which, if not avoided,

could result in minor or moderate injury.

CAUTION

NOTICE is used to
address practices
not related to

physical injury.

NOTICE

For technical assistance call 1.800.621.5886 or contact your regional representative

3

MAINTENANCE INSTRUCTIONS & WARNINGS:

DEATH or SERIOUS INJURY can result from pool or spa drain covers or

grates that are clogged by debris.

• All pool and spa drain covers may become obstructed by debris and should be cleaned periodically
due to clogging from debris, such as pieces of plastic, hair, fabric, twigs, leaves, seeds, etc.

• The frequency of periodic cleaning will vary depending on the amount and type of debris introduced
into the pool or spa

• Clogging of the drain cover will increase the suction effect and increase the likelihood of death or
serious injury from those hazards listed above.

• A clogged drain can negatively affect the safety of the drain.

• It is advisable to have a qualified pool or spa professional perform this inspection and debris removal
from the pool an spa drain covers.

• When servicing the drain cover, the pump connected to the suction must be turned off.

• Do not perform any service of the drain cover in water level above your waist.

• Use drain covers only with a pumping system rated for the corresponding flow or less. Failure to do
so can result in hair or body entrapment which can cause death or serious injury. If in doubt about the
rating of your system, consult a qualified pool or spa professional.

• Use only the supplied stainless-steel screws with the drain cover. Screws put into the frame anywhere
except in the original screw holes will not hold and will allow the drain cover to come off the main
drain, causing an entrapment hazard. If a screw hole(s) is stripped, inserts missing, loose, or damaged,
consult your owner’s manual and installation guide for proper steps to replace, correct, or reattach the
compromised drain or drain component.

WARNING

Suction can pose a serious hazard to swimmers just as electricity can be a
hazard. Both are important for proper water filtration and both must be treated

with respect. Suction safety begins with a professional design that includes a
quality suction system installed by a certified contractor.
Certified builders will address the following issues when designing and installing a proper filtration system:

• Properly bond-grounded pumps, time clocks, switches and any other metal in or near water. This is required to

address Electrical Shock Hazards.

• Design the suction piping so there are no single-point suction hazards; single-point suction (one drain) is a

leading cause of Body Suction Entrapment Hazards. Note: your certified builder has many effective options for
addressing this hazard; they may include dual-drain systems, like MDX-R3, skimmers, gutters, negative edge
features and many more products and piping designs known to professionals.

• Install ANSI/APSP - 16 - 2011 listed drains, suction covers and debris removal systems. This is the ONLY

approved option for preventing Hair Entrapment Hazards, the leading cause of suction related injuries.

• Design and install an effective circulation system (including optional cleaning systems), to direct filtered water

to all areas and interior surfaces. NOTE: Suction fittings can NOT clean or direct filtered water for proper

sanitation; that can only be done on the pressure (return) side of the filtration system.
While suction injuries are extremely rare, drowning and diving injuries are far too common and there is little
your certified builder can do to eliminate these hazards. You must educate yourself and your guests. Below are
some important safety issues every swimmer must know and recognize.

• PREVENT DROWNING: Watch children at all times, no swimming alone.

• NO DIVING IN SHALLOW WATER: You can be permanently injured.

• PREVENT SUCTION ENTRAPMENT: Inspect suction covers before swimming, keep swimmers away

from suction fittings, protect long hair, don’t swim with loose clothing or large and dangling jewelry.
For more information about the Virginia Graeme Baker Pool and Spa Safety Act, contact the Consumer
Product Safety Commission at [phone] or visit www.cpsc.gov.

Always turn off all power to the pool pump before installing the cover
or working on any suction outlet.

WARNING

WARNING

For technical assistance call 1.800.621.5886 or contact your regional representative

4

MDX2 SYSTEM DESIGN

FLOW HEAD LOSS CURVE

NOTICE

Maximum Pump Size:

MDX² Retro is rated for a maximum of 90 GPM (340 LPM). While system
flow rate will vary with pump size and the Total Head Loss for a given system,

virtually any modern pump is capable of exceeding this limit, therefore it is the
responsibility of the system designer to make sure it is not possible to exceed 90 GPM (340 LPM). In the
event of one suction outlet being completely blocked, the remaining suction outlets serving that system
shall have a flow rating capable of the full flow of the pump(s) for the specific suction system.

When replacing the MDX Cover and Funnel Assembly with the MDX² Retrofit cover DO NOT disable the
secondary drains or the third layer of protection. The third layer of protection may be another submerged
drain or a vent tube. If you do not have a third layer of protection on this system then you will need to add
an SVRS or cut the floor of the pool and add a SDX2 drain teed into the main suction line 3’ 10” minimum
from the MDX. When replacing the MDX be sure to check all other submerged suction outlets in the pool
for broken or missing covers, correct or missing screws and compliant covers. Be sure to replace these
covers with a SDX2 or SDX2 retro covers to bring all suction outlets into compliance.

DO NOT INSTALL THE MDX2 RETRO UNLESS THERE IS AN MDX SUMP AVAILABLE TO

ACCEPT THE MDX2 RETRO.

Flow vs Head Loss

0.00

0.50

1.00

1.50

2.00

2.50

30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100 110 120 130 140 150

Flow (GPM)

Head Loss (inHg)

HYDROSTAT PLUMBING WARNING

Hydrostatic Fitting

The hydrostatic port inside the MDX² Sump is equivalent to a 2” Threaded Female Adapter and a 2” Slip Fitting
Outside the MDX² Sump. Paramount recommends the use of the 2” thread plug provided. Do not use check
valves here that are prone to sticking open causing the need to open the drain cover exposing a suction risk.
This port is for the purpose of a hydrostat only. Do not install any suction equipment (pump) to this port.