Auto Pool fill feature? New build - Yes or no?

[Etituesday]

Hi! I’m in the final stages of hiring a PB and the final decision comes down to adding an automatic pool fill for $1500 vs manually filling up the pool with a hose.

I’m curious from the pros - is adding the auto fill feature worth it?

The con- from the PB- “if there is a leakage, you won’t be notified until you get the water bill”


Thanks!

 

[Flying Tivo]

Can you post what equipment you will have like automation?
What i have is an ET8 and i have a sprinkler valve programed on the ET for 15min a day, but i still have a regular Autofill with a float. Which means the valve is just a safe guard against the float valve failing and overfilling the pool or wasting water through the drain if you have it installed.

 

[ajw22]

You have much more rain and less evaporation in Orlando FL then those in the Southwest.

Are you at your home for 12 months of the year to top off the pool with a hose when necessary? Or are you a sunbird who heads North in the summer?

An autofill can be more optional in your environment then in some others.

 

[HermanTX]

Hi! I’m in the final stages of hiring a PB and the final decision comes down to adding an automatic pool fill for $1500 vs manually filling up the pool with a hose.

I’m curious from the pros - is adding the auto fill feature worth it?

The con- from the PB- “if there is a leakage, you won’t be notified until you get the water bill”


Thanks!

If you travel a lot, then a autofill can be helpful. The downside is that it is always filling if you do get a leak. However, if you get a lot of rain then it may not be needed, unless it is middle of summer.
There are other options to an autofill
Some connect to a sprinkler line and control flow with that via automation
Now you can purchase wireless controlled valves to put on your hose spigot. Simply hook that up, run the hose to the pool and then you can add water if there is no rain. Just use the app to open the valve. Some newer valves even tells you how many gallons you add while the valve was open. I have a camera facing my pool and I can monitor water level with that If I am away.

 

[AUSpool]

$1500 sounds a bit steep but I would never have a pool without one. Ours came with an auto overflow feature which was worth every penny. I will never drain to waste in the middle of a storm again.
Mine is a Waterco brand that is essentially a skimmer opening that is connected to the pool via a 1.5” pipe and an eyeball instead of a skimmer opening.

 

[Newdude]

+1. With 51 inches of annual rain in Orlando, an overflow would be my 1st ask. Then I'd want the auto fill if I traveled as said above.

 

[AUSpool]

I‘ve thought of taking it to the next level where it drains to a holding tank to be reused to top the pool back up again.

I had a commercially available top up connected via a cheep timer tap. It was a bit crappy so I made my own out of 2” pressure pipe and a toilet float valve which is still in use almost 10 years later.

 

[AUSpool]

+1. With 51 inches of annual rain in Orlando, an overflow would be my 1st ask. Then I'd want the auto fill if I traveled as said above.

It’s easy to end up in the dog house if the missus needs to go out in the middle of the night to drain the pool down. Luckily I have a very good dog house. With coffee machine.

 

[Dirk]

An autofill can be more optional in your environment then in some others.

That seems to be a common comment about pools in Florida. Read on.

$1500 sounds a bit steep but I would never have a pool without one.

I, too, would not want a pool without autofill, but that's not actually what I have, or what you should be considering. What every pool should have (IMO), no matter where it is located, is an auto-leveler. So what's the difference? An auto-leveling system has both an auto-fill valve and an overflow system, all included in one compact PVC well. It's installed in your pool deck somewhere, up to 30' away from the pool, but typical near it, like a skimmer. And it connects to the pool through an equalizer tube, that draws or adds water through an outlet a couple feet below the surface.

With an auto-leveler, you'd never have to think about your pool's level again. It doesn't matter the season, or how much or how little rain is going on. If the pool level is low, it gets filled, and if the pool level is high, it gets emptied. Simple as that. No worrying about it when you're gone, no getting up in the middle of the night during a massive downpour to run hoses and pumps to empty your pool. IT'S ALL AUTOMATIC!

I think Pentair makes one. I have a PoolMiser (poolmiser.com). It works great.

Two other things to consider. It's not so much dragging out a hose every other day to fill your pool, it's forgetting to turn it back off that is the real problem. It's not just a waste of water, but the damage that can do to your pool, deck and/or landscaping can be significant. And if you're like me, you'll forget at least every other time.

And most importantly, if for some reason you don't end up liking either the auto-fill or overflow functions of an auto-leveler, you can very easily defeat either, or both, permanently or temporarily. But what you cannot do is add either after your pool is built.

$1500 sounds a little steep. But if that is for an auto-leveling system, complete with installation of the well and the equalizer tube, the plumbing back to the pad, a proper back-flow preventer (more on that some other time), and a quality shut off valve, then it's only a tad more than it should be.

A proper auto-leveling system does not compare to a simple filler valve and overflow grate in the side of your pool tile. It is vastly superior. Find out exactly what system your builder is spec'ing, including all the parts involved (including which back-flow preventer and shut off valves are spec'd) and we'll weigh in about what you're getting for that 15 bills.

 

[Bperry]

Add one more vote for an auto over flow. I’m 50/50
on the fill part but having a drain to prevent overflow in a storm would be so nice.

 

[Etituesday]

Thank you!! Everyone so much for the insight.


That seems to be a common comment about pools in Florida. Read on.

I, too, would not want a pool without autofill, but that's not actually what I have, or what you should be considering. What every pool should have (IMO), no matter where it is located, is an auto-leveler. So what's the difference? An auto-leveling system has both an auto-fill valve and an overflow system, all included in one compact PVC well. It's installed in your pool deck somewhere, up to 30' away from the pool, but typical near it, like a skimmer. And it connects to the pool through an equalizer tube, that draws or adds water through an outlet a couple feet below the surface.

With an auto-leveler, you'd never have to think about your pool's level again. It doesn't matter the season, or how much or how little rain is going on. If the pool level is low, it gets filled, and if the pool level is high, it gets emptied. Simple as that. No worrying about it when you're gone, no getting up in the middle of the night during a massive downpour to run hoses and pumps to empty your pool. IT'S ALL AUTOMATIC!

I think Pentair makes one. I have a PoolMiser (poolmiser.com). It works great.

Two other things to consider. It's not so much dragging out a hose every other day to fill your pool, it's forgetting to turn it back off that is the real problem. It's not just a waste of water, but the damage that can do to your pool, deck and/or landscaping can be significant. And if you're like me, you'll forget at least every other time.

And most importantly, if for some reason you don't end up liking either the auto-fill or overflow functions of an auto-leveler, you can very easily defeat either, or both, permanently or temporarily. But what you cannot do is add either after your pool is built.

$1500 sounds a little steep. But if that is for an auto-leveling system, complete with installation of the well and the equalizer tube, the plumbing back to the pad, a proper back-flow preventer (more on that some other time), and a quality shut off valve, then it's only a tad more than it should be.

A proper auto-leveling system does not compare to a simple filler valve and overflow grate in the side of your pool tile. It is vastly superior. Find out exactly what system your builder is spec'ing, including all the parts involved (including which back-flow preventer and shut off valves are spec'd) and we'll weigh in about what you're getting for that 15 bills.

Seems like an auto leveler is what we need.
And we are home 12 months out of the year.

You have much more rain and less evaporation in Orlando FL then those in the Southwest.

Are you at your home for 12 months of the year to top off the pool with a hose when necessary? Or are you a sunbird who heads North in the summer?

An autofill can be more optional in your environment then in some others.

This is the equipment being added to our contract. Most of them TBD.

I have a spa 8X6 and a pool 31x13 of 403 sq ft.

 

[Flying Tivo]

Make sure you get the largest Cartridge filter possible, in FL they like them small!
If you can go for a SWG its the best, no turning back. 2X the size.
I personally like 2 skimmers.

 

[Etituesday]

Make sure you get the largest Cartridge filter possible, in FL they like them small!
If you can go for a SWG its the best, no turning back. 2X the size.
I personally like 2 skimmers.

I don’t know much about skimmers can you expand on that?

 

[ajw22]

I don’t know much about skimmers can you expand on that?

If one skimmer has a problem - a clog or leak - your pool will be shutdown until it can be repaired.

If you have two skimmers then you can shutdown the problem one and continue enjoying your pool while you wait to have it repaired.

 

[pjt]

If you have landscaping, I'd suggest controlling your pool fill with an irrigation valve and controller. I have this setup and it's working great. My pool is a "zone" of my irrigation system. Easy to identify leaks, gives you complete control, and it's simple, inexpensive, and easy to fix if something goes wrong.

 

[Bperry]

If you have landscaping, I'd suggest controlling your pool fill with an irrigation valve and controller. I have this setup and it's working great. My pool is a "zone" of my irrigation system. Easy to identify leaks, gives you complete control, and it's simple, inexpensive, and easy to fix if something goes wrong.

X2, this is a planned upgrade for next year. My sprinkler controller is on my pool equipment pad and I happen to have an unused water line I can use. Will take away the possibility of leaving the hose running and overfilling the pool because I forgot about it since I can just set it to run for 30 minutes, or whatever.

 

[Etituesday]

Make sure you get the largest Cartridge filter possible, in FL they like them small!
If you can go for a SWG its the best, no turning back. 2X the size.
I personally like 2 skimmers.

cartridge size is 150.

 

[pjt]

cartridge size is 150.

That's tiny. Get the biggest cartridge filter you can afford. Bigger is better.

 

[Newdude]

cartridge size is 150.

For comparison I have an 800 sq ft pool that's double yours with a 500 sq ft filter.

A larger filter needs proportionately less cleanings. No more, no less. It's a boring purchase when there are so many fancy things to splurge on, but as the backbone of the operation, it will pay spades year after year when you only need to clean it once per season. They last a generation so the upgrade charge is peanuts when divided by 20 (?) years.

 

[HermanTX]

Thank you!! Everyone so much for the insight.


That seems to be a common comment about pools in Florida. Read on.

Seems like an auto leveler is what we need.
And we are home 12 months out of the year.

This is the equipment being added to our contract. Most of them TBD.

I have a spa 8X6 and a pool 31x13 of 403 sq ft.

View attachment 535008

To reinforce what others have said
A second skimmer that is plumbed independently back to the equipment pad is not only a potential life saver if the other skimmer/skimmer line is damaged in some way but also allows for additional skimming when wind changes direction.

A larger cartridge filter reduces the time between cleaning which reduces the effort to maintain the pool over its lifetime.