Just purchased a foreclosed home (pics over in the construction forum) and had the liner replaced. The pool should be full tomorrow and the pool company will be out Monday to fire things up and add salt. The pool is a 20 x 40 true L from what I have been told (I know nothing about pools and this is my first). I am looking for the procedures that I can do tomorrow to turn the equipment on and check the pumps and basically make sure all is well. I assume the SWG will be useless until salt is added. The pool has been neglected for over a year and it was horrible with at least 8 inches of debris in the bottom. What do I need to do to test the equipment? I assume I need to flush everything before I start the pool recirculating and checking for leaks, and I really don't want all the nasty water in the lines to go into the pool. It has a sand filter also. Thanks for all of the help I have received so far!!

Tell us what you know about your equipment. Is there an automation system, a simple timer, or just an on/off switch? Are there lots of valves, or just the one main valve next to the filter?

The first thing to do is to clean the filter. Basically you want to set the main valve into backwash mode, and turn on the pump and make sure it works and water isn't spraying out from somewhere it shouldn't. Backwash will clean out the filter and send water out to the waste pipe. Check to make sure you know where that is. After a couple of minutes in backwash, when the water is running clear out of the filter, you can turn off the pump, set the main valve to circulate, and start filtering the water.

After that you want to get PH and TA readings from your fill water to see if either of those need to be adjusted right off.

Ok, here is what I have.

4 returns (5 if you count to Polaris port)

2 skimmers

Hayward pro series sand filter with vari-flo xl valve.

Polaris Auto clear plus SWG

Intermatic T104P3 timer

Hayward 1.5hp self priming super pump

Polaris halcyon booster pump.

Looking at Haywards description of the vari-flo valve, I need to backwash, then rinse, then recirculate or the filter setting? How long for each setting?

Hey, jsw,

It's a visual thing....no set time limit.

For back-washing, the idea is to get out about 95% of the dirt. You need to be able to see the backwash water to do it. Do you have a sight glass (clear plastic protrusion somewhere around the multiport)

The water will usually start clear, turn brown or dirty fairly quickly and then slowly clear up. Mine takes about 90 seconds or so. Once the water seem ok (not perfect, just ok) you shut off the pump and switch to rinse.

With the multiport in rinse mode, you restart the pump and run for 30 seconds or so. Shut off the pump again and set the multi-port to filter.

Turn the pump on once more and carefully observe your returns in the pool, if you see any dirt come back into the pool, you didn't rinse long enough so rinse for a minute next time you backwash. Trial and error will get you to the right spot for rinse time.

I think it was our pool Guru, waste, who taught me years ago to turn the multiport valve always in the same direction (clockwise in my case) Never turn it the other way....ever.

I'm not sure that's the reason but I have a seven year old multiport that has never leaked a drop yet! (Thanks, Ted!!)

Thanks duraleigh! All those different setting on the multiport were confusing me. I'm not sure when to set it to filter and when to set it to just recirculate. I am assuming I need to open all of the ball valves on the lines? I have these two valves going into the pump in the picture below. The one with the handle has two off positions and a port one or port two with half to full settings on them. What should it be at?

For some reason, when I open the red ball valve in the picture above a lot of air is let into the system. I don't know if it's the main drain or a skimmer or if both skimmers are run off the valve on the right. Its not constant air but it is a lot. If I open it the pump will lose it's prime for maybe 10 seconds and then all is well for 20 seconds. This cycle repeats itself over and over if the red ball valve is left open. Any ideas?