Auto-fill or no?

[turbo997]

It seems that my PB forgot to put in the auto-fill pipe into the side of my pool before gunite .
I thought having this was a good feature , but have now read a few threads where people have stopped using theirs ?
should I just leave it alone and just op off the pool with a hose ? Or let him chip out the hole and install the auto-fill ??

 

[Isaac-1]

Personally I am against them as they can mask other problems like if one of your pipes springs a leak underground, with an autofill you may not know it until the water bill comes in, and if your water department is like the ones around here they bill a month behind the usage so you may be looking a 60+ days of water leaking before you get the bill. Add to that your location on the coast in Alabama, and chances are you will need to drain water more often than filling it anyway due to thermal thunderstorms in the spring and summer months when you will be mostly using your pool.

 

[chiefwej]

Here in the desert, I wouldn't want to be without one.

 

[Killer95Stang]

I have an auto fill, but i use it kind of like a manual fill valve. I keep it mostly off, but will turn it on about once a week to top off the pool. It fills real slow, but i usually turn it on then turn it off the next day. Having my $65k pool fill from a line built into the wall of the pool sure looks better than a hose hanging over the side... but that is just me.

If it can be done without too much hassle, then by all means have one put in. Not having an auto fill is not a deal breaker.

 

[jojoman]

I need to take a picture of mine for you. Mine is hooked up to a water manifold on a hose hook up at the wall. This way I can turn it on for a day or two then turn it off easily. It's a nice setup without leaving it on all the time. I will try to get a picture up soon for you.

 

[pooldv]

I am a big fan of my autofill and overflow. It makes water level a non-issue. Otherwise, it is a regular maintenance chore that has to be done at inconvenient times like when it's raining. We did develop a leak a couple of years ago but it was very easy to tell because our water bill went up about 100 bucks. One $100 water bill and leak in 4 years vs dozens, if not hundreds, of times to drain/fill the pool is worth it to me.

 

[martinkennedy]

I agree with pooldv. We travel a lot and I don't want the hassle of having to fill it. Because we have an infinity edge pool, the valve for the auto refill is in the catch basin.

 

[Marcion333]

i like my autofill. puts out fixed amount every day so if level becomes low then i know i have a leak. definitive advantage when on vacation.
i like pool working for me rather than other way around.

 

[1herm4]

I would have him plumb a dedicated line from a water source near the pool so you dont have to run a hose every time you need to fill. Ours comes from the sprinkler manifold and has a manual valve that can be easily swap for a sprinkler valve to be controlled by the sprinkler timer. Water poures out from raised bond beam like a water feature which makes it hard to forget to shut off.

 

[gwegan]

If you want an auto fill you should have your PB drill the hole in the pool now. I like mine but they do hide leaks.

 

[Chris19D]

Is an autofill something that can added at a later date? I never even inquired with my PB on one but I would like to add it. Anyone have a favorite or a link to one?

 

[gwegan]

Custom Molded Products Auto Water Leveler Round Tan Lid - 25504-109-000 - INYOPools.com


Its best to add it now.

 

[Chris19D]

Thanks. I'm already swimming - I guess I meant a later date from pool construction. Looks like goes where my fill nozzle line is in the skimmer?

 

[platipus]

Our builder doesn't like or recommend auto-fills either, but he also had a really novel way to address not installing one. He plumbed a sprinkler/solenoid feed for one zone to his pool. When evaporation starts becoming an issue, he turns the zone on and just adjusts the run time. It does the job and makes sure total unregulated flow of expensive city water can't happen.

We're going to take his idea a bit further and just install it to an auto-fill so it can only run for a limited time and at that, only when needed. I also plan on installing a water meter in the line so I can watch total gallons used. I have one already on my Koi pond and it's awesome. I know how many gallons a year go into it. Even more importantly I know how many gallons per water change so I can adjust dechlorinator to the right amount.

This is it:

http://www.amazon.com/GARDENA-WATER-TIMER-SMART-METER/dp/B007NHRSOY

Reminds me I need to order one.


plat.

 

[gwegan]

It can really go just about anywhere. Depending on model -- it may need a eight inch hole in the deck and a line into the pool.

Oh and in many locations there must be a listed back-flow preventer installed before the autofill to comply with code. California requires them and some other states also.

 

[Divin Dave]

my autofill is hooked up to a spigot on the back of my house. With the spigot open, I can hear the water running through the pipe in the wall of my master bath everytime a autofill valve opens. Hearing that water running the pipes .. on off. on off. ... drives me crazy, so I just turned it off.

 

[JayBauman]

If you want an auto fill you should have your PB drill the hole in the pool now. I like mine but they do hide leaks.

Not necessarily. My auto-fill level is a bit lower than my auto-drain level. By simply looking at my pool, I could tell when my auto-fill decides to go rogue. Like most everything else related to taking care of your pool: you have to actually make an effort to understand what's happening with the various systems.

 

[Frank Rizzo]

Im thinking about running a 1/2" conduit from the auto fill to the equipment area in case i ever wanted to install a cooling tower electronic level control. I probably will...Conduit is cheap.

http://mrgoodtower.com/sites/mrgoodtower.com/files/Electronic%20Water%20Level%20Control%20System.pdf

 

[grottoguy]

I have an autofill but use or sparingly. But I like it a lot because I don't have to ever runa hose into the pool or worry about turning off a hose. When the builder installed it the solenoid has a rock inside it and it never turned off. So in a little worried about keeping it on when info on vacation but when in hike I can hear he water running through the house song always know when it's on

 

[pikeman]

My Pool-miser autofill is wonderful. We lose as much as an inch a day during the July-September period and my idiot neighbor is always running his pump dry due to inattention to the water level. It's based on a FluidMaster toilet tank valve and is trouble-free.
I don't see the down side to this.

- - - Updated - - -

It can really go just about anywhere. Depending on model -- it may need a eight inch hole in the deck and a line into the pool.

Oh and in many locations there must be a listed back-flow preventer installed before the autofill to comply with code. California requires them and some other states also.

Yeah - a plumber quoted me $900 for a backflow manifold recently. My pool is grandfathered and does not need it.