Pool and Spa Valve Positions

[PHenry]

Hello everyone, I'm a new (used) pool owner who stupidly did not receive any documentation from the prior owner. Would very much appreciate some guidance on what the positions for the two valves are. I went through "pool school" and did some searching but can't figure this out. Pipes going underground and trial and error haven't helped. Thanks for any help!

 

[Richard320]

Welcome!

My guesses...

The tall pipe on the far left might be an air intake for the spa jets. Or it could be leftover plumbing for a cleaner or something that never got installed.

The next four, left to right: Spa return, pool return, pool intake, spa intake. The three-way valves as shown would indicate all the water is coming from and going to the spa.

If you don't have a spa, then the spa intake might be to the main drain. And the spa return could feed a pressure cleaner or a waterfall or a slide. Tell us more about the pool

The fat end of the handle indicates closure. If you turned both valves so the long skinny end is centered over the pipes to and from the pump and the heater, you'd have equal flow in everything. Turning them 180 would block the opposite sides. You shouldn;t be able to turn them so the handle is pointing down, as that would completely block everything.

 

[atttech-2]

The pipes on the right that go into the pump is your suction side. one comes from the skimmer and the other is either the main drain or a suction port on the side of the pool for a cleaner. Right now you have the pipe on the extreme right open so if you turn the pump on and look in the skimmer and see water being drawn in you know that is the skimmer side. The 2 left pipes are the return side right now the pipe on the extreme left is open one will go to the returns that creates flow to push debris towards the skimmer. The other could be for a water feature like a water fall or along with the caped off pipe could be for something that was removed or future like a solar heater.

Richard was typing as I was and is way faster at it

 

[PHenry]

Thanks Richard320 and atttech-2! Much appreciated.