Water spigot after pump?

[jblizzle]

I have been browsing the site and have seen many setups with a typical water spigot plumbed into the PVC after the pump. My old house even had one that I never used. My current older new-to-me house does not have one. But, since I am envisioning redoing the entire pad to fix some plumbing issues, add equipment, etc, I figured I would ask:

What is it for? Is it needed?

My only guess is to take a water sample ... but that is easy enough to get from the pool right?

Thanks.

 

[JasonLion]

Those spigots are put in as a way of draining the pool on cartridge filter systems that don't have a main valve, and thus no way of pumping to waste.

 

[sukhbir]

I put one to drain water from the pool after rain or partial drain. I attached a garden hose and drain the water in the clean-out.

 

[Guest]

I have one that I use regularly to rinse Polaris bags, clean debris from skimmer and pump baskets, and rinsing hand and garden tools. I have a DE filter, so don't need one for draining...it was just put in for convenience and I recommend it.

 

[jblizzle]

I have a freshwater spigot only a few feet away from the equipment ... so can not see using my pool water to clean my tools, skimmer basket, etc.

I have never had a cartridge filter, so I guess I do not fully understand the main drain statement. I have one of the 7-way valves on my DE, so I guess I can just pump to waste when needed and apparently these valves are not in a cartridge system.

Obviously, it would not be hard to add one, but I still don't really see the use in my system.

 

[sukhbir]

I put one after pump and before filter. Did not want the filtered water go to waste. . My filter has a drain though.

 

[jblizzle]

Correct me if I am wrong, but on the 6 or 7-way multiport valve at the DE filter, when you select "waste" doesn't that pump the water directly to waste and not through the filter? ... basically doing exactly like you describe?

Maybe the valve I have is different than yours. Here is what I think mine has:

waste: pump directly to waste skipping filter
recirculate: pump back to pool skipping filter
filter: pump through filter back to pool
clean: pump through filter to waste
backwash: pump backward through filter to waste

 

[jblizzle]

Oh, nevermind ... just saw that you have a cartridge filter, so you would not likely have the multi-valve as I described.

With a cartridge filter, I can see the point of the spigot ... but for sand or DE, I guess it is less likely to be needed.

 

[tsunami]

I use mine to release the pressure in the line before opening the pump basket. My equipment pad has a check valve between the filter and the pump. So intead of bleeding the pressure at the filter, I do it at the spigot after the pump.

I've also used it to drain some water out of the pool when the level is too high. I have an overflow pipe, but this speeds up the process, while at the same time still circulating and filtering the water in the pool.

 

[donaldm823]

I have been browsing the site and have seen many setups with a typical water spigot plumbed into the PVC after the pump. My old house even had one that I never used. My current older new-to-me house does not have one. But, since I am envisioning redoing the entire pad to fix some plumbing issues, add equipment, etc, I figured I would ask:

What is it for? Is it needed?

My only guess is to take a water sample ... but that is easy enough to get from the pool right?

Thanks.

My pool close guy sometimes uses it to hookup their compressor for blowing down the lines for winter closing.

I found 2 years ago, that using this water spigot for pool samples was an easy way to obtain an accurate pool sample from the pool bottom or pool top (the spigot is before the filter). Much easier than bending over the pool coping to grab my daily sample that is only an arms length deep. I validated the accuracy of the sample. I usually grab a sample from the pool's deep drain source since that is closer to the overall pool chemistry. Using the spigot, allows me to change the various pump suction vlaves as needed for the type of sample I desire.

 

[jblizzle]

While I obviously do not need it for any draining purposes, if I am re-plumbing everything anyways, I may add one.

- Getting a "better" deeper sample of water could be useful
- Possible source of water for dilution of acid if I ever add an injection system (although I could just as easily use fresh water)

Thanks for the thoughts and info.

 

[Andrew Sarchus]

I put one in to drain a low spot between my filter and heater after it burst over the winter.

We had an inflatable pool slide last summer that had garden hose fitting to wet it. If that thing still holds air this summer my 5 year old and her friends might like it if I use the hose spigot to spray warm water on the slide instead...

 

[FolsomEJ]

When I was re-plumbing my system I put in a spigot too. The one difference I made from traditional setups: I got a "Boiler Drain Valve" from Home Depot. The valve connects a hose, just like a regular garden spigot, however the valve opens much wider and does not slow flow nearly as much. It is much more like a gate valve than a needle valve. It allows me to drain at much higher rates of flow.

 

[Just-a-PB]

The original reason for it was to pressurize the system once the equipment was connected.
They do come in handy for a cartridge filter if you get a good rain storm.

Fun idea for them, hook a hose up to it and let the kids play with it in the pool.
They always like to play with hoses in the pool.

 

[jblizzle]

The hose idea in the pool is actually an interesting idea ... will have to keep that in mind for when the kids get a bit older.