New to Texas and new to pools

[countryvista]

Hi

Just moved to Texas and purchased a house with a pool and spa. The pool is 16K SWG with a DE filter and Aqualink control system. I would like to disable the spillover feature during these cold months so when the pool runs the spa keeps whatever warm water is in it. Can anyone help with this?

Additionally, I don't think the chlorine generator is active during spa only operations, is this an adjustable feature on the controller?

16K, plaster, DE, Aqualink RS6, SWG.

 

[carlscan26]

Please post some pics of your equipment pad clearly showing all of the valves and we can help you figure out how to set your system up for spa only.

 

[257WbyMag]

Welcome to TFP (and to Texas)!

 

[George N]

Welcome to TFP and Texas

Go Texans!!!

 

[anonapersona]

I suspect that the photos will help a lot with this but I have a concern that if you leave the pool on spa setting then the pool will not be filtered or circulated at all. Depending on what part of Texas you are in, this could be a real problem. Here near Houston we have enough warm weather during winter that algae can still grow. And here in Houston we have leaves falling through March. Your pool cleaner if you have one may require the main pumps to run so that it can clean leaves from the pool.

I find that my spa is not well insulated since it is surrounded by rock and sits well above the pool decking. While the water may look steamy in the morning a lot of the heat is actually gone by then. An insulated cover would change that but those are so ugly I won't consider it given how front and central the spa is when viewed from the house.

 

[XsAllOverIt]

Based off of your configuration, you can circulate the pool at a certain time and circulate the spa at different times to keep the water in both separate. I have that type of configuration. In MD, I winterize my pool and run my hot tub all winter.

 

[countryvista]

Thanks for all the advise and welcomes.

I went to take pictures of the skid and immediately saw I simply need to close the spa valve on the return when running in pool mode. There are two spa returns, in the pool mode the floor return is used in the spa, in spa mode the wall returns are used.

Both the pool and the spa use the same pump, in the pool mode the 2 skimmers are running and there are 4 eyeball returns in the pool and the chlorine generator runs at the percentage set in the controller. However in the spa mode, with or without the heater, the chlorine generator does not generate. When I switch into service mode on the controller and run the spa, the generator generates because the generator is not under the control of the controller, so I can manually set the generator.

I can't figure out how to activate the generator in the spa mode through the controller, so for now, I'll have to enter the service mode and let the spa chlorinate manually every day.

 

[carlscan26]

Sorry if I missed it but what controller do you have?

 

[countryvista]

Sorry if I missed it but what controller do you have?

It is an Aqualink RS6 controller.

 

[PoolGuyNJ]

The Aqualink should set the SWCG power level to a very low, but not off condition. Depending on the size of the spa and cell, this is typically two to five percent of it's capacity for spa mode.

Scott