Hi there. I am firing up my spa for the first time and need some help with how to turn valves, etc. I have a pool with a spill over spa. I am not sure what I need to do in order to just heat up the spa and not the whole pool. The heated water comes out the 2 spa returns. No hot water comes out the spa jets. The spa has it's own pump, but I use the same sand filter for pool and spa. I am getting the spa to heat up but it continues to spill over into the pool and I don't know if that is right or not. Any help will be appreciated.
Help with working valves on new spa/pool combo
- Thread starter cword
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In a nutshell, you want to close any valves to or from the pool and open any to or from the spa. You want to isolate the spa from the pool so you're only heating the spa water without draining it nor drawing colder pool water into the heater.
Any chance of getting a pic or 2 of your valves?
Any chance of getting a pic or 2 of your valves?
sure, I'll take a pic of the valves. Here is what I did so far. I left the pool pump on but turned the valve to shut off the returns to the pool so that all water returned is coming out the spa. I turned on the spa pump so that system is working. Hot water is coming out of the returns and the spa is heating up. I just don't know if it should still be spilling over into the pool or not. Do I need to make it stop spilling over into the pool? I can't figure out how to do that. If I stop the spa retures the hot water stops, but as long as the spa returns are on the spa still spills over into the pool. Not sure if that is a problem or not.
Thanks for your help
Thanks for your help
Sounds like your still pulling water from the pool. Main drains/skimmers. You want to pull water from the drains in the spa and returns of spa. Like Waste pointed out, you need to isolate spa from pool.
It shouldn't be spilling over. It sounds like you haven't found all the valve changes you need to make yet. Usually there are two "three way" valves that need to be turned. A three way valve has three pipes running to it.
It is not always a good idea to turn valves while the pump is running. If something you turn accidentally cuts off the water flow completely suddenly or for too long it could damage something.
It is not always a good idea to turn valves while the pump is running. If something you turn accidentally cuts off the water flow completely suddenly or for too long it could damage something.
your pool and spa sound like mine. I turn on the pump, turn the return valve from pool to spa, turn the drain valve from pool to spa, turn on the heater. The water will spill over the opening till the water levels out under the spill over. The water is going into the spa drains, thru the heater then back the returns so the water will stay at the same level.
I may be totally wrong but the spa works fine and the water is hot.
Your PB should have gone over this with you in his "pool school"
I may be totally wrong but the spa works fine and the water is hot.
Your PB should have gone over this with you in his "pool school"
Thanks to all for your comments! Taking the tips here I went out and figured out where I was wrong. One of the black Jandy valves was not turned correctly. I had turned the valve to open the spa drain, but I had not turned it to CLOSE OFF the main drain. Once I moved the OFF position one more turn it was right. The spa felt AMAZING this weekend. I am so glad we splurged to include it in our pool build. Trouble Free Pool to the rescue again.
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