We have a 6700 gal indoor salt water lap pool, with good equipment. I maintain the chemistry carefully, following TFP guidance pretty closely. Its retractable cover is closed except when in use. The water is always crystal clear, hasn't had any problems in years. It gets about 1-1.5 hour use per day when we're at home. I have been running the pump and filter about 8 hours/day. But we are often gone for a few weeks at a time. With that background, here's my question: Would it be ok to not run the pump/filter at all for a few weeks while we are away for the holidays, as long as the starting FC is high enough? In the winter the FC value doesn't fall much when the pool is not in use and thus not heated. And I am concerned that a small, intermittent leak from the pool heater (which might just be condensation) could turn into something more during our absence.
How long to run pool filter on covered indoor pool?
- Thread starter ArlenR
- Start date
Which pump? A VSP? Installing a heater bypass and bypassing the heater when you are gone and running the filter at least a couple of hours a day to mix the chemicals is better than shutting off the system.
- Jul 21, 2013
- 52,672
- Pool Size
- 35000
- Surface
- Plaster
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Pentair Intellichlor IC-60
Welcome to TFP.
It is better if you run your pool pump at least 2-3 hours a day and let the water stratify and stagnate. Still water will stratify into layers with different chemical mixtures in different areas of the pool.
Installing a heater bypass will allow you to turn the heater water flow off when you are away.
www.troublefreepool.com
It is better if you run your pool pump at least 2-3 hours a day and let the water stratify and stagnate. Still water will stratify into layers with different chemical mixtures in different areas of the pool.
Installing a heater bypass will allow you to turn the heater water flow off when you are away.
Heater Bypass - Further Reading
www.troublefreepool.com
Yes, the pump is a VSP. Installing a bypass is a good suggestion, and it would be a good thing to have so that potential problems with the heater could be addressed without stopping the pump completely. However, I don't have time to get that done before we have to leave for a few weeks. So my options appear to be (1) shut down the pump (and close the valve from the pool) for the duration of our absence, or (2) run the pump and risk the leak reappearing (in a worse way) and putting a lot of water on the basement floor. The equipment room is well below the water level at the pool skimmer.
You do not state which type of filter. If you have a DE or Sand, do you have a multiport valve with a recirculation setting? If you so you could use that as the bypass for both the filter and heater.
- Jul 21, 2013
- 52,672
- Pool Size
- 35000
- Surface
- Plaster
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Pentair Intellichlor IC-60
RECIRCULATE on an MPV will bypass the filter but not the heater.
I do have a Hayward sand filter, and the MPV, but Allen is correct: the way that it is plumbed it will not bypass the heater when set to circulate.
So it has been several days now since we came home after a couple of weeks away and found the small puddle of water extending out from under the heater. I cleaned up that water (should have tested it for chlorine, but didn't think of it at the time), turned on the heater, and have been watching it since then. The heater has run several hours each day, and no more water has appeared. I took off the side panels and can see nothing wrong; the parts of the drain pan I can see show no water or residue. So I'm leaning toward the condensation hypothesis. The room was a little warmer than the water flowing from the pool into the heater during the pump's daily 8-hour run during our absence. It seems like the temperature differential wasn't much, but maybe it was enough to generate that condensation puddle.
Based on what all of you have said above, going forward it seems best not to leave the pump completely off for the next few weeks. So, given the likelihood that this is not pool water leak at the heat exchanger or elsewhere, my tentative plan is to set the pump to run 2h each day. I will also put a couple of water sensors on the floor near the heater, which will send me a message remotely if they detect water. I'll also position a security camera near it so I can see if there is a substantial amount of water on the floor. In that case, I'll call a neighbor and ask him to come over, shut off the pump, and close the valve from the pool.
Sound reasonable?
So it has been several days now since we came home after a couple of weeks away and found the small puddle of water extending out from under the heater. I cleaned up that water (should have tested it for chlorine, but didn't think of it at the time), turned on the heater, and have been watching it since then. The heater has run several hours each day, and no more water has appeared. I took off the side panels and can see nothing wrong; the parts of the drain pan I can see show no water or residue. So I'm leaning toward the condensation hypothesis. The room was a little warmer than the water flowing from the pool into the heater during the pump's daily 8-hour run during our absence. It seems like the temperature differential wasn't much, but maybe it was enough to generate that condensation puddle.
Based on what all of you have said above, going forward it seems best not to leave the pump completely off for the next few weeks. So, given the likelihood that this is not pool water leak at the heat exchanger or elsewhere, my tentative plan is to set the pump to run 2h each day. I will also put a couple of water sensors on the floor near the heater, which will send me a message remotely if they detect water. I'll also position a security camera near it so I can see if there is a substantial amount of water on the floor. In that case, I'll call a neighbor and ask him to come over, shut off the pump, and close the valve from the pool.
Sound reasonable?
- Jul 21, 2013
- 52,672
- Pool Size
- 35000
- Surface
- Plaster
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Pentair Intellichlor IC-60
The water flow through the heater is the same whether the heater is on or off. If the heater was leaking you should have seen it.
What model heater are we discussing?
What model heater are we discussing?
That's what I'm thinking now. The heater model is a Hayward H400FD, installed in 2018.
- Jul 21, 2013
- 52,672
- Pool Size
- 35000
- Surface
- Plaster
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Pentair Intellichlor IC-60
I first noticed water behind the heater, then realized it was only an edge of a bigger puddle underneath. Subsequently I saw a wide stream leading a couple of feet to the left. Cleaned that up and saw that more was gradually seeping out from under the left front leg. A paper towel against that leg got the rest of it after about 20-30 minutes. I turned on the heater to start warming the pool, because my wife wanted to use it. The floor dried, and no more water has shown up there in several days. The water has remained warm during that time.
- Jul 21, 2013
- 52,672
- Pool Size
- 35000
- Surface
- Plaster
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Pentair Intellichlor IC-60
A small leak may show when the heater is OFF.
When the heater is ON the leaking water gets evaporated from the heater before it can run out to the floor.
When the heater is ON the leaking water gets evaporated from the heater before it can run out to the floor.
Hmm. The heater is only on for a few hours a day. I would think it would cool off pretty quickly, and then start leaking again, and not evaporate? But if it's a very small leak, maybe it takes a while to build up enough water to leak out onto the floor.
- Jul 21, 2013
- 52,672
- Pool Size
- 35000
- Surface
- Plaster
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Pentair Intellichlor IC-60
The heat exchanger is inside a sealed burner can. If the heat exchanger is leaking the water can pool in the burner can and only show when the can is full of water. When the heater is run it can evaporate a small amount of water pooling in the burner can.
Well I guess I'm not sure what to do now. If there is likely to be a continuing leak, I'm worried that it will get bigger while we're gone for a few weeks and possibly put a large volume of water on the floor. And even if water sensors and a camera detect it, substantial damage could be done before I could get someone to go over and turn off the pump and the valve to the pool. Plus, we live in a small town in Oregon with only a couple of pool people capable of fixing/replacing the heater, and they are all booked out a long way into the future.
- Jul 21, 2013
- 52,672
- Pool Size
- 35000
- Surface
- Plaster
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Pentair Intellichlor IC-60
- Jul 21, 2013
- 52,672
- Pool Size
- 35000
- Surface
- Plaster
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Pentair Intellichlor IC-60
Some part of the pool equipment springing a leak is always a risk. I don't think your heater is any more likely to develop a large leak then your pump, filter, or any pipe joint.
It is usually the heat exchanger that develops pinhole leaks in a heater. Those leaks take a long time to develop and are slow to grow.
Does your pool equipment room have a floor drain?
Post pics of your pool equipment room.
If the risk of a big leak developing over the next few weeks is small, then I think I can tolerate that. Yes, there is a drain in the room, and I think I can arrange things around the heater so that any reasonable amount of water is directed that way. I'll watch the video. And I'll get on my equipment installer's schedule to come out as soon as he can to repair or replace it.
I really appreciate all your detailed help. And thanks to everyone else who has chimed in with advice.
I really appreciate all your detailed help. And thanks to everyone else who has chimed in with advice.
- Jul 21, 2013
- 52,672
- Pool Size
- 35000
- Surface
- Plaster
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Pentair Intellichlor IC-60