How much flow is needed for spa bypass?

[Dennyhle]

I've owned this salt water pool for a couple years now and I have it on a schedule where for 2 hours it runs at 2200 rpm so that the skimmer and vacuum can do it's thing. And then for 6 hours I run at a lower 1400 rpm. These settings have been working fine for 2 years but the other day I came back to the spa with algae. Checked the chlorine in the spa and it was 0. Chlorine in pool was 7. The water level of the spa was also a few inches lower than it should be so it's not getting enough flow from the spa bypass.

How do you know how much flow is enough? I drained the spa and ran it in normal pool mode to see the flow of spa bypass at work and this is what it looks like. Is this too low? I've never drained the spa to check this out so I have nothing to compare it to when spa was healthy.

Video

There are like maybe 5 or 6 other holes but water is only coming out of these two. When I turn up the rpm or if it's in spa fill or spa mode all the return holes are going strong.

I can run it in spillover mode for about an hour and that will probably keep the spa chlorinated but I know that can increase the pH so I feel like that is not as an ideal solution.

 

[ajw22]

Post pics of your equipment pad.

What type of automation do you have?

When did you last clean your filter?

I suspect that your filter is dirty and clogged and has slowed the flow through your returns. It will show up more through your spa bypass slowing.

 

[1poolman1]

I've owned this salt water pool for a couple years now and I have it on a schedule where for 2 hours it runs at 2200 rpm so that the skimmer and vacuum can do it's thing. And then for 6 hours I run at a lower 1400 rpm. These settings have been working fine for 2 years but the other day I came back to the spa with algae. Checked the chlorine in the spa and it was 0. Chlorine in pool was 7. The water level of the spa was also a few inches lower than it should be so it's not getting enough flow from the spa bypass.

How do you know how much flow is enough? I drained the spa and ran it in normal pool mode to see the flow of spa bypass at work and this is what it looks like. Is this too low? I've never drained the spa to check this out so I have nothing to compare it to when spa was healthy.

Video

There are like maybe 5 or 6 other holes but water is only coming out of these two. When I turn up the rpm or if it's in spa fill or spa mode all the return holes are going strong.

I can run it in spillover mode for about an hour and that will probably keep the spa chlorinated but I know that can increase the pH so I feel like that is not as an ideal solution.

Is the spa at the same level as the pool or raised? Was the water lower than the pool level? On the lowest pump speed I run, my spa will not overflow and the water level drops back to pool level. At that speed there is just not enough flow to overcome the head (trying to lift the spa level) for it to overflow as it does on the higher speed.
Best guess is that all the flow just returns to the pool. You just get used to it working that way. In about 45 minutes my pump will slow even more and the spa level will then drop from overflowing, happens everyday.

 

[Toxophilite]

As other stated, amount of flow of bypass is dependent on valve setting for bypass and filter flow. Check those. But, in regards to your last sentence. Spillover is how your spa circulates with pool to get chlorination and filtration. That needs to be timed to flow sufficient to completely exchange the spa water with pool water several times per day, your spa remaining full at all times. Otherwise, you are just adding water to spa, never exchanging to be equal quality of pool's. I have mine set to spillover mode 3 times per day and sufficient for me. It runs morning for 30 minutes, noon 30 minutes, and 1 hour in evening for when my wife likes to enjoy seeing spillover fall.