New to me Pool - First Timer

[katarn444]

Hi All,
First time post from a first time pool owner, or soon to be. I am in the precess of purchasing a home in Massachusetts with an inground pool. See signature for details although it is not complete. The sellers are not the kind of people that take good care of things, they claim it has been winterized but who knows. It was not covered properly and the cover has now fallen into the pool. In any case, once I own it I want to hit the ground running. I will DIY all of the work and have been reading here feverishly to learn as much as possible. Can you please critique my plan? My short term goal is to get the pool usable this year without breaking the bank. Long term I would like to setup DIY automation, some super efficient solar electric systems, and making the whole thing as low maintenance as possible. Massachusetts has relatively high electricity rates in the neighborhood of $.26/KWH

Short term once weather turns of course
1) Become Gold member here and purchase a TF-Pro Salt with SmartStir
2) Possible buy robot like Polaris Freedom, I am not sure what cleaning system they have
2) Try to add a secondary DC pump motor (2hp treadmill) to the pump (Deleted link, Jim R.)
3) Fill pool and test systems (I have not read up on this yet but I am not sure how I will fill the pool yet, the house has a well and I assume a lot of water, sited in a generally wet area, I am having the well water tested now)
4) Use Chlorine at first to get the pool to a good state in the cooler Spring weather
5) Convert to salt water and install a Circupool RJ60 SWG

Long term
1) Try to fix the heater
2) Try to build a solar electric heater out of a heat pump water
3) Possibly replumb the systems

Thank you all for the great resource here and any advise.

 

[HermanTX]

Welcome to TFP.
Great news on your membership and you will be able to use the discount with your purchase of the TF Pro test kit.

It does not appear that there is a spa. Can you confirm? The suction to the pump shows at least 2 pipes that can be seen and one has a ball valve (blue handle). The pool could have a suction cleaner or those suction lines could be from a skimmer and a main drain. Maybe post a better picture of the suction side pipes.

If you are on well water, that may cause iron stains. Can you test your well water for iron - may need to go to a pool store for that test or have another 3rd party test for minerals.

You should clean your DE filter before start up in the Spring. Since you do not know the history of the filter, it is best to disassemble it, clean it and reassemble adding DE per mfg. recommendation. Ensure the pressure gauge is functional as well.

Also need better pictures of the return side to see where SWCG can be added. If you are DIY then it is a fairly easy process to install a SWCG with basic electrical and plumbing skills.

 

[Newdude]

Hey Katarn and Welcome !!!

NICE job doing your homework.

1) Become Gold member here and purchase a TF-Pro Salt with SmartStir

1) get the TFpro-salt. It adds the $30 K1766 for a bundle upcharge of $20. This kit is hands down the winner with supplies geared to how we do things, and the $44 included smart stir, and $10 off for the salt test.

2) We're all volunteer here so each donation basically extends the date that the lights shut off. We appreciate you helping us to help you for a longer time. None of us wants to learn a new hobby. Most of us really REALLY don't want a new hobby because it might include running or such.

2) Possible buy robot like Polaris Freedom, I am not sure what cleaning system they have

Robots are consumable these days and our short seasons don't necessarily extend their life from a couple years. If you're OK with that, they're sure convienent. Lemme page @Jimrahbe to link his thread with some current models being compared.

Personally I'm square on the robot fence. I want one badly, but haven't seen a clear winner for cost/lifespan. One, the other, or both are atrocious these days.

2) Try to add a secondary DC pump motor (2hp treadmill) to the pump

Haven't seen one yet but I'm interested to learn with you. Thanks for being the guinea pig here.

3) Fill pool and test systems (I have not read up on this yet but I am not sure how I will fill the pool yet, the house has a well and I assume a lot of water, sited in a generally wet area, I am having the well water tested now)

Wells typically aren't designed to run for long stretches, so many small adds may need to be required. They're also a frequent source of iron. If that's the sole water source, then it is what it is and we'll deal.

4) Use Chlorine at first to get the pool to a good state in the cooler Spring weather

Add 30 ppm of granual CYA / stabilizer in a sock(s), carrot on a stick like, in front of a working return. This is the only time you'll know it's 0, because it's not naturally occurring in water. After some time, maybe even a day or two with cool water, it'll squish out.

Count it as in as soon as it's soaking and add FC appropriately.


Use PoolMath for both. Then post up the other results and we'll go from there.

5) Convert to salt water and install a Circupool RJ60 SWG

It's considerably cheaper in the long run, but most of us would pay 2 or 3 times MORE in the long run for the convenience it adds. As it happens, it makes poolcare stupid easy AND saves a ton. It's a no brainer.

Have a read for the rest.
Pool Care Basics

 

[katarn444]

Thank you for the responses so far.
Correct no spa
Suction side: I believe skimmer and main drain. I did not see a suction cleaner port anywhere.
Well water: Ok glad I know what to keep an eye open for. The well water is being tested and iron is included so I will know. When people use well water to fill do they use a filter to remove any undesirables? Is iron the only one or just the biggest concern?
Filter: Yes I meant to mention that, I will definitely take the whole thing apart, clean it and start fresh.
SWG: I will try to get a better picture of the return side. You can see it in the first picture although it is hard to see, it is painted black heads behind the filter to go to the heater. I think the pipe to the heater is cut and it just plunges into the ground. Maybe the SWG can be added in the black pipe but that would put it before the heater. Maybe the return will just have to be replumbed.
Robot: Yes I see that. I will definitely wait until after I figure out what the current cleaning system is. I may be willing to throw money at this aspect to keep the labor down initially.
Starting out with CYA then moving to FC: Thanks for that. I do need to read a bit more of the opening up procedures.

Again, thank you.

 

[HermanTX]

Maybe the SWG can be added in the black pipe but that would put it before the heater. Maybe the return will just have to be replumbed.

It is best to put the SWCG after the heater, but it does not need a check valve before the SWCG because the SWCG only produces chlorine when there is flow. Unlike a puck chlorinator that could push highly chlorinated water back to the heater when the pump is off.
You can also set up a SWCG to be vertical. See photo

 

[katarn444]

It is best to put the SWCG after the heater, but it does not need a check valve before the SWCG because the SWCG only produces chlorine when there is flow. Unlike a puck chlorinator that could push highly chlorinated water back to the heater when the pump is off.
You can also set up a SWCG to be vertical. See photo
View attachment 551562

That's helpful thank you. As the heater is in very rough shape and I assume not salvageable (but will try) I think I will plumb the SWG behind the filter but create a loop prior to it leaving the ability to tie the heater back in.

 

[PNW-pool]

Hi All,
First time post from a first time pool owner, or soon to be. I am in the precess of purchasing a home in Massachusetts with an inground pool. See signature for details although it is not complete. The sellers are not the kind of people that take good care of things, they claim it has been winterized but who knows. It was not covered properly and the cover has now fallen into the pool. In any case, once I own it I want to hit the ground running. I will DIY all of the work and have been reading here feverishly to learn as much as possible. Can you please critique my plan? My short term goal is to get the pool usable this year without breaking the bank. Long term I would like to setup DIY automation, some super efficient solar electric systems, and making the whole thing as low maintenance as possible. Massachusetts has relatively high electricity rates in the neighborhood of $.26/KWH

Short term once weather turns of course
1) Become Gold member here and purchase a TF-Pro Salt with SmartStir
2) Possible buy robot like Polaris Freedom, I am not sure what cleaning system they have
2) Try to add a secondary DC pump motor (2hp treadmill) to the pump (Deleted link, Jim R.)
3) Fill pool and test systems (I have not read up on this yet but I am not sure how I will fill the pool yet, the house has a well and I assume a lot of water, sited in a generally wet area, I am having the well water tested now)
4) Use Chlorine at first to get the pool to a good state in the cooler Spring weather
5) Convert to salt water and install a Circupool RJ60 SWG

Long term
1) Try to fix the heater
2) Try to build a solar electric heater out of a heat pump water
3) Possibly replumb the systems

Thank you all for the great resource here and any advise.

Kayarn444 -
I feel you! I am in a similar situation. I just closed on a house east of Seattle a few days ago and am "drinking from a firehose" trying to learn inground pool ABCs as fast as I can and make sure I don't break something in the process of testing things and figuring out what's what. Getting info from the seller has been difficult because he's elderly, leaving a home he's had for 35 years is emotional, he has jerry-rigged a lot of things which make sense to him but are not super obvious to me, the system is old and the heater does fire up but hasn't been used in over a year, and his adult kids were at our one-and-only meeting and chiming in as he was trying to hurriedly explain a few things to me within a very short period of time. I am paying a reputable pool company to come out and do 1-2 hours of instruction with me Thursday and am planning to record the visit on my phone and take notes. I can't be of any technical help to you ... but will send you good vibes! I plan to keep an eye on this thread to see what I can learn from advice and experience you get. I think we are in the right place to learn and get sound advice!

 

[katarn444]

We have finally closed on the house. Here are some more pictures and specifics. There are two skimmers and three jets. I still have to clean up the pump area but I found a capped off pipe that I assume is a feed line (main drain maybe) I think I will plan to do an entire redo on the pad next year. Hopefully I can limp through this summer with the current setup.
The cover blew off during the winter so there are a lot of leaves that I am working on fishing out. I am going to open the filter shortly and evaluate what the status is there.

 

[Lake Placid]

Since you're planning to add a SWG which will require some plumbing, IMO you should trash pretty much all the existing plumbing and start fresh with a solid plan and design. You have a spaghetti mess of Drain Waste and Vent fittings which aren't rated for pressure and a whole host of additional poor "fixes". If it were mine I would not waste time trying to plumb back in to that wreck, scrap it all and replace with good quality valves, fittings for pressure etc.

 

[katarn444]

Since you're planning to add a SWG which will require some plumbing, IMO you should trash pretty much all the existing plumbing and start fresh with a solid plan and design. You have a spaghetti mess of Drain Waste and Vent fittings which aren't rated for pressure and a whole host of additional poor "fixes". If it were mine I would not waste time trying to plumb back in to that wreck, scrap it all and replace with good quality valves, fittings for pressure etc.

That is a very good point. And yes I know it is a mess.
Any tips on figuring out what that abandoned pipe does? Do I clean the leaves etc, fill the pool and turn it on to see what does what? I will definitely dig a little to see what is happening under ground. Is there a method people use to figure out what pipes go to what without running the pump? Air maybe?

 

[Divin Dave]

Any tips on figuring out what that abandoned pipe does?

Hard tell which pipe you refer to as abandoned, but if its the one right by the pump, that's a reducer bushing with the pipe cut off? Stick a water hose down in it and turn on the water, find where it comes out the other end.

 

[Lake Placid]

I see two possibilities for “abandoned“ pipes. Red box or yellow box?

 

[katarn444]

View attachment 559421
I see two possibilities for “abandoned“ pipes. Red box or yellow box?

Apologies I was not more clear. Red box. Yellow box leads to and from the heater which is clearly disconnected. Divin, thanks for the tip.

 

[Lake Placid]

I wouldn’t be too worried about it initially. It could be several things - an abandoned pressure side cleaner line, abandoned main drain that was rebuilt, abandoned skimmer line that was repaired. I would startup the pool and pay very close attention to all fixtures in the pool to identify if they are working correctly. Do all returns flow, are skimmers skimming, is the MD seemingly active etc. If everything seems in check then leave it plugged and don’t worry about it. If you find a return isn’t flowing than perhaps investigate this pipe as the abandoned line if you wish……

In another vein, upon further inspection of pictures it appears your pump is currently fed by an extension cord or removable plug? If this is the case I’d be more concerned with correcting this malady than the plugged/abandoned pipe at the moment.

 

[katarn444]

Hi All,
I am planning my first ever replumb on my first ever pool. You can see my into thread here New to me Pool - First Timer

Reasons
Multiport valve leaking
DE filter elements have holes
RJ60+ installation
DWV fittings used previously

I am trying to do this on a relatively small budget because the pool is not the only part of the new property that needs serious renovations. I am hoping to to keep things flexible for possible future changes. I would like to switch to a VS pump in the next couple of years.

I am very new to pools and am learning as fast as I can. But this is what I know so far.

2 skimmers serviced by a 2" pipe - not tested but am currently filling so will soon
3 jets serviced by a 2" pipe - tested and working
1 main drain serviced by a 1 1/2" pipe - tested and working
There is one disconnected 2" pipe that I am not sure about.

I am planning to pour a new concrete pad as the current one is small and not level. I dug down to expose the pipe so I can start fresh and make things as level and plumb as possible. I have a lot of experience plumbing houses but zero when it come to pools. So I technically know how to glue up pipes, make them neat and level etc but I do not know how to design a system for efficiency and ease of use. I am open to moving the electrical as it will be relatively easy and I need to to modify it anyway for the chlorine generator and to replace the extension cord on the pump with a whip. I will try to find to find schedule 80 long sweeps but from what I have been reading on here that does not really matter.

Suggestions on
Valve type and placements
General design/layout
Placement of RJ60 and controller

Thanks all, it is very much appreciated.

 

[ajw22]

Use all diverter valves.

Layout equipment following flow - pump -> filter -> heater -> SWG

Equipment Pad Best Practices - Further Reading

www.troublefreepool.com

 

[katarn444]

Use all diverter valves.

Layout equipment following flow - pump -> filter -> heater -> SWG

Equipment Pad Best Practices - Further Reading

www.troublefreepool.com

Thank you for that. I had missed it during my reading.
Question about unions. Were should they be placed? Before and after the pump and before and after the multiport?
I want to plan for a future heater, does anything have to be done or just have a long stretch of straight pipe after the filter but before the SWG?

Thanks

 

[ajw22]

Some pumps come with unions or they can be bought separately. We should talk more specifically once you choose the pump.

Same with filters. Choose the filter then figure out how unions best work with what you choose.

To plan for a heater have a pipe go to the planned heater location then loop back. When you get the heater you cut the loop and tie in the heater.