Spa mode and tanning ledge spillover automation

[jaxesn]

Brand new pool owner, been reading a lot of posts on here trying to understand all of this stuff!

My pool has a spa and tanning ledge, both will spillovers. My system is powered by a Hayward Omni. It is saltwater with a salt cell/generator . The filter is a cartridge filter. There are 3 suction side lines, pool main drain/skimmer/spa main drain. All water goes through filter and salt cell to the 3 return lines, tanning ledge/pool jets/spa jets.

Currently the spa mode is setup like I believe is expected, there are two actuators, one on the suction side which closes off the pool main drain and skimmer and one on the return side which closes off the pool jets and tanning ledge jet.

Based on what seems to be common guidance, when running my pump for the bulk of it's runtime I really don't want to the spillovers running. My current setup allows for this by using the configured spillover mode which pulls water from the pool and pushes it just to the spa. My tanning ledge spillover currently is always on the pool is on since it's return and the pool return are "connected" behind the 3 way valve which switches between spa mode and pool.

I *think* id like to set it up so I can control the tanning ledge spillover with automation similar to the spa. According to the Omni manual I believe I can run up to 4 actuators, and maybe even more then they with an expansion kit. I'll include a picture of my return side piping, and I'll take some more in the daylight that show more of the piping setup. I think it's fairly clean but it is kind of tight. I also already ordered a couple more actuators just to try and play with to see what the Omni automation allows for.

I had a couple options come to mind:

- I could add actuators to each valve, assuming the system allows me to do this, where basically spa mode becomes opening spa return, closing tanning ledge and closing pool jets. Spillover mode, assuming the system allows multiple valves to be adjusted, would close pool return and open spa and tanning ledge. The tightness of the plumbing makes this option kind of annoying but it may be actually he the easiest.
- I could disconnect the tanning ledge return from the pool/spa and bring its own line somewhere from the filter, probably before the salt cell but I may be able to squeeze it after. Put an actuator here which would close during spa mode and only open in spillover.

Looking to see if anyone has other thoughts or could confirm or deny my thinking? I really don't know much, just from my reading the last couple months. I feel confident I can work with the PVC to make the changes, but want to make sure I'm not missing the best option and/or missing anything that the system automation may not handle like I hope.

On the attached picture, left to right, tanning ledge, pool jets, and spa. The jandy valve now has a actuator on it.

 

[1poolman1]

Brand new pool owner, been reading a lot of posts on here trying to understand all of this stuff!

My pool has a spa and tanning ledge, both will spillovers. My system is powered by a Hayward Omni. It is saltwater with a salt cell/generator . The filter is a cartridge filter. There are 3 suction side lines, pool main drain/skimmer/spa main drain. All water goes through filter and salt cell to the 3 return lines, tanning ledge/pool jets/spa jets.

Currently the spa mode is setup like I believe is expected, there are two actuators, one on the suction side which closes off the pool main drain and skimmer and one on the return side which closes off the pool jets and tanning ledge jet.

Based on what seems to be common guidance, when running my pump for the bulk of it's runtime I really don't want to the spillovers running. My current setup allows for this by using the configured spillover mode which pulls water from the pool and pushes it just to the spa. My tanning ledge spillover currently is always on the pool is on since it's return and the pool return are "connected" behind the 3 way valve which switches between spa mode and pool.

I *think* id like to set it up so I can control the tanning ledge spillover with automation similar to the spa. According to the Omni manual I believe I can run up to 4 actuators, and maybe even more then they with an expansion kit. I'll include a picture of my return side piping, and I'll take some more in the daylight that show more of the piping setup. I think it's fairly clean but it is kind of tight. I also already ordered a couple more actuators just to try and play with to see what the Omni automation allows for.

I had a couple options come to mind:

- I could add actuators to each valve, assuming the system allows me to do this, where basically spa mode becomes opening spa return, closing tanning ledge and closing pool jets. Spillover mode, assuming the system allows multiple valves to be adjusted, would close pool return and open spa and tanning ledge. The tightness of the plumbing makes this option kind of annoying but it may be actually he the easiest.
- I could disconnect the tanning ledge return from the pool/spa and bring its own line somewhere from the filter, probably before the salt cell but I may be able to squeeze it after. Put an actuator here which would close during spa mode and only open in spillover.

Looking to see if anyone has other thoughts or could confirm or deny my thinking? I really don't know much, just from my reading the last couple months. I feel confident I can work with the PVC to make the changes, but want to make sure I'm not missing the best option and/or missing anything that the system automation may not handle like I hope.

On the attached picture, left to right, tanning ledge, pool jets, and spa. The jandy valve now has a actuator on it.

Those terrible ball valves could be replaced with 2-way Jandy valves, actuators put on them, and programmed as you mention.

 

[jaxesn]

Ha! Those red valves seem to get a lot hate! Funny thing is I have a box of stuff the builder bought but didn't use and there are 2, 2-way jandys in there...

That's exactly what I was thinking. Any reason controlling the 3 different actuators wouldn't work like I want? I also seem to noticed looking at pictures or videos of pool piping, there are usually manual valves, like the red ones I have in addition to actuators. Is there a reason to have both, as in my case should I replace them or should I had new ones too? Adding new would be a pain and the only reason I can come up with that I would also want to the manual valves as well is for rare cases I want to manually change them without opening up the actuator?

 

[1poolman1]

Ha! Those red valves seem to get a lot hate! Funny thing is I have a box of stuff the builder bought but didn't use and there are 2, 2-way jandys in there...

That's exactly what I was thinking. Any reason controlling the 3 different actuators wouldn't work like I want? I also seem to noticed looking at pictures or videos of pool piping, there are usually manual valves, like the red ones I have in addition to actuators. Is there a reason to have both, as in my case should I replace them or should I had new ones too? Adding new would be a pain and the only reason I can come up with that I would also want to the manual valves as well is for rare cases I want to manually change them without opening up the actuator?

Ball valves that are used regularly, as you intend, also fail regularly. Ones that aren't used regularly freeze up and can't be moved. They are used because they are cheap. Have seen them on $250,000 pools.

 

[jaxesn]

It seems with the Omni system I can't do exactly what i was thinking by adding actuators on the individual returns. The spa vs pool mode settings only seem to support selecting one valve to control.

I did go ahead and replace the tanning ledge return with a jandy and installed an actuator on it. I can now turn it on and off while in pool mode. I used a heat gun to save most of the PVC fittings and avoid having to rip too much up, that worked surprisingly well.

I could leave it as is now but I would like to be able to automate turning on both spillovers, the spa and tanning ledge. The problem is when enabling the spa spillover it closes off the pool and tanning ledge return.

I am thinking about adding a tee right after the salt cell which runs to a new 3 way jandy, in between the tanning ledge and pool return, the space is tight so it may be easier said than done. I would then add an actuator here which is normally close but if I want to open both spillovers it would open allowing water to flow back to the pool and tanning even though the spa spillover valve has closed off the normal path of flow.

Is this a bad idea?

Here are the returns after I added the jandy. Ignore all that blue glue stain...

 

[jaxesn]

I ended up cutting out all the red valves and replacing them with diverters. I added actuators to each one. I was not able to get the Omni control two actuators on the return side when switching between spa and pool mode or when enabling the spillover.

To make it work I spliced the actuators on the pool return and spa return together and plugged them into one valve port on the omni. When the spa return opens the pool closes.

I can now run the spa spillover, the ledge spillover or both at the same time.