Spillover causes water loss on coping stones when starting up/stopping

[judetf]

My spa was added on above the level of my existing pool. The spa spillover is above the coping stones that line the pool. When I turn on spillover, as the pump gets up to speed and the water starts flowing, but before it gets to "full speed" a fair amount of water rolls over the edge of the spillover down onto the coping stones, and while a lot of it then falls into the pool a good amount runs off to either side and never makes its way back into the pool. This happens both when starting and when stopping the spillover. (Once it's at full speed everything is fine.)

My thought is to get something - grout? - some type of mortar? - and create two small (1/2" tall) dams on the coping stone on either side of where the spillover is, with the thought being that the runoff water will hit those dams and then be guided into the pool. It won't be the prettiest thing, but I don't think it needs to be very tall to work the way I'm envisioning.

Any thoughts? Any better solutions? If the dam idea seems to make sense any advice on what to use? (I don't want to use silicone as that seems messy, ugly, and semi-permanent at best.)

Thanks!
jtf

 

[Jimrahbe]

jtf,

Post some pics of the problem area, and we should be able to get you some better answers..

Thanks,

Jim R.

 

[judetf]

Sure thing! The spillover ledge comes out more or less as far as the coping stone... But until it gets to full speed the water sort of "curls" back and lands on the coping stone, and then spills out to the left and right along the front of the spa... I'd estimate somewhere from 1-2 gallons spills out each time the spillover ramps up or down.

Thanks for any ideas!
jtf

 

[Jimrahbe]

jtf,

Surface tension will cause the water to wrap around the spillover stone and let the water flow back to the wall.

Pool builders that know what they are doing will add a drip slot under the stone. This slot goes from one side to the other side and is about 1/4" deep, about 1/4" wide.. About 1/2" from the front of the stone. This slot breaks the surface tension and won't allow the water to flow back to the wall.

Check and see if your pool builder did it right or not..

Thanks,

Jim R.

 

[judetf]

They definitely did not. No slot, and clearly that's why there's a lot of water that just spills down onto the coping stones and then runs off to the left and to the right. So, where does that leave me? Should I try to find someone to cut that slot into the underside of the stone? Or is there an viability to my "dam it in" idea?

 

[Jimrahbe]

jtf,

It is hard to tell in the pic, but I assume the spillway stone is long enough that it hangs over the coping. So when water comes off the end of the spillway it should end up in the pool. If the stone is not long enough, it won't matter too much what you do.

It can't hurt to try your idea and see if it helps. I doubt it will make it worse.

Thanks,

Jim R

 

[judetf]

Again, once the filter gets up to speed and the spa gets topped off the issue stops. This only happens when I first turn the spillover on and then again when I turn it off, while the flow of water is not at full speed. I may try cutting the spill edge or I read one idea which was to put a bead of silicone on the underside of the spillover ledge. I'll try those first before I put anything on the coping stones themselves to contain the water. I think that will be my last step.

Thanks!
jtf