Bought a home- they drained the pool- what now?
- Thread starter JessBlake
- Start date
- Jul 21, 2013
- 52,255
- Pool Size
- 35000
- Surface
- Plaster
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Pentair Intellichlor IC-60
Great! The handle on the MPV is right now set to BACKWASH. If you turned your pump on with this setting the water will flow out and be drained.
The handle needs to be rotated 180 degrees to the FILTER position for normal water circulation. Read here about the functions of the MPV settings...
MPV Valves - Further Reading
www.troublefreepool.com
You should also read Sand Filter Use and Care - Further Reading
Thank you. Should I turn that on know or wait until we know more.Great! The handle on the MPV is right now set to BACKWASH. If you turned your pump on with this setting the water will flow out and be drained.
The handle needs to be rotated 180 degrees to the FILTER position for normal water circulation. Read here about the functions of the MPV settings...
MPV Valves - Further Reading
You should also read Sand Filter Use and Care - Further Reading
- Jul 21, 2013
- 52,255
- Pool Size
- 35000
- Surface
- Plaster
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Pentair Intellichlor IC-60
Wait until we figure everything out and you are ready to try the pump.
Make SURE the breaker to the pump is turned OFF! You do NOT want anyone to accidentally turn it on with the filter turned to that.
The sun is going down so I just added liquid chlorine and am still scooping out leaves (at least I can kind of see them now)
There appeared to only be one plug and it was located in the spa so I removed that. And I put the hose in the pool to add water to reach the skimmer.
I’m hoping these are good steps moving towards turning on the filter etc.
There appeared to only be one plug and it was located in the spa so I removed that. And I put the hose in the pool to add water to reach the skimmer.
I’m hoping these are good steps moving towards turning on the filter etc.
It seems that the cap is glued on. If it does come off it’s not easy, I can’t budge it.
- Jul 21, 2013
- 52,255
- Pool Size
- 35000
- Surface
- Plaster
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Pentair Intellichlor IC-60
mguzzy
Gold Supporter
My guess it was run for a stub for something else. After seeing your video its clearly part of the return line from the "Spa pump" after the ball valve. at first glance it looks like a drain line of some sort. Yes leave the cap connected.
@ajw22 after looking more closely at your annotated photos and comparing to the videos it looks like this to me:
Pipe E goes to G? and goes to the top of the MVP at 1 (blue)
Pipe F goes to E? and is the return line from the "Spa Pump"
Pipe G goes to F? and goes to the intake side of the "Spa Pump"
Does that sound right? Some one needs to do a schematic!
JoeSelf
Gold Supporter
And turn the handle on the multi-valve ONLY one way, all the time. Prolongs the life if the gasket. Only turn it with pump OFF.
- Jul 21, 2013
- 52,255
- Pool Size
- 35000
- Surface
- Plaster
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Pentair Intellichlor IC-60
Below are new plumbing diagrams. You have a very complex plumbing system and your videos were very helpful. I welcome anyone looking at this to audit what I marked up. I think I have the pipe flow figured out and this gives us a layout to discuss how Jess should startup her pool and operate it.
Here is the legend:
PS1 - Pool Suction 1
PS2 - Pool Suction 2
PS3 - Pool Suction 3
PR1 - Pool Return 1
PR2 - Pool Return 2 (which may be a return to the spa to circulate water over the spillover)
SR - Spa Return
SS - Spa Suction
Waste - Waste line from the MPV used to drain water when MPV set to BACKWASH, RINSE, or WASTE
The Hayward manual for the Variflo MPV on page 4 shows you what each of the MPV handle positions does.
Some observations:
- You have 3 suction lines into the pool pump. One is likely for the skimmers, one is for the main drain, which is which you will need to figure out once you get the pool running. From the fact that the ball valve on PS1 is open my guess is that is the skimmers.
- PS2 valve handle is broken off and we don;t know the position of the valve. It could be to the main drain.
- PS3 valve is CLOSED. It could be any number of things - a suction vacuum line; or another skimmer line; or even connected to the spa.
- I am stumped why there is a valve connecting PS2 to PR1. A suction line to a return. If anyone has ideas have at it.
- There are two returns coming out of the filter - PR1 and PR2. There is a knife valve that looks like it controls if PR2 is open. PR2 may run to the SPA and the knife valve controls the spa spillover running or not when the pool pump is running.
- A waste line comes out the back of the filter. You should follow it and figure out where it dumps the water.
- Then there is a separate spa pump, probably for spa jets with suction line SS and return line SR.
- As others have noted there are some flexible couplings that should be replaced by rigid PVC. Although I suspect they are there for a reason and it may not be easy to align all the hard pipe.
- Absorb what is here and then we can discuss the process for starting the pumps. The question is going to be if anything is leaking once the pump is running.
Here is the legend:
PS1 - Pool Suction 1
PS2 - Pool Suction 2
PS3 - Pool Suction 3
PR1 - Pool Return 1
PR2 - Pool Return 2 (which may be a return to the spa to circulate water over the spillover)
SR - Spa Return
SS - Spa Suction
Waste - Waste line from the MPV used to drain water when MPV set to BACKWASH, RINSE, or WASTE
The Hayward manual for the Variflo MPV on page 4 shows you what each of the MPV handle positions does.
Some observations:
- You have 3 suction lines into the pool pump. One is likely for the skimmers, one is for the main drain, which is which you will need to figure out once you get the pool running. From the fact that the ball valve on PS1 is open my guess is that is the skimmers.
- PS2 valve handle is broken off and we don;t know the position of the valve. It could be to the main drain.
- PS3 valve is CLOSED. It could be any number of things - a suction vacuum line; or another skimmer line; or even connected to the spa.
- I am stumped why there is a valve connecting PS2 to PR1. A suction line to a return. If anyone has ideas have at it.
- There are two returns coming out of the filter - PR1 and PR2. There is a knife valve that looks like it controls if PR2 is open. PR2 may run to the SPA and the knife valve controls the spa spillover running or not when the pool pump is running.
- A waste line comes out the back of the filter. You should follow it and figure out where it dumps the water.
- Then there is a separate spa pump, probably for spa jets with suction line SS and return line SR.
- As others have noted there are some flexible couplings that should be replaced by rigid PVC. Although I suspect they are there for a reason and it may not be easy to align all the hard pipe.
- Absorb what is here and then we can discuss the process for starting the pumps. The question is going to be if anything is leaking once the pump is running.
- Jul 21, 2013
- 52,255
- Pool Size
- 35000
- Surface
- Plaster
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Pentair Intellichlor IC-60
Time to practice water testing on your pool water. Pull a sample and test for
FC
CC
pH
TA
CH
and post the results. No reason to test for CYA, if you have not added stabilizer to the water there will not be any.
Thank you for trying to figure that out. I will post test results tomorrow and try to figure all the lines. The only thing I put in Was liquid chlorine. 3 gallons. Which may be a little much but I couldn’t see to remove debris.
mguzzy
Gold Supporter
AJ, That is awesome! The only thing I can think of is you didn't label the extra pipe! 
Those all look correct to me from the vids and pics.
I too was wonder what the mystery fistula is between PR1 and PS2. could there be another valvle down stream on PR1 that would require the flow on that pipe to be redirected?
I was wondering why SR has that hump in the line and what purpose the line going to far side of the deck would be for.. a stub for some kind of water feature perhaps?
Those all look correct to me from the vids and pics. I too was wonder what the mystery fistula is between PR1 and PS2. could there be another valvle down stream on PR1 that would require the flow on that pipe to be redirected?
I was wondering why SR has that hump in the line and what purpose the line going to far side of the deck would be for.. a stub for some kind of water feature perhaps?
DeanP66
0
3 gallons of liquid chlorine is not much considering how dirty the water still is. You will be adding a lot more once you have your test results. Make sure you have plenty on hand. You'll probably need at least 5 more cases (10 gallons) minimum.
Sorry, had to go to Pittsburgh for a week. Here are the test results:
When doing the chlorine drop test the water did not turn pink.
FC- did not add drops because water was already clear.
CC- after adding drops water was very slightly pink. 1 drop made solution clear again. Reading is .5
PH- 6.8
TA- solution did turn green. Each drop after 5 would turn red then back to green. At 9 drops it stayed red. Reading is 90
CH- after adding drops water was more pink or purple than red. 5 drops changed it to blue. Reading is 125ppm
When doing the chlorine drop test the water did not turn pink.
FC- did not add drops because water was already clear.
CC- after adding drops water was very slightly pink. 1 drop made solution clear again. Reading is .5
PH- 6.8
TA- solution did turn green. Each drop after 5 would turn red then back to green. At 9 drops it stayed red. Reading is 90
CH- after adding drops water was more pink or purple than red. 5 drops changed it to blue. Reading is 125ppm
That “waste” line that comes out of the back of the filter exits from under the deck towards the pool just like all the other pipes and is underground as well so that’s as far as I can follow it.
Those are some numbers we can work with! I am going to share the links that tell you what you need to do and what to use to "fix" the levels:
Pool School - Recommended Levels
Pool School - Recommended Pool Chemicals
Here is the link to Pool Math. This tells you how much of each to use: PoolMath - Trouble Free Pool We also have a web based Pool Math if you would rather use that. It is at the bottom of all of the pages.
Now that I gave you the tools to do it on your own I am going to tell you which ones to look at real close to start fixing.
FC-needs some!!!
pH-it is low. Need to get it up to at least 7.2 (look in the link for recommend pool chemicals.
Since the water is "new" you do not have any CYA. You can buy what you need to push it up at Lowes or Home Depot. It is called stabilizer or balance. You will need the equipment running to add this so we will hold off on it for a little bit.
Kim
Pool School - Recommended Levels
Pool School - Recommended Pool Chemicals
Here is the link to Pool Math. This tells you how much of each to use: PoolMath - Trouble Free Pool We also have a web based Pool Math if you would rather use that. It is at the bottom of all of the pages.
Now that I gave you the tools to do it on your own I am going to tell you which ones to look at real close to start fixing.
FC-needs some!!!
pH-it is low. Need to get it up to at least 7.2 (look in the link for recommend pool chemicals.
Since the water is "new" you do not have any CYA. You can buy what you need to push it up at Lowes or Home Depot. It is called stabilizer or balance. You will need the equipment running to add this so we will hold off on it for a little bit.
Kim