Hello, My name is Bobby and I am from Orange County, CA. I am a licensed general contractor but this is my first time digging into pool/spa construction for a spa we are building in our home. I have been doing a lot of research on spas and perimeter overflow spas but I can't seem to find any details schematics on the plumbing. The plan is to build spa that overflows on four sides into a catch basin which would then recirculate the water back into the spa. I would like to know if anyone can provide any schematics on how to properly plumb this design? Also, do you know if it is necessary to use a blower or make-up valve for a spa only set up? or will the pump provide enough pressure to the jets? Any and all help is appreciated.
Perimeter Overflow Spa
- Thread starter tscconstruction
- Start date
- May 23, 2015
- 24,560
- Pool Size
- 16000
- Surface
- Plaster
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Pentair Intellichlor IC-60
@bdavis466 is in your neck of the woods and a pretty handy guy from what I’ve heard 
just don’t get him started on blow torches and flame throwers.....
just don’t get him started on blow torches and flame throwers.....
Do you plan to have the overflow operating when the spa is in use?
How many jets total?
You do not need a makeup line.
Since there is no attached pool you will need a surge tank to store the displaced water from bathers getting into the spa and to supply the water to refill as they leave. A (very large) line should gravity feed from the trough into the surge tank where a suction line can pull from the bottom and send filtered and heated water back into the spa.
Depending on the number of jets, you may need a secondary pump and suction inside of the spa to feed the additional jets. If plumbed correctly you do not need a blower but you can have more jets off a single pump with a blower than you can without.
The plumbing itself is not complicated but there is a lot that can go wrong if not done correctly and you don’t want to be disappointed in the end. I highly suggest reaching out to John at Pacific Pool Plumbing (951) 735-7844. They’re a very professional operation and have done tons of these types of spas.
How many jets total?
You do not need a makeup line.
Since there is no attached pool you will need a surge tank to store the displaced water from bathers getting into the spa and to supply the water to refill as they leave. A (very large) line should gravity feed from the trough into the surge tank where a suction line can pull from the bottom and send filtered and heated water back into the spa.
Depending on the number of jets, you may need a secondary pump and suction inside of the spa to feed the additional jets. If plumbed correctly you do not need a blower but you can have more jets off a single pump with a blower than you can without.
The plumbing itself is not complicated but there is a lot that can go wrong if not done correctly and you don’t want to be disappointed in the end. I highly suggest reaching out to John at Pacific Pool Plumbing (951) 735-7844. They’re a very professional operation and have done tons of these types of spas.
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Hello @JoyfulNoise and @bdavis466 thank you for your reply and helpful information. The spa is going to be 8’ x 8’ so the interior will measure 7’ x 7’ so I am am thinking of having 8 to 10 jets but most likely going to have 8 jets. The idea is to design the catch basin so that it also acts as the surge tank, the catch basin will wrap around the perimeter of the spa and measure 12” x 12” with a total fill capacity of 270 gallons. Do you think this will work?
A 7' spa is probably around 1300 gallons so you're right around 20% if your basin guess is correct. That should be plenty unless you invite Uncle Ricky over and he decides to do his reverse cowbell cannonballs repeatedly.
8 jets at 10gpm nozzles should be fine without a blower. You can probably go up to 10 with a heater/filter bypass but at that point you might as well do more jets with a secondary pump.
I really like the Intelliflo XF and would suggest it for this application.
8 jets at 10gpm nozzles should be fine without a blower. You can probably go up to 10 with a heater/filter bypass but at that point you might as well do more jets with a secondary pump.
I really like the Intelliflo XF and would suggest it for this application.
Last edited:
- May 23, 2015
- 24,560
- Pool Size
- 16000
- Surface
- Plaster
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Pentair Intellichlor IC-60
I think I read once that commercial/professional swimming pools with overflow perimeter drains use a metric of 1.5 to 2 gallons per square foot of pool surface area for catch basin volume. So even if you went with 2 gal/sf, a 49sf spa surface wound only need a 100 gallon catch basin.
All bets are off if Brian shows up and does one of his signature belly-flops from the nearest roof line...
All bets are off if Brian shows up and does one of his signature belly-flops from the nearest roof line...
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You don't need the suction in the spa if you plan to have the overflow active while the spa is in use. On the flips side a spa drain can help meter the amount of water being overflowed.
With the low amount of total water I would want the overflow active whether heated or not.
Not sure what your plans are for the interior finish but tile or AquaBright would be a whole lot better than Pebble. If you're set on pebble then I would want is polished like Primera Stone.
With the low amount of total water I would want the overflow active whether heated or not.
Not sure what your plans are for the interior finish but tile or AquaBright would be a whole lot better than Pebble. If you're set on pebble then I would want is polished like Primera Stone.
- May 23, 2015
- 24,560
- Pool Size
- 16000
- Surface
- Plaster
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Pentair Intellichlor IC-60
Are you placing two skimmers in the trough? If so, why on the same side? Do you plan to pitch the trough slightly? If you do have two skimmers, don’t tie them in series. Use dedicated plumbing runs back to the pump with adjustable Jandy valves so you can adjust the flow from each skimmer independently.
The air line for the Venturi jets needs to have a Hartford loop inside the spa wall. This keeps water from filling up the air line.
You can't have a hardford in a spa wall on a perimeter edge...the water level is higher than the wall
Place the loop as close to the spa as you can get it though and make sure its a good amount above the spa water level
- May 23, 2015
- 24,560
- Pool Size
- 16000
- Surface
- Plaster
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Pentair Intellichlor IC-60
You might also consider just having some deep returns in the floor so that heated water can be pumped into the spa from below and give you faster and more even heating. You can then use that to run the spa overflow without the air jets on. Running the jets and overflow constantly will create enormous amounts of aeration that will drive pH up. Having deep returns with no air will help alleviate that problem.
- May 23, 2015
- 24,560
- Pool Size
- 16000
- Surface
- Plaster
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Pentair Intellichlor IC-60
You can't have a hardford in a spa wall on a perimeter edge...the water level is higher than the wall
Place the loop as close to the spa as you can get it though and make sure its a good amount above the spa water level
Maybe design it into a hand rail and stairs on the outside for letting people in and out ?
- May 23, 2015
- 24,560
- Pool Size
- 16000
- Surface
- Plaster
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Pentair Intellichlor IC-60
As goofey as this sounds, and Brian will hate it, consider adding a vacuum port to the wall for use with a manual vacuum brush. A spa that small will be hard to clean with any traditional pool cleaners (robots, etc). Having a vacuum port makes cleaning easy.
With regards to the Trough (skimmer) I was thinking of treating this in the same way as the spa drain and having the return lines on the floor of the trough with screens, I would split the line in the event one is blocked by debris. So basically the trough would be the skimmer.
With regards to the Air Line for the Venturi jets. I really don't understand where the "Air" comes from without a blower.
With regards to spa drains. I could use a valve so that the water level in the spa does not drop when in use so the return/skimmer line would be circulating the water back to the pump?
With regards to the Air Line for the Venturi jets. I really don't understand where the "Air" comes from without a blower.
With regards to spa drains. I could use a valve so that the water level in the spa does not drop when in use so the return/skimmer line would be circulating the water back to the pump?
jtburf
0
I am not claiming to be an expert on this, however there are 2 lines that go to a spa jet, water and air (top). See attached image, even with out a blower on you still pull air into the system vis a venture effect. There is a open vent riser somewhere near the equipment.
Turn the blower on and it increases felt effect and spa jet pressure.
Hope it helps!
Turn the blower on and it increases felt effect and spa jet pressure.
Hope it helps!
Attachments
So to confirm I would need to run four to five 2-1/2” PVC lines from my equipment to the spa 2 would act as suction lines that take water to the equipment and 1 to 2 would return water to jets and the other would bring air into the system?
That is goofy but not a horrible idea
I would use 3" for everything. You need a trough suction, spa suction, air line and return line....4 total. 5 if you want the vacuum port which can be 2"
- May 23, 2015
- 24,560
- Pool Size
- 16000
- Surface
- Plaster
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Pentair Intellichlor IC-60
The spa jets are Venturi jets, named after the scientific principal involved. The flow of water through the jet creates a suction effect on the port you connect the air line to. The Venturi effect is fairly strong for about 5-8 jets connected together such that you would not necessarily need a blower. If you wanted more jets or more air pressure then you would add a blower onto the air line at the pad. Blowers are very noisy things so unless your equipment is located far from the spa, you might need ear plugs while soaking.