Old Member, New House and Pool

[clambert1273]

Hi there!! @kimkats will be happy I am posting finally lol we relocated from Cali to AZ last year but just closed on our house Feb 3 here..

I have a couple of things I will need help with as the sellers have destroyed the pool water, I have RO company coming tomorrow to handle that so I didn't have to try & drain/refill.. I tried to get starting numbers and it baffled
Me.. the day we closed and got the keys I came out to the pool And the sellers had thrown in like 15 pucks all laying on the bottom of the pool... Of course the pole they left was broken and net had a hole ?? because why now right ? I would be ashamed to hand my pool over to someone like this...

Im sure once I can get it cleaned it will be a beautiful pool, as of today what I could test:

FC: 47.5 ?
CC 5 ?‍?‍??
PH can't test
TA: 40?? I may try this again
CH: I couldn't really get a reading on weird
CYA: ASTOUNDING diluted at 300+

I will have some more questions but my biggest right now is I can't figure out valves to make returns work or if the skimmer is doing its job or not..

So I am just frustrated at this point and feeling more helpless than I have ever with a pool lol

 

[Texas Splash]

You have the water issue in-works, so once the RO is complete post a new set of results. For the valves, post a couple pics of your equipping pad. We'll help.

The TA was probably low due to all those pucks (acidic)

 

[Jimrahbe]

1273,

Will the RO treatment get rid of the CYA? I thought it was for high CH... But I admit I have no idea what RO does...

Why not just drain and refill???

We will need pics of your equipment pad, if you want help with valve positions..

Thanks,

Jim R.

 

[kimkats]

Well there you are!! I have missed you!

They did WHAT???? What a waste and mess.

RO works on CYA as well as CH so she is good there.

You KNOW we will get your pool all straightened out with a few pics and trial and error on your part.

Kim

 

[clambert1273]

Here is the area at least it's a DE filter like the one in Cali so I am good there ?? ohhh @kimkats they did so many bad things this was just my straw so far we have had to have the plumbing redone in the kitchen and they wired thermostats wrong and blew one so we didn't have heat downstairs first 2 days and it was low 30's those days ( of course it was) I will definitely update the RO information as I know I was looking for it and some sort of pricing so at least I can give some info ?‍And hi @Texas Splash long time no see (but for good reasons I promise lol)

 

[Jimrahbe]

1273,

Do you have a spa and pool or just a pool?

Any water features?

How many skimmers do you have? (I assume one..)

Thanks,

Jim R.

 

[kimkats]

WHAT?? Was this a flipped house? HOW in the world did they do all of that so wrong??? Kind of scary but at least you know to look close at everything to be on the safe side! but GURRRRRRRRRRRRr just the same!

Kim

 

[clambert1273]

From what I can tell 1 skimmer, I did find waterfall today while turning things so I know it's the middle of the 3 but it is really weird because I don't really see any returns "working" and im used to my simple setup that we had in cali so this drives me crazy lol Thanks for trying to help I think I will have to get another floating weir skimmer basket as it is just a built in opening with no door or anything (really weird looking to me) oh an no spa just a pool

 

[clambert1273]

@kimkats nope not a flip they owned it for 16 yrs we assume at this point REALLY bad at DIY, I attempt some things but if I am uncomfy with anything DIY, I call in someone to do the work lol

 

[kimkats]

That is a pretty waterfall! Take a pic of the skimmer opening and the place the basket should go for it as well so can make sure know what what you are dealing with.

Oh MY it sounds like the former owners were just as bad as the ones that used to own this house.............NOTHING was done right if at all!!! We did have to call in help for a couple of things to be safe. Don't mess with electric!!

Kim

 

[Jimrahbe]

Christina,

You have two pipes coming into your pump, one of them is from the Skimmer and the other is from the Main Drain or a Vacuum port.. In your pic you have both of them turned on.. I would turn the valve so that one of the two is shut off and make sure the pump is still sucking water.. Then go over to the skimmer and reach in near the ports at the bottom and see of you can feel any suction.. If not, then turn the valve to shut off the other port and try it again. No one here can tell you for sure which pipe is which, so you will just have to experiment to find out.

Without a weir door, you will not see any real "action" at the surface of the skimmer, so I suspect it is work, you just can't see it.. Note that it will not work well without the weir door.

On the return side (coming out of the filter) I suspect that the pipe on the right in your pic is for the pool returns with the eyeballs. I suggest for now you set the Return valve so that the two pipes on the left are shut off. One is for the waterfall (as you know) but I have no clue what the other one is for, as it seems to have a check valve???

What is your filter pressure? My guess, it that I doubt the gauge even works.. One of the main reasons for weak return flow is a dirty filter.

Try those ideas and see what happens and let up know.

Thanks,

Jim R.

 

[clambert1273]

So I tried to get pics of skimmer & such but it's dark now so will have to do it in the morning and honestly Jim I am not sure about a main drain (never had one lol), my plan was after the RO tomorrow was complete to take the filter apart (might have to wait for weekend or tuesday after work).. I know how to do/clean DE filters and is the kind I am comfortable with so that won't be an issue I already bought my DE so it's here waiting and I was planning on going to get chlorine and acid tomorrow afternoon (at least I found a supply for that already) lol and @kimkats don't worry, I am not touching anything electrical but apparently they did as we have electrician coming tomorrow too nothing we find surprises us now I have enough dents in my head to not need anymore beating my head on a wall lol

 

[clambert1273]

Oh an @Jimrahbe that is problem #563728 I don't see any "returns with eyeballs" ?? so this is even more frustrating lol I will get pics tomorrow of what I can see

 

[kimkats]

Lots of new learning to happen with your new pool AND house it seems!

-Main drain-it will be in the deepest part of the pool. It might be round or it might be a long rectangle. Can you see the bottom of the pool?

Smart leaving electric to someone who knows what is what!

Kim

 

[clambert1273]

I will look in the daylight tomorrow, there is no deep area from our best estimation it is 4.5'x5'x4.5' depth which will be weird for me being tall and my kids will miss diving board lol

 

[kimkats]

Then if there is a main drain it will be in the middle of the 5' part of the pool. There might not be one as it that pool is what they call a "sport" pool and they might not have put one in as it can be a toe stubber with those depths. It is going to be fun figuring out your new pool and get it looking like a TFP pool!

Kim

 

[clambert1273]

Then if there is a main drain it will be in the middle of the 5' part of the pool. There might not be one as it that pool is what they call a "sport" pool and they might not have put one in as it can be a toe stubber with those depths. It is going to be fun figuring out your new pool and get it looking like a TFP pool!

Kim

that is my goal, I want to make it pretty like I am used to And understand how it operates lol I guess that is the downfall coming from our very simple Vinyl pool in cali now this one is Pebble so I have to learn how to take care of this one ??

 

[Texas Splash]

Some pools also have their drain on the side near the bottom. Something to look for is there even is a drain installed.

As for that mystery valve, I wonder if it was an aftermarket attempt to provide a way to divert water (to waste maybe?) since there is no multiport valve, only a plunger vale. I couldn't really tell from the angle of the pic.

 

[clambert1273]

Some pools also have their drain on the side near the bottom. Something to look for is there even is a drain installed.

As for that mystery valve, I wonder if it was an aftermarket attempt to provide a way to divert water (to waste maybe?) since there is no multiport valve, only a plunger vale. I couldn't really tell from the angle of the pic.

I am familiar with the plunger valve from our old pool in Cali which just twists and pulls up to backwash which one of the to do items on my list is to have our plumber come and hard plumb the backwash to the main line since they have it with a hose running to the only grassy area in the yard lol I see what you are saying about waste option I will turn handles today and put pics with results I am super curious lol

 

[clambert1273]

So the RO people are here and said we are on the brink of whether they will do it or not but he is going to

I tried to get some pics today but the water is murky after my son tried fishing out all those pucks yesterday so I imagine once this is all done I will be doing an official first slam on my new pool ?? the only picture I could get really decent is the skimmer opening, if this doesn't work I can try to get more later today