New Pool Almost Completed.... And I Have No Idea What the Valves Do.... Or Anything Else Equipment Wise.

[TexasDedHed]

I'm hoping the fine folks/experts on this forum can help me to understand which section of my equipment is for what purpose, because my clueless pool guy has really been no help. The teams just come and do their thing and leave, and I'm not sure this kid really understands what the team did nor how to explain it to me so I understand it.

I'd like to figure it out so I can label them and understand what is going on.
That's a sand filter (a stand-in for the the cartridge filter that has been delayed due to the Texas freeze).
There will be a heater installed for the hot tub.
There's 3 pumps, one for the water features I think, and not sure about the other 2.

14,000 gallon plaster pool.
2 skimmers, 3 return jets
2 drains in deep end
Hot tub (2 drains and 6 returns)
Water features: waterfalls, tanning ledge bubblers

Any help is really really appreciated. Thank you very much in advance.

 

[Jimrahbe]

Hed,

The little pump on the far left is for a pressure side cleaner..

The pump in the middle is your main pump for your Pool and at least part of your Spa.

The pump on the far right is for Spa jets or your water feature wall..

If you look in front of the main pump (middle one) you will see a valve.. This is your Intake valve and selects water from either your Spa or your Pool.. Currently the Spa is shut off.
Water is coming from the pool through the three vertical valves.. One for the main drain and one each for your two skimmers.. Currently all three valves are wide open. I suggest that you run with the Main Drain only open about 10% if that.

The output of your filter goes to your Tablet Feeder (the white column.) From the tab feeder, the water goes to your Return valve which sends the water to either the Pool or the Spa. It is currently set to send all the water to the Pool..

All the valves to your water feature pump are shut off.

No one here can tell you which individual valve is which.. You will just have to play with them and determine what they do..

That should get you started..

Thanks,

Jim R.

 

[TexasDedHed]

Hed,

The little pump on the far left is for a pressure side cleaner..

The pump in the middle is your main pump for your Pool and at least part of your Spa.

The pump on the far right is for Spa jets or your water feature wall..

If you look in front of the main pump (middle one) you will see a valve.. This is your Intake valve and selects water from either your Spa or your Pool.. Currently the Spa is shut off.
Water is coming from the pool through the three vertical valves.. One for the main drain and one each for your two skimmers.. Currently all three valves are wide open. I suggest that you run with the Main Drain only open about 10% if that.

The output of your filter goes to your Tablet Feeder (the white column.) From the tab feeder, the water goes to your Return valve which sends the water to either the Pool or the Spa. It is currently set to send all the water to the Pool..

All the valves to your water feature pump are shut off.

No one here can tell you which individual valve is which.. You will just have to play with them and determine what they do..

That should get you started..

Thanks,

Jim R.

That is really helpful. Thanks. I'll have to read it a few times for this old brain to follow... So a few questions-

A pressure side cleaner- I'll have to read up on it, but that's gotta be the polaris vacuum they brought me today I assume. Without that pump running, I can't use the vacuum because that return won't be as strong. Makes sense.

As for the three pumps, my guess is that water enters them from the front and exits through the pipe coming up out of the top? Not super important, but I like to know which way things are flowing.

At the water feature section, one of the valves has a little window above it (theres another one on the far left pipe as well). What's its purpose? I feel like there is some sort of sequence I should be thinking about when I use that section, do I have to fill the pump or open one of the valves before the others? I ask because somewhere along the line one of the guys was playing with something and built up enough pressure to blow the lid off the pump, cracking it in the process. That's why it's laying there next to the pump with the cracked edge below it. I'm assuming I open the valve in front of the pump first, let it fill, and then choose one or both of the water feature valves.

This was awesome- thank you SO much, and thanks for not making me feel stupid!

Regarding the main valve, it's currently set to take in water from the pool only you said, which I'm guessing is what causes the effect of the hot tub to pour over the ledge into the pool.

 

[TexasDedHed]

If anyone is looking at this thread, i got my test kit today and probably made a mistake here and there but here's my first numbers.

FC: 3.4
PH: 8+
TA: 90
CH: 600
CYA: 67
Temp: Texas hot, prob like 87?

 

[Jimrahbe]

Regarding the main valve, it's currently set to take in water from the pool only you said, which I'm guessing is what causes the effect of the hot tub to pour over the ledge into the pool.

Hed,

The Spa spills over because the spa drains are closed and water is coming in.. Water in, with no way out, means the spa spills over..

But... it is not obvious how water is going into your Spa as your valve appears to be in the Spa off position. I have to assume that your pool builder has hard plumbed a line from the pool side to allow a little water to go into the Spa all the time.. If this is true it is a terrible way to plumb it.. It should have a check valve and a Jandy valve that allows you to control the amount of spillover.. I may be wrong, but I can't see how your spillover works..

Does your spillover work with the pump on the right not running?

The "valves" with a window and without a handle are check valves.. They let the water flow one way, but not the other.

Your pumps operation off of suction.. They "suck" water in the front were the pump basket is, and then push it out the top of the pump under pressure.. The input to the pump is called the "Suction side" and the output of the pump is called the "Pressure side"...

Thanks,

Jim R.

 

[TexasDedHed]

But... it is not obvious way water is going into your Spa as you valve appears to be in the Spa off position. I have to assume that your pool builder has hard plumbed a line from the pool side to allow a little water to go into the Spa all the time.. If this is true it is a terrible way to plumb it.. It should have a check valve and a Jandy valve that allows you to control the amount of spillover.. I may be wrong, but I can't see how you spillover works..

Does your spillover work with the pump on the right not running?

I'll check tomorrow. I don't think it's currently spilling over, I was only thinking and typing at the same time- but I swear water is pretty much always going into the spa though, now that I think about it. I'll report back tomorrow.

 

[Newdude]

FC: 3.4

Switch to 10ml samples and each drop is 1/2 FC.

your minimum is 3. You consume 2-4 ppm daily. Probably more because July in TX. You need to stay above 5, *after* you lose your daily consumption. You’ll see the trends with regular testing. For now, you have lots of leeway up and zero leeway down. Run a tad hot while you learn.

PH: 8+

This will be your battle for a while as the plaster cures. 3 months of rising PH is expected and it could go 6. Muriatic Acid and pool math will take care of it.

TA: 90

Totally fine as long as you wiped the tip with each drop.

CH: 600

Oooooof. It is what it is because Texas. You do have a little leeway though. So there is that.

CYA: 67

Always round up. 61-69 is a 70.

Great Job so far Hed !!!

 

[TexasDedHed]

Switch to 10ml samples and each drop is 1/2 FC.

your minimum is 3. You consume 2-4 ppm daily. Probably more because July in TX. You need to stay above 5, *after* you lose your daily consumption. You’ll see the trends with regular testing. For now, you have lots of leeway up and zero leeway down. Run a tad hot while you learn.

This will be your battle for a while as the plaster cures. 3 months of rising PH is expected and it could go 6. Muriatic Acid and pool math will take care of it.

Totally fine as long as you wiped the tip with each drop.

Oooooof. It is what it is because Texas. You do have a little leeway though. So there is that.

Always round up. 61-69 is a 70.

Great Job so far Hed !!!

Hey thanks . I'll add muriatic acid and bleach today, see what happens!

 

[TexasDedHed]

Does your spillover work with the pump on the right not running?

Hey so checked it out. I was wrong, it seems plumbed how it should be. There's no spill over when the valves are like they are in the above pic, no flow into the spa at all. All is good

 

[Jimrahbe]

Hed,

Maybe "All good" and maybe not...

If the spa never spillovers into the pool then there is no fresh water entering the spa.. It will soon turn into a mess.. I suggest for now that you move the Return valve so that a little water is going to the spa, while most of the water is going to the pool. This spillover is what keeps your spa water fresh and sanitized.

Thanks,

Jim R.

 

[TexasDedHed]

Hed,

Maybe "All good" and maybe not...

If the spa never spillovers into the pool then there is no fresh water entering the spa.. It will soon turn into a mess.. I suggest for now that you move the Return valve so that a little water is going to the spa, while most of the water is going to the pool. This spillover is what keeps your spa water fresh and sanitized.

Thanks,

Jim R.

You’re a good man, Jim. Or at least that’s what they tell me. I did as suggested, and will keep water spilling over! Thank you for any and all suggestions!

 

[barcode27]

So I'll ask the question... where are they planning to put the heater?

 

[Jimrahbe]

You’re a good man, Jim. Or at least that’s what they tell me.

Hed,

I have to pay them to continue to lie about me...

Jim R.

 

[TexasDedHed]

So I'll ask the question... where are they planning to put the heater?

Haha, I wish I had an answer. The guy plays the game well- he acts knowledgeable but doesn’t ever seem to have any foresight. Today’s issue after I laid into him was the final/third light install we’ve been waiting for them to do. The plaster guys put the wrong fitting on the opening, so it had to be removed. Then the pipe isnt threaded like the other two light openings were, so they have to get a different kind of led light that doesn’t screw in- I’m sure it’ll be different enough for me to be annoyed about it lol.

the water feature pump had a new lid put on today but still doesn’t work correctly because he said the “union” was damaged… whatever that means. Just get a new one and get it fixed please. I expect three weeks before that’s done.

 

[TexasDedHed]

Hi friends of TFP!

New numbers and a new issue to discuss. If the mods would prefer me start a new thread just let me know, I'll be happy to.

8/3/21
FC: 9.5
CC: .5
PH: 7.4
TA: 70
CH: 525
CYA: 45

Numbers seem pretty good to me. Those were achieved with liquid muriatic acid and bleach. Thanks to the above advice on how to pay attention to it.

My issue is this odd staining/striations on the plaster. Now that the water is so clear, they are very obvious. I put a trichlor puck on it for a few minutes to see if it was organic and it would rub off, but they did not. It's hard to tell because the photos came out so blue from the sky, but the plaster is white, these marks almost look like where sediment or dirt rested, but they're almost becoming more noticeable now that the water is clearer. (the white spots are clouds fyi)

 

[Newdude]

Now that the water is so clear, they are very obvious

hang tight. I don’t know much about plaster stains.

 

[TexasDedHed]

View attachment 361280

hang tight. I don’t know much about plaster stains.

Ha! Waterboy!

I'll hang tight. It seems from all my reading on here that it is from "improper plastering processes." Lol, really not looking forward to the discussion with my PB. The youngin' seems to be slightly stressed out lately.

Gray Mottling Plaster Discoloration

Gray (also spelled “grey”) or darkened blotchy or streaky discoloration of pool plaster (cement flatwork) is known to be caused by several improper plastering practices, including the addition of calcium chloride to the mix (even less than 2%), late hard or dry troweling, and sometimes a cement...

www.troublefreepool.com