So we bought a house during winter and the pool/spa was not able to be inspected. I finally got around to removing the 3 drain covers at the bottom of the spa, and this is what I found. It looks like someone not once, but twice, poured a new floor into the spa, put in a new drain cover, and called it good. What? Why would anyone do this? How can this be fixed, if at all? The spa leaks…assuming at the drains.
Never seen anything like this…what would you do?
- Thread starter mikegmi2
- Start date
Also, can anyone tell me what the 1” PCV pipes are at the bottom of the drains? They’re half covered in cement…what are those for?
Cost.
It’s a lot more expensive to do a full chip out down to the concrete/ gunite and many folks skip that expense. Ironically, plastering onto old plaster isn’t structural so it won’t last nearly as long until it needs redoing. As you see in the pic. Layer after layer.Thanks for the reply, makes sense. Any idea what the small 1 or 1.5” pvc pipes are in the bottom of those drains?Cost.
Does that return work as far as you can tell? Not sure if there is a easy way to fix it.
Not sure what that 1” line could be?
Not sure what that 1” line could be?
Yes they do work…that is actually pictures of 3 different drains at the bottom of my spa. 1 is for the filter, 1 is for the jets pump, but I have no clue what the third could be for. The spa has 1 return on the wall that pumps in water when the pool filter is running…so maybe 1 of those drains is connected to the pool somehow?
Also I’m really wondering what those smaller PVC pipes are at the bottom of the drains…
None whatsoever. Lol. Hang tight, someone will know.
Trying a bump, gotta know what the heck those little PVC 1” lines with caps on them are for?
- May 3, 2014
- 58,306
- Pool Size
- 6000
- Surface
- Fiberglass
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Pentair Intellichlor IC-40
I doubt it. I have a return line to the spa that only flows when in Pool Mode. My pool is nearly 19 years old. This was done before automation to allow chlorinated water to flow to spa and spillover to the pool. I cannot turn off this line. Do you think you have a valve on the equipment pad that this line is connected to? It is unlikely there be a drain in the spa to suck water when in Pool Mode unless there is no spillover to the pool. Basically the pump has suction from the pool (main drain, skimmer or both) and returns to the pool and to the spa with a spillover to the pool from the spa. This keeps both bodies of water chlorinated all of the time.
Since you have 3 drains in the bottom of the spa. It is likely that 2 are connected to one another to prevent entrapment. I have not seen a spa with 3 drains so is it possible that all 3 are connected? Another option is - do you have a water feature that only flows back to the spa?
Maybe provide some info on your equipment pad setup as well as an overview picture of your pool & spa.
Hope this helps.
Possibly but why would they just dump cement over it making it impossible to take the cap off?
And we do have 1 of the return ports on this spa connected to the pool, so when the pool filter is running the spa fills and overflows into the pool. They way this is setup, is the pool and spa have their own pumps and filters, and heaters. The only way they are connected is through the one pool return line, must have a Y in it so half goes to the spa when pool filter is on. I had that return plugged on the spa right now.
My guess is the little PVC cap might be where an old hydrostatic valve used to be? That’s the only thing that seems to make sense? But, at the same time i don’t think those usually get put in spas, only in the main drain of pools?
Ok, yes this is an old pool, probably 40-50 years old when it was first put in. Same situation one of the returns on the spa is directly connected to one of the pool returns so whenever the pool is running the spa fills and overflows. I also cannot turn this off unless I plug the spa return, which I have done all summer since the spa leaks.
O believe you are correct, 2 of the drains are connected…as I went down there and sucked all the water out yesterday and could hear suction from one drain when I was sucking water/air out of another. Can you explain what “entrapment” means?
So if 2 are connected, then 1 must be for the main spa pump, and the other must be for the jets pump? I will post photos of the equipment shortly. It will show that the pool and spa equipment are completely separate.
- May 3, 2014
- 58,306
- Pool Size
- 6000
- Surface
- Fiberglass
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Pentair Intellichlor IC-40
Do you have any abandoned lines at the equipment pad?
I doubt it is a hydrostatic valve.
I doubt it is a hydrostatic valve.
- May 3, 2014
- 58,306
- Pool Size
- 6000
- Surface
- Fiberglass
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Pentair Intellichlor IC-40
Virginia Graeme Baker Pool and Spa Safety Act; Incorporation by Reference of Successor Standard
The Virginia Graeme Baker Pool and Spa Act (VGBA, or Act) requires that drain covers must comply with entrapment protection requirements specified by the joint American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) and American National Standards Institute (ANSI) ASME/ ANSI A112.19.8 performance...
www.federalregister.gov
Here are pics of the equipment. The lines connected to the larger heater and large sand filter are for the pool. The other lines connected to the smaller heater and smaller filter are all for the spa. The spa has 2 pumps, one for the main drain and jets, the other pushes water through the filter and heater.
Attachments
If you look at the bottom of this pic, where the rocks are, there is a small PVC pipe sticking out of the ground with a cap on it…I also have no idea what this pipe does or if it is related to the spa at all.
Attachments
The only other abandoned line is there used to be an old pool cleaner line which is either plugged on purpose or it was preferred to buy a more modern day cleaner you just plug into the wall. You can see the old pump that used to power it by the rest of the pool equipment, the valves are all shut for it and it is plugged on the pool side.
- May 3, 2014
- 58,306
- Pool Size
- 6000
- Surface
- Fiberglass
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Pentair Intellichlor IC-40
The dual equipment implies they attempted to operate the spa with the pool closed. I suspect it did not end well during winter at some point.
ferretbone
In The Industry
"Also I’m really wondering what those smaller PVC pipes are at the bottom of the drains…"
Leave that plug alone it's not for you. It's a Hydrostatic relief plug. It goes into the dirt. And by looking at the shape your drain baskets are, you'll never need to remove the plugs
Leave that plug alone it's not for you. It's a Hydrostatic relief plug. It goes into the dirt. And by looking at the shape your drain baskets are, you'll never need to remove the plugs
I don’t think they’re hydrostatic valves…the tops of them are covered in cement making it impossible for the tops to lift up and let in any water if the ground water pressure was too high. Or is a “hydrostatic plug” different than a “hydrostatic valve”?