We Don't Even Know How To Start it Up & It's Becoming a MESS ~ Help?!

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Lillybette

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Jun 28, 2017
20
Exeter, PA
Hi Everyone! Hoping someone can help us before this mess gets much worse! So a tiny bit of background - my dad purchased a new home and this is our first summer with the in-ground pool/spa set up and we have NO IDEA how to get the spa up and running....like at all. So, it has been sitting for weeks and as you can see is getting pretty gross. There is, of course, no filtration so it is blooming and dirty. We are in some desperate need for instructions on how to get it on and how the filtration would work going forward. I am going to try to include a link with pictures of the spa and the filter as well as all the valves. (I have not used photobucket before so hopefully I did it right). The previous owner wrote on them, but quite honestly it just doesn't make any sense. When there are a couple people in the pool, the water inevitably mixes and, well, yuck ~ plus we would really like to use it! I appreciate ANY help! We are new to all of this and this site has been a life saver for caring for the pool!

Lillybette0317's Library | Photobucket
 
I can't make sense out of those pictures, but I have seen enough. Your three way valves are shut off is all.

The wide end of the handle corresponds with the plate inside. If the plate is lined up across an inlet, it's closed.

The only way to know for sure is to move the handles and see what goes to what, but I suspect if you turn these two valves I've circled 180 degrees you will isolate the spa and shut off the pool. And then in-between will mix. To turn them, loosen the locknut and move the handle then tighten the lock nut again. Pump off.

With that green, I'd want to run just the spa for a while and add a quart of laundry bleach to it and brush it some. Just a few hours. Then you can shut off the one to the left (back where it is now) and set the right hand one to point straight up and split the return flow. Then your spa will spill over and flush itself.

valves.jpg
 
Thank you so much! Sorry about the pictures ~ believe me, I tried my best since they don't even make sense to me looking at them! I will try that in the morning when I head over to my dad's house - makes it tough to not live there but taking care of the pool for him! Luckily it is only a couple blocks. The previous owner left zero instructions and I am just so afraid of screwing something up!

I did actually brush the sides some today when I was cleaning the rest of the pool so I will definitely add the bleach first and brush again if I am able to get it running.

Would the valve's just stay in that in-between position for normal use going forward so this does not happen again? Again thank you so much!
 
Lillybette said:
Thank you so much! Sorry about the pictures ~ believe me, I tried my best since they don't even make sense to me looking at them! I will try that in the morning when I head over to my dad's house - makes it tough to not live there but taking care of the pool for him! Luckily it is only a couple blocks. The previous owner left zero instructions and I am just so afraid of screwing something up!

I did actually brush the sides some today when I was cleaning the rest of the pool so I will definitely add the bleach first and brush again if I am able to get it running.

Would the valve's just stay in that in-between position for normal use going forward so this does not happen again? Again thank you so much!
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I have mine set so about 20% of the water runs into the spa and the rest goes to the pool. I don't draw any from the spa at all. Reason being, if I carefully set the valves so I drew less than I returned from the spa, but the pool skimmer basket got clogged, it might then start drawing more from the spa than the pool and ultimately empty the spa and run the pump dry and ruin it. The only time I draw from the spa is when I'm around, either using it or cleaning it.
 
Richard320 said:
I have mine set so about 20% of the water runs into the spa and the rest goes to the pool. I don't draw any from the spa at all. Reason being, if I carefully set the valves so I drew less than I returned from the spa, but the pool skimmer basket got clogged, it might then start drawing more from the spa than the pool and ultimately empty the spa and run the pump dry and ruin it. The only time I draw from the spa is when I'm around, either using it or cleaning it.
Click to expand...

Oh that makes sense and considering sometimes it has no one around for a large portion of the day, that would be bad!

One last (I hope!) question - do I turn off the filter when I turn the valves? My guess is yes, but my guess is also because I am really afraid to screw it up! Thank you, you have been so helpful!
 
Lillybette said:
Oh that makes sense and considering sometimes it has no one around for a large portion of the day, that would be bad!

One last (I hope!) question - do I turn off the filter when I turn the valves? My guess is yes, but my guess is also because I am really afraid to screw it up! Thank you, you have been so helpful!
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That is the safest thing. Last thing you want is to mess up one of the internal seals and have to deal with that, too.
 
Richard ~ you are my hero! Everything worked PERFECTLY & easily! It was pretty much a "duh moment" after following your directions and seeing how easy it all was! I can not thank you enough! I have a couple other questions to post about some things tomorrow as well (it is getting late here on the east coast), but I wanted to give you a look at the post cleaning up and running day and to say thank you!

spa1.jpg spa2.jpg
 
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