backwash + waste water returning to pool

sroberts88 · Mar 22, 2018

Hi,

I am a new pool owner and new to this forum and hoping for some help and advice.
When I run the backwash or waste setting on my filter, the dirty water returns into the pool from an outlet which sits above the water level and is separate from the normal return outlets.

When I run the filter on 'filter' it all works fine.

I'm guessing it's a pipe blockage? Though I'm not sure why the waste pipe would be communicating with the pool at all.
Any thoughts/advice/solutions would be much appreciated.

I've attached some photos to help further explain. I apologise for the labelling. I did it on a phone.

Thanks in advance.

zea3 · Mar 22, 2018

Hi, welcome to TFP! What you have labeled as a waste pipe looks like it could be an overflow drain. It should not be connected to the filter system. Could you post a picture of the filter and equipment pad? A long shot so we can trace the route of the pipes and a close up of the filter in question would be helpful. Did you recently have work done on the pool, or did the previous owner? If so any documentation of the work would be helpful too.

Jimrahbe · Mar 22, 2018

S,

Welcome to TFP... a great place to find the answers to all your "wasted" questions... :shark:

As Zea points out the pipe right at the water line is an overflow drain. Nothing should be coming out...

I suspect that the overflow is connected into the same plumbing as your deck drains and it sounds like your waste line... So either they plumbed it in such as way as to allow the waste water to flow into your pool, or as you suspect, the waste line is blocked.

Do you know where they plumbed the end of the waste line? If this is a new pool, your pool builder needs to take care of the problem. It is nothing you are doing wrong..

Thanks for posting,

Jim R.

sroberts88 · Mar 22, 2018

Hi, Thank you Jim and Zea3 for your replies.
Some important info which I had forgotten, when we first moved in when we backwashed the water sprayed out one of the pipes connected to the roof gutters of the house which we sealed up. Since sealing that's when it's started coming out back into the pool.

The pool is very old, definitely >10 years. I believe the previous owners got a new pump and chlorinator about a year before we moved in but as far as I know no other work.
It wasn't in a great state when we got here but I know the family were using it.

I've attached a photo of the filter set up and one with the pool init so you can see in relation to where the overflow pipe is pumping out the waste water.

Thanks again
Susan

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sroberts88 · Mar 22, 2018

sorry, pictures were too big to have both on one reply!
The overflow pipe is just underneath where the hose is.

Jimrahbe · Mar 22, 2018

Susan,

Sure sounds like the line that carries away your rain is stopped up to me... You need to figure out where storm water, waster water, overflow go and make sure the line is open..

Thanks,

Jim R.

sroberts88 · Mar 22, 2018

Thanks Jim,

Sorry for my ignorance, is that just a case of getting a plumber in to see if the pipe is blocked?

Thanks
Susan

Jimrahbe · Mar 22, 2018

Susan,

Yes... It would be nice if you knew where the pipe went because you just might be able to fix it yourself..

It could go out to the street, or it could into the house sewer, or it just might dump out into the yard somewhere???

Thanks,

Jim R.

zea3 · Mar 25, 2018

A plumber can run a camera down the sewer line from the clean out to check for a break in the line or partial blockage. If the pool and gutters are plumbed to the sewer line, a partially blocked line could allow the normal household waste water to flow, while backwashing the pool adds a large volume of pressurized water that seeks the path of least resistance. Have you had any long, heavy rains since you moved into the house?