TampaKathy
Gold Supporter
Your IFCS valves are in the thing I've put an arrow on. What is the pipe that I've circled?
Where is the return?
- Thread starter lavndrocean
- Start date
TampaKathy
Gold Supporter
This looks like you only have water going to your spa and not the pool or fountain. Did you turn this when you turned the fountain valve?
Picture 3 shows the system in "Spa" mode. There will be no flow to any pool returns with the valve in that position.
- Jul 3, 2022
- 114
- Pool Size
- 10000
- Surface
- Plaster
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Hayward Turbo Cell (T-CELL-5)
No, we didn't turn that one, just the one labeled fountain. I can, maybe move it a little so some is going to the pool also? I have a feeling most of these are going to be mislabeled which is not helpful.
And, in your other reply w/the pic asking what the one pipe is to, we have no idea. It's very faded and says spa something (?) We didn't put that label there. But as you can see in the pic above, it says spa return. But the neighbor says that's the floor jets.
Thirdly, what are the IFCS valves to? The floor pop-ups?
Hang on please I just took some other pics I'll upload that might be more helpful idk
- Jul 3, 2022
- 114
- Pool Size
- 10000
- Surface
- Plaster
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Hayward Turbo Cell (T-CELL-5)
Photo 1 says Spa Return under the glass part, but neighbor said that’s the floor jets lol 
So what you’re saying is all our water is going to the spa, and none to the pool so we can change that to half way so it goes to both?
Photo 2 there is a worn label that says spa but we don’t know “spa WHAT??”
Photo 3- same photo of “what is this pipe, but also shows Skimmer and Main Floor Drain
Photo 4- what is this? The black lid says RUN or PAUSE and it’s currently on RUN.
Last thing I want to do is start turning valves and empty something lololol
So what you’re saying is all our water is going to the spa, and none to the pool so we can change that to half way so it goes to both?
Photo 2 there is a worn label that says spa but we don’t know “spa WHAT??”
Photo 3- same photo of “what is this pipe, but also shows Skimmer and Main Floor Drain
Photo 4- what is this? The black lid says RUN or PAUSE and it’s currently on RUN.
Last thing I want to do is start turning valves and empty something lololol
Attachments
TampaKathy
Gold Supporter
With the valve as it is in this picture...do you feel water coming into the spa? I don't have a spa so someone much more knowledge able will have to weigh in but I *thought* that maybe the glass thing was a check valve keeps water from draining out of the spa...I wonder why the neighbor thinks that's the ifcs.
rcs29
Gold Supporter
- Jul 26, 2020
- 215
- Pool Size
- 10140
- Surface
- Fiberglass
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Hayward Aqua Rite (T-3)
1) I'd say that is in fact spa return
2) I'm not sure what you're referring to
3) Likely the suction side of spa? Using only one pump correct?
4) That is the floor returns
Yes turn the valve before spa/ fountain split half way, turn fountain/ return valve half way and you should get water going to everything.
2) I'm not sure what you're referring to
3) Likely the suction side of spa? Using only one pump correct?
4) That is the floor returns
Yes turn the valve before spa/ fountain split half way, turn fountain/ return valve half way and you should get water going to everything.
TampaKathy
Gold Supporter
I agree with Rob...that pipe that I circled has to be the suction from the spa. What I think is that this pipe (see arrow) is the ifcs...it is plumbed over to the black round thing, then the plumbing from there goes to the floor pop ups. I would leave the black lid at RUN...if you wanted to pause it for some reason...like you're in the pool and don't want to stub your toes, you can turn it to pause and then back to RUN when you get out.
TampaKathy
Gold Supporter
Not to derail but have you been testing the spa water and the pool water to make sure there is chlorine in both?
- Jul 3, 2022
- 114
- Pool Size
- 10000
- Surface
- Plaster
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Hayward Turbo Cell (T-CELL-5)
Oh definitely water coming into the spa with the spa jets on. Neighbor - a local pool service (not ours that we fired lol)
- Jul 3, 2022
- 114
- Pool Size
- 10000
- Surface
- Plaster
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Hayward Turbo Cell (T-CELL-5)
Um- the spa has a spillover fountain into the pool, so the water cycles through the pool and spa (I thought) so when I test I just test pool because it’s all the same water. I thought.
- Jul 3, 2022
- 114
- Pool Size
- 10000
- Surface
- Plaster
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Hayward Turbo Cell (T-CELL-5)
Um- the spa has a spillover fountain into the pool, so the water cycles through the pool and spa (I thought) so when I test I just test pool because it’s all the same water. I
that red arrow- on the pipe that says fountains- that valve is what we use to control & turn off the water spray fountains. The ones we shut off a few weeks back due to evaporation, that now won’t turn on. Lol
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TampaKathy
Gold Supporter
Oh ok, i didnt realize there was a spillover from spa to pool that ran all the time.
- Jul 3, 2022
- 114
- Pool Size
- 10000
- Surface
- Plaster
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Hayward Turbo Cell (T-CELL-5)
It’s all good. Ok so IFCS is ‘in-floor cleaning system’ right? Brilliant. And that’s that big black round rubber topper thing? So if it’s set on RUN, and the floor jets are not popped up (for instance they’re down right now because we hooked up the vacuum to vacuum the floor)- what does that mean? Thank you (everyone) I’m so frustrated trying to figure all this out but we’ll get there.
rcs29
Gold Supporter
- Jul 26, 2020
- 215
- Pool Size
- 10140
- Surface
- Fiberglass
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Hayward Aqua Rite (T-3)
rcs29
Gold Supporter
- Jul 26, 2020
- 215
- Pool Size
- 10140
- Surface
- Fiberglass
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Hayward Aqua Rite (T-3)
And the one with the red arrow indicates you have the fountains closed off as well. As long as I'm looking at right. Turn the blue and red to half way and that should allow water to returns and fountains
- Jul 3, 2022
- 114
- Pool Size
- 10000
- Surface
- Plaster
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Hayward Turbo Cell (T-CELL-5)
Ok, yes the blue arrow pic we haven't touched so I will turn that one and the red one half way. In photo
Guess what? I found an original photo we took before labels started fading and the one circled says Spa Suction.
rcs29
Gold Supporter
- Jul 26, 2020
- 215
- Pool Size
- 10140
- Surface
- Fiberglass
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Hayward Aqua Rite (T-3)
Ok let me go a bit further. The black "tab" across from the valve handle says "off" on it correct? So that tab needs to point towards no other pipes to accomplish what I'm saying.
First, there is a little switch on the actuator that controls the return valve that is now pointing to the spa. The handle should rotate so that it points toward the valve with ports marked "fountain" and "???" (can't see a marking). The switch may be in a middle position (motor off), up, or down right now. Doesn't matter, it needs to be in the position to make the handle point the other direction from where it is now. Once there, leave it alone.
The handle may go all the way or it may stop at some intermediate position to allow for filtered water to enter the spa. That is where it should be for pool operation. You can't turn the valve with the actuator, it is motorized. If it doesn't turn, either the actuator is bad or the board in your automation is.
Once the valve is in that position, water will flow to the pool. It is possible that one or more of the IFC ports in the distribution valve is connected to a return line and will send water to the return fitting in its order.
- Jul 3, 2022
- 114
- Pool Size
- 10000
- Surface
- Plaster
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Hayward Turbo Cell (T-CELL-5)
Got it! I just found an original photo we took a while ago (few weeks) and the one you circled in blue, at the time of that photo, was half way! So I imagine you are correct that's how to turn the fountains back on. Now I just have to figure out where the valve is for the floor jets?