Make-up tank high; pool losing water

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H

Hiki08

New member
Dec 25, 2023
3
Hong Kong
Hi all,

I'm a pool newbie, we've been maintaining the (very small 20m3) pool on our own by doing regular (once a month or two) back washes in an 'underground' pool system. System is around 8 years old.

This morning we noticed the pool lost half its water and heard water flowing out in the pump room. On checking, the panel warning light "make up tank high level" was lit and the make up tank had water flowing out from the (presumably) overflow valves.

I did a back wash (which brought the pool water further down naturally), and it seemed to stop the overflow in the pump room, the warning light went away and the pool automatically filled itself to around 3/4 the way. The next we looked it went back to losing water (1/2 full) and again the same warning light was lit and water overflowed.

A similar but shorter back wash (water was clear) did not lead it to refill itself this time.

Any thoughts what might be the issue? Seems like a control valve or sensor issue somewhere?

Pump and sand filter system are by Waterco.

Thanks and happy holidays!
 
08,

My guess would be a bad check valve somewhere, but since we can't possibly understand your plumbing, we will need to see several pics of your equipment room, from different angles..

Tell us more..

How many pumps do you have?

Is this a vanishing edge system where the pool water spills over into the "make up tank"?

A couple of pics of the pool itself would also help.

Thanks,

Jim R.
 
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Here's some photos of the pool and the pump room (which looks shamefully messy).

As for the photos... you can see the panel with the warning light on bottom left. Behind this panel is the pool of water (pump room is underground). The panel is facing the pic of the makeup tank seen in the photo with the water flowing out of the tank (overflow). Third photo shows the floor with the make up tank on the right and the control panel on the left of photo. Pool is also on the left in that photo. Pipe in centre top of that photo is where the water comes out during backwash and rinse. Fourth photo is of the sand filter which is to the right of the make up tank. Last pic is of the pool. Water level appears to have stabilised at this level.

Thanks!
 

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08,

What you have is a Perimeter overflow system, instead of the typical skimmer systems that we have here is the US. Unfortunately I have zero experience with your type of pool set up. :(

Let's see is we can get @JamesW to chime in..

Something that stands out to me is that the water is well below your perimeter overflow, so I would have to assume water is leaving your pool and going into the make up tank by some other route than the perimeter overflow.. :scratch:

Does your main pump run 24/7 or does it shut off? If the pump shuts off, something has to prevent the pool water from flowing backwards into the make up tank.. I assume a check valve or one of your automated valves.. ??

I see that you have three automated valves.. If this were my pool, I'd want to check to see if they were working or not. I don't see them in the pics and have no idea what they look like, or where they are. I suspect you use very different valves than we do.

When the pump is off does the make up tank fill with water and overflow?

Thanks,

Jim R.
 
thanks. Attached is a photo showing the other side of the pool which you cannot see in the photo in my previous reply. This wall backs against the pump room (the brown decking you see in this photo). Bottom right you will see one of two locations where the water normally feeds into the pump (the other one is immediately to the right of it).

The smaller white circles on the same wall is where the system usually fills water into the pool automatically (whereas circles on the left wall are the jacuzzi jets). I believe the drainage at the top discards the water and does not bring it back to the pump.

We run the pump around 6 hours a day, which cycles through the pool volume once. We have a separate pool robot we put in once in a while to pick up other debris on the pool floor.

It's actually my parent's place so I don't have immediate access to take more photos now but if there's anything you suspect which I should take while I'm next there then I can certainly do so.
 

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