Clogged spillover fountains?

wesbob

Member
Oct 14, 2017
12
palm harbor, FL
I have 2 spillover fountains built into a concrete wall - I can only seem to get a trickle out of one and essentially nothing but a couple of drips out of the other (in line, the first one has a trickle) I’ve tried using them as the sole return and it doesn’t change anything. I’ve noticed if I play with the valves to the fountains that occasionally I can get it to sputter once or twice, but never quite kicks on. They both used to work and slowly both stopped working. When i use just the fountains as the only repair the water pretty much stops moving In the pump. It definitely seems like something is clogged In the line. I think it’s pebble tech because a lot of the rocks have been coming up I. The filter over the lat 2 years. I think it needs to be somehow snaked
Since I can’t get to the fountains because they are built into concrete walls.

Is it possible to snake pool lines? Or is there any other way to try to clear these fountain lines?
 

Attachments

  • IMG_0198.jpeg
    IMG_0198.jpeg
    259.8 KB · Views: 14
Post a full set of water test results from your kit.
What kind of filter to you have? Has the pressure on your filter gone up? When is the last time you cleaned it? Clean your filter.
Are the valves properly set? Post some pictures of your equipment pad, with all valves in the position you have them when you want to run the fountain.
Has any scaling built up on the waterfall exit?
Have you verified there is not little pieces of debris in the waterfall slit?
 
Good questions

I’ve tried running a knife through the slits, I’ve cleaned the filter (and put brand new filter in this week)

On the scaling, yes I’ve actually had a significant amount of calcium build up in the area around the fountains, I was recommended to add a bunch of acid as well as some metal out (whole bottle) that that 3 weeks ago, still no go. I got some scale spray that I sprayed in the stuff on the wall and it did get rid of it.

Large cartridge filer (no pressure gauge) the regular returns in pool run with a ton of force.

I have the pool heater bypassed.

drain and skimmer are both open of intake, in pool jets and fountains are also all open (everything is open)
 
Filter: Check.

Second, I would close down some/all of the returns and see what happens with the flow through the fountain. You may be surprised when you close the pool returns.

I was recommended to add a bunch of acid as well as some metal out (whole bottle) that that 3 weeks ago, still no go. I got some scale spray that I sprayed in the stuff on the wall and it did get rid of it.
I'd suspend this. Not sure where or why you added the acid. We don't recommend "metal out" except in specific situation, and no scale spray (what product was this?)

Post a full set of water test results from your kit.
 
Yeah I’ve tried closing the pool jets, the water in the pump basket that I can see basically stops moving all together when I close the pool jets and leave just the fountains open, nothing comes out.

This is the pipe and valve setup - I don’t have chemistry right now but can get updated values tomorrow
 

Attachments

  • IMG_0202.jpeg
    IMG_0202.jpeg
    2.8 MB · Views: 7
Is the left pump/filter the waterfall and the right the pool? If so, don't close the returns, that will dead head the pump. Didn't realize they might be separate.

Also, if so, have you cleaned the left filter?

My guess is that there is scale that is impeding flow.

The only way, for a fountain, that you will correct is to lower CSI for a period of time (maybe months).

Post the chemistry and we can go from there. You profile say "palm harbor" Palm harbor where?