Before Beginner...

[andwhite1]

New home with pool this winter. Never thought I would have a pool but here I am. I know almost nothing about pools. Read through pool school. I have a rough idea of how it all works now but missing a lot of details. Waiting for my test kit. I took the winter safety cover off this weekend and started to try and figure things out. I have about 100 questions before I even get to but I will start with a few here since the sticky said to only ask a couple per post.

The water is swampy of course. I skimmed off as much as i could on top and got what big stuff on the bottom I could. I scrubbed all the dirt and algae off the walls. All the plugs in the skimmers and eyeball outlets still in. I shop vacced out the antifreeze from skimmers and auto fill wells. I guess my goal is to get the water level up to the skimmers so i can test the pump and filter to make sure all that is working so then i can figure out how to vacuum all the gunk off the bottom. Of course I have no clue how to do this yet. Then hopefully i can figure out all the physical stuff/cleaning, get my test kit and start the chemical stuff.

Some physical questions:

1. I figured out how to add water there is a hose by the spigot. Attached that. There is a well for what looks like an auto-fill mechanism but it isn't in there. I assume I can just add the water manually through here. But I don't think I can get it above the equalizing pipe. It seems it has to be a little above that for the skimmers to work. The top of water outlet seems to be at bottom of skimmers. I guess I could cap off the outlet then and use the hose after that if i need it to be higher than that outlet pipe at the bottom of the pic?



2. One of the skimmer wells has hairline cracks with past repair stuff on it that also is hairline cracked. Do I need ot fix this somehow I assume. Also at the bottom is a lot of gray repair stuff. Water leaks in when I vacuum it out. Obviously this repair has failed AND where is this water coming from? The pool or the ground? It is a little disturbing that there could be water behind the pool walls that comes in the skimmer well. That can't be good?




Got a lot more but that is good for now Thanks!

 

[jblizzle]

Welcome to TFP!!!

1. It does look like the entire float valve assembly that would be screwed in is missing from the auto-fill. I did not follow a lot of the rest in your question. You need to fill the pool up to a level in the middle of the skimmer ... I am not sure how you are relating that to what you see in the auto-fill.

2. What is the water level in the pool relative to the water in the bottom of the skimmer? Water could be making past the stopper from the pool, or you are right it could be leaking in from the ground outside the pool. I am not sure what would be needed to fix this. Best would be to replace the entire skimmer, but that is not easy or cheap.

 

[triptyx]

If your autofill works anything like mine, the water flows out into the pool via the pipe at the bottom of the well, and the water comes into the well (normally) via a float valve that is screwed into that hole near the top of the well. If the outlet at the bottom goes straight to the pool, its height has nothing to do with how full the pool can be - a higher water level in the well than the pool will naturally force water into the pool to equalize the pressure. If the hole for the float valve won't leak freely (you can always measure it and get a cap at a hardware store to cap it off if it is not), you could bring the water level all the way to the top of the well in the main pool. If that receptacle could leak, however, you'd want to cap it if you need the water level to be higher than the float valve outlet.

Does that make sense? I might be missing some plumbing based on your picture.

 

[andwhite1]

I see. I think. I just figured when the water in the pool got up to the level of the auto fill outlet (the pipe in the bottom) that it wouldn't go any higher and just start filling up the well until it overflowed. will the level in the pool and well always be equal?

Can someone point me towards an auto-fill assembly example that would screw in properly to this well. I assume they are pretty standard?

So in the skimmer well with the leak. The pool level is above where the water is leaking in at the bottom. But that part of the yard is also a low spot in the neighborhood so maybe it is groundwater. I know nothing about pool construction but it seems odd that they don't make those wells somewhat easily replaceable instead of locking them in the deck. Oh well. I am just not clear if it is a sign of a more serious problem. I guess maybe it's better that water is leaking in instead of out?

 

[jblizzle]

Yes the level in the pool and the well should be the same, that is how the autofill valve works.

There are some from evaporative coolers, although I am not sure if the threads are the same.

Problem is once the water in the pool gets higher, it will start leaking out and not in.

 

[andwhite1]

Ok I see now. Thanks for the info (re: Auto Fill).

Also. I was afraid that wold be the case (leaking OUT of the skimmer well). I assume having water leak into the ground out of the well behind the pool wall is not a good thing. I guess maybe I will have to have the pool people come and look at it. Bummer. I bet it is not going to be cheap... Probably why the prev owner kept trying to repair it.

 

[jblizzle]

I paid $1200 to replace a skimmer

 

[triptyx]

Yes the level in the pool and the well should be the same, that is how the autofill valve works.

There are some from evaporative coolers, although I am not sure if the threads are the same.

That's exactly how they built mine - the autofill floater valve is directly out of an evaporative cooler.

There's only a few sizes I think - if that line is capable of being charged with water, you could get a couple of different sizes and return the one that doesn't fit.

 

[andwhite1]

Thanks. I will look for some autofill evaporative cooler valves

As for the skimmer well leak. I certainly don't want to pay $1200 if I don't have too. I moved 3 very heavy concrete aggregates stone benches from around the pool (in the grass not on the deck). The one near this skimmer was crooked and sinking into the ground. This makes me think there is def water leaking out through this skimmer.

I see some people (and the former owner) used pool putty to fix skimmer leaks with varying success. I might try to repair the former owners repair first and see if I can get it to seal and get by for 1 or two seasons before doing the big repair. Keeping my fingers crossed. Anyone have any luck with pool putty skimmer repair?