Insanely Dysfunctional Filter Set-up...How can this be fixed?

[when_in_TN]

I know nothing about this stuff and I posted this in the newbie section but thought I'd try my luck here too.

I’m considering just calling a plumber to take it from here. I ordered a replacement vari-flo valve and am trying to figure out what to do next. The labor aspect is overwhelming. I’ll try to break it down and give it a DIY try anyway if there is a chance someone can direct me from here. I prob don’t have the right tools or supplies. If the remedy is cheap and easy enough I would be proud of myself for pulling it together, but there are only 24 hours in a day. I’m just gonna post the whole setup to illustrate the additional problematic observations after running on recirculate all night.

1. Line goes to a weather proof swimming pool transformer.
2. Line goes to another breaker box or junction box of some sort.

3. Line goes to an outlet? Patched through I guess and then to the pump. Outlet doesn’t work either.

4. Three areas of water collection from a leak, each marked with a 4.

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5. Leaks that I hope are just from the plumbing above the filter basket contraption. I don’t know what it’s called. Emailed Hayward asking for a pdf of the
manual. No response yet.

6. Did not see or feel any water collection on this whole area of piping in view here. Pretty sure left side is skimmers.
7. Pretty sure right side is for main drain. I’ve tinkered with them and it appears to be so based on pool suction after turning the valves. Handle
is broken and is a total pain to turn.


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8. The joints or unions that are marked are leaking or collecting water from a leak above.
9. This area just looks a little damp and dirty on the bottom side of where the white meets the brown.
10. This is a pipe that runs the waste to French drains somehow. I DO NOT want this on there anymore. I’d much rather connect a hose and route it away farther.

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11. These are the visible portions of the French drains. One up top, one below. Dumb and dumber.

12. This is where that bottom drain pours out onto the concrete in front of our sunroom.
13. This is the other side of the pool with a drain in the grass waaaaayyyy down there. I ran the backwash and my attention was on the sight glass, right, so when I look away I see all of this disgusting water headed straight for the pool. I’m just furious.

What a mess! I'm starting to think the previous owners were just like whatever, cover it up and turn it off, not my pool anymore, not my problem and everything busted over the winter. Or maybe it is all just really old. Driving me crazy and my kids just don't get it. They want instant party pool. Yeah right.

 

[borjis]

Wow yes there is some work to be done.

That electric outlet you show...is that connected to a GFI breaker? If not, I would either get one
or replace the outlet with a GFI version.

pump leaks: it looks like you need a new o-ring for the basket lid.

This wasn't mentioned but I don't see a bonding wire attached to your pump motor housing. Is there any where near
or on your equipment area a bare copper wire that is loose coming up out of the ground?

 

[440dodge440]

Hayward pump manual available here:
https://www.hayward-pool.com/pdf/manuals/SuperPump.pdf

 

[when_in_TN]

Thanks.

 

[pondfishr]

If you have a small hand held saw, tape measure, PVC pipe, PVC fittings, and heavy duty PVC glue you can try to fix it on your own. Any of the pool pump gaskets should be able to be found online if you take care and look them up. If you remove the valve handles you should be able to turn the valves with a adjustable wrench. If you are new to this kind of stuff and really want this behind you.... Find a very reputable and honest local pool service company and let them give you an estimate for both the plumbing and electrical. Pool plumbing is not hard to work on but it can be tricky. You only want to fix it once. Pool electrical is a BIG DEAL if you get it wrong someone could lose their life. Just my opinion,

 

[when_in_TN]

Yes, that is what I was leaning towards but it is much easier to find a reputable plumber and electrician than it is to find a reputable pool service. Everybody has their horror stories for each, and I have my own for at least one of them now. I've got an electrician coming out for some other things anyway. I was thinking since there doesn't seem to be much to it, a good plumber could handle it. So you don't think a whole new filter system would be worth the investment.

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I just don't want to get sucked into any sales pitch as an alternative to a pool service company just fixing it.

 

[pondfishr]

It depends if your leak can be repaired easily and the condition of the multiport valve, shell, and laterals.

 

[tmobileguy]

wow...that is a mess.... I feel your pain...but just to let you know, mine was almost as bad as that...but I did have a waste line that carried the water out to the yard. My solution was to replace and replumb everything. It's really not that hard honestly, especially with this forum... You have people here that are wayyy more knowledgeable then any local pool companies, electricians, and plumbers combined. I put in a new subpanel, rewired all my electrical (including relays that switch stuff on if something else turns on..yada yada), and am doing all my pad plumbing as well.... I had an old sand filter like you had that leaked, a multi valve port that leaked, a psi gauge that was pegged at 35 and wouldn't move, a pump that wouldn't draw water, a timer that was rusted out, plumbing that had leaks, and on and on.....

that trainwreck tee needs to be changed to a branch tee (your incoming plumbing lines)....all those unions and couplings are just asking for trouble down the road.... I would redo the whole thing.....do it right one time and then not worry about.... You can redo all that plumbing in a day....and the electrical in half that...replace that breaker feeding the pump with a gfci breaker. Good thing about your electrical is that you can just shut the breaker off that is feeding that terminal and you can diagnosis and replace as you please without worry of electrical shock....and worry about that waste line last, unless you are planning on draining your pool on a regular basis...

It might seem overwhelming but once you get into it, you will find it is very easy to fix all that mess....

 

[when_in_TN]

Do you have any links or pics of a plumbing set up that makes more sense? The same junk keeps making it's way back through the filter. I want to clean it and get a look at the parts inside the filter too but I'm not sure I want to try to clean the filter until I get a manual for it. I've found the S200 filter manual online but I can't find the S240.