Brand New Equipment Install - Am I overreacting?

[Kebabian]

I had an inground pool with spa and waterfall installed last summer. They finally installed the inline chlorinator today.... 7 months after completion!?!?! I'm not happy with the plumbing install and here's why.

1. They forgot to install the "deep heat" plumbing initially, so they did so later on by adding two valves and connecting the main pool return line to the floor drain supply line, so I can switch from normal (pull from skimmers and drain and supply to returns in side walls) to deep heat mode (pull from skimmers only and return to drains only). Is this normal?
2. They plumbed the output of the ozone generator directly to the drain plug of the main pump. Everything I've read states that it should go AFTER all equipment and use an injector manifold, so that the equipment is not subject to oxidization. Thoughts?
3. They forgot to add the in-line chlorinator until today and when they did, they had to move the UV chamber to make room for it, so they routed out of the heater, around the back of it, up through the UV chamber then back around the side of the heater to the chlorinator and then off to the pool return. Doesn't sound too bad when I write it, but in order to make it work, they had to stand the piping on two sections of PVC attached to the piping as makeshift stands!!!!
4. I believe they have the UV chamber mounted in reverse, so that the water flow goes from the electrical side of the UV unit and away from it. I think it should be the other way around so that the water flow is pushing on the quartz tube up against the end from which it would be removed, thus preventing the quartz sleeve from being pulled into the plumbing.

Are these valid concerns or am I overreacting? If pictures would help, I'd be happy to post some tomorrow.

Thanks for any and all comments.

 

[Patrick_B]

Hey, and welcome to the forum!

Its confusing reading this to be honest, but it sounds a holy mess. If you are saying you have freshly Ozonated water passing through the heater that is no good IMO. Otherwise, it sounds terrible and that there was no planning or forethought at all. I dont know about the UV chamber orientation, but if you will post up some pics, we will look it over and get the right answers for you I am certain.

 

[Jimrahbe]

K,

How about a couple of pics of your equipment pad... It might make more sense then, at least for me.

Thanks,

Jim R.

 

[remixmark]

K,

How about a couple of pics of your equipment pad... It might make more sense then, at least for me.

Thanks,

Jim R.

What he said

 

[Kebabian]

Here are a couple of pics of the equipment with some descriptions of what I think is wrong. Thanks for taking a look!

 

[Mr Bruce]

If it were me I would take out the chlorinator and the UV just for the improved flow. Also I don't know if I've ever seen a 180 degree turn in pool plumbing.

 

[Jimrahbe]

K,

I'm not sure that anything is "wrong" with your installation, but it is one of the most unorganized and sloppy installations I have seen...

The idea to use the main drain for deep heating seems to be normal in some areas of the country. A pool does not "need" to have a Main Drain, so I would just leave the valves in the deep heat position.

Unfortunately, you found this site a little too late, as we would have recommended against using UV and Ozone. They are of little help in sanitizing your water.

You will also have to be careful using your 3" tab chlorinator. The use of 3" tabs will, over time, increase the CYA in your water to a point where the chlorine is no longer able to sanitize your pool water.

I also doubt it makes any difference which way the water flows through the UV chamber...

Let's see if you get some comments from other members that might be more familiar with UV and Ozone systems.

Thanks for posting,

Jim R.

 

[Kebabian]

Jim R,

Thanks for the response. One concern I have with using the deep heat constantly is that, as I understand it, the pump for the waterfall also pulls from the main drain, so if the deep heat circulation is running at the same time as the waterfall, there is a good chance that the "hot" water is getting returned to the main drain and being sucked back into the secondary pump only to be sent to the waterfall.....

I have four drains in the deep end of the pool and was told that they are all connected....

 

[Jimrahbe]

K,

Looking at your plumbing I would assume that two of the floor drains are for the water feature pump and the other two floor drains are for the main pump... It could be that all four floor drains are connected at the bottom of the pool???

Do you have any pictures from when the pool was being built, before they shot the gunite?

Either way, if it were cold enough to heat your pool, I would think that you would not be running your water features anyway. No matter if the drains are tied together or not, running the water features will suck warm water from the pool and cool it.

Have you talked with your Pool Builder about this situation? If not, I suggest you send him the above pics and ask if this is how his company wants to be represented? It can't hurt...

Jim R.

 

[jdoty1977]

The only thing I wanted to add is that the ozone feed directly into you pump may not be ideal as it can corrode seals and be a safety concern if that bleeder line from your air pressure relief valve fails. Read Here for details on 2 different methods to introduce ozone. Then again most people here will agree ozone is not needed.

 

[Kebabian]

Jim R,

Good question. I had setup a camera to take a picture every minute, never thought to look. Looks like you are correct, two for the main and two for the water feature. They don't look to be connected.....



I have spoken with the pool builder MANY times, during the build and after, when they didn't bury the lines deep enough for the patio, when they didn't show up, when they didn't provide what was promised.... I could go on. Still battling with them on these items. They are VERY unprofessional despite being a nationally well known pool builder. I'm not mentioning their name yet because they still owe me some money. (They promised me a $900 credit for the coping material which I supplied but that they billed me for)....

K,

Looking at your plumbing I would assume that two of the floor drains are for the water feature pump and the other two floor drains are for the main pump... It could be that all four floor drains are connected at the bottom of the pool???

Do you have any pictures from when the pool was being built, before they shot the gunite?

Either way, if it were cold enough to heat your pool, I would think that you would not be running your water features anyway. No matter if the drains are tied together or not, running the water features will suck warm water from the pool and cool it.

Have you talked with your Pool Builder about this situation? If not, I suggest you send him the above pics and ask if this is how his company wants to be represented? It can't hurt...

Jim R.