Irrigation main for pool fill?

[96TL]

Hi all.

Just had my pool built last year. It’s 25k gallons, gunnite, with a quartz coating.

I quickly realized how annoying it is to drag the hose out to add water lost due to evaporation.

I have a sprinkler manifold pretty close to the equipment pad. The sprinkler system consists of 14 zones, mostly plumbed with black poly pipe, with some pvc. The main is 1”, with 3/4” lines to the heads. The system has a back flow valve at the main, as well as a master valve.

I know irrigation water is considered non-potable water, but so is pool water obviously. Would it be a bad idea to add another valve (zone), and plumb it to a return line and have it add water 10 minutes a day when the pump is not running?

I can add another backflow valve at the equipment pad as a preventative measure. I was even thinking of adding a JVA to my Aqualink and have it open only when the sprinkler system is filling the pool for further safety. So the system would be very well protected from backflow with multiple valves and fail safes.

What do do you guys think? I am located in New Jersey by the way.

Thanks all.

 

[Richard320]

I'm not sure what the building code says about this. I have a hazy idea that they require an air gap between the pool surface and the actual water outlet.

From a practical standpoint... okay, so there's a check valve to prevent backflow from the pool return into the irrigation line. There would also have to be a check valve or valves in the regular plumbing. If you're pushing water into the return, it doesn't care which way it goes.... it could go to the pool as you want, but what's to prevent it from heading upstream into the filter? It enters on the clean side and exits on the dirty, which then can find its way out the inlet and through the pump and back into the pool. Do you want to backwash into the pool?

If the plumbing is right there at the pad, plumb in a hose bib. Get a dedicated garden hose just long enough to reach the pool and leave it permanently attached. That'll cost you less than just the sprinkler valve. Unless the pool is fifty or sixty feet from the pad. Then I'm not sure what I'd do.

 

[96TL]

Hey.

Thanks for the reply.

Can I plumb in a hose bib like you mention off of the irrigation main?

Thanks.

Dom

 

[Brentr]

Hey.

Thanks for the reply.

Can I plumb in a hose bib like you mention off of the irrigation main?

Thanks.

Dom

Yes you can all my hose bibs are done that way

 

[96TL]

Yes you can all my hose bibs are done that way

I had a quick conversation with my sprinkler guy. He says that’s he has run a zone into the skimmer before. If the line came in from the side of the skimmer as close to the top as possible, I believe it would leave a plenty large air gap.

Any thoughts? Not sure how much a sprinkler guy knows about pools.

Thanks again.

 

[jeffchap]

I have a zone from my sprinkler system that feeds my auto-fill. Works great, as long as I remember to leave it on when I shut off the watering zones.

 

[96TL]

I have a zone from my sprinkler system that feeds my auto-fill. Works great, as long as I remember to leave it on when I shut off the watering zones.

Hey.

How do you have it setup? Do you have an actual auto fill system? Or is it tied into the plumbing? How does the water get into the pool?

 

[jfmorris]

I’ve had a frost free yard hydrant at the end of the sprinkler main supply line near my pool for 15+ years, and have always usd it for filling the pool. No issues. It’s all coming off the same main supply at the street, the irrrigation meters are just not charged a sewage fee is the usually difference most places.

 

[jeffchap]

Hey.

How do you have it setup? Do you have an actual auto fill system? Or is it tied into the plumbing? How does the water get into the pool?

One zone of the sprinkler system is a supply line to this, which is basically a glorified toilet tank float.

 

[96TL]

One zone of the sprinkler system is a supply line to this, which is basically a glorified toilet tank float.

Really wish I could go that route, but the pool deck is all done. Thanks for the info though!