Waterfall Spa Circulation & Filtration, and Optimizing VS Pool Pump

[Lonnybass]

Good morning,

I am quickly learning the ropes of my new pool and waterfall spa setup. As I dig into the systems, I've noticed a few quirks that I'd like to understand better, and I'm curious about a few general setups items as well (here in San Diego it appears that no two pool contractors agree on anything, and I'd much rather figure it out on my own).

Here are a few initial questions:

1. Why is my spa waterfall able to work when the supply line valve and return valves are both set to the "Pool" side?
I have noticed that when both valves are turned to the Pool side, and my Intelliflo VS pump is running about 2800 RPMs, I am able to get the waterfall to run. This has been helpful to get some skimming action from the spa, but as I was thinking about it these past few days - I realized that it doesn't make sense that the spa would be receiving water if only the Pool return valve is open.

2. Would it be advisable to open up the Spa side Supply and Return Valves slightly, instead of keeping both valves all the way on Pool side, so that the spa receives a element of circulation as well?
I'm trying to determine the best way to get good filtration and circulation from the spa as the pool.

3. Should I run my pump at the higher speed (2800 RPM) necessary to push water through the waterfall for skimming, or can I save electricity by simply opening up the Spa Return valve somewhat?
Last night I did some experimenting and noticed that a 20' turn got a good flow rate over the waterfall, and it got me thinking that maybe this was a good alternative to running the pump at the higher level.

4. What is recommended for optimal spa filtration and circulation, particularly when a waterfall spa / pool system is running off of a VS pump?
We are lucky in that our pool/spa setup faces the southwest and is basically in direct sunlight all day long. Just want to make sure I consider all the factors and dial everything in correctly to minimize algae growth, sediment at the bottom of spa, and ensure good filtration.

5. Anything else in particular?
I have read that waterfalls spike PH levels, and want to make sure I understand all the nuances.

Thanks in advance for your help.

Lonnybass

 

[Jimrahbe]

lb,

Welcome to TFP.. a great place to find the answers to all of your "How to stop Niagara Falls?" questions...

Pools normally have two modes..

Pool mode.. where water is sucked from the Pool, and then pushed through the filter and back to the Pool.

Spa mode.. where water is sucked from the Spa, and the pushed through the filter and back to the Spa.

The problem of course is that the water in the Spa never gets refreshed or replaced. This means that the pool owner would have to go out to the equipment pad and manually rotate valves so that water would spillover from the Spa and into the Pool once a day for an half hour or so each day... Since the chances of that happening are between slim and none, the pool builders decided to add what is called a "Make up" line, normally controlled by a valve... This line allows some water to enter the Spa anytime you are in the Pool mode.

If you post a couple of pictures of your equipment pad, we can help you find the make up valve.

Now, you did not say, but if you have an automation system, you do not need a make up line, as you can simply program the automation to run water into the Spa once or twice a day...

We do not normally recommend running the spillover all the time as the aeration action will cause your pH to just keep increasing...

Thanks,

Jim R.

 

[Lonnybass]

Jim,

Thanks so much, this is helpful. I will be over at the house today and will take a few photos of the equipment pad for posting this afternoon.

I had a sneaking feeling that there was likely a small secondary line somewhere in the system, so your reference to Makeup lines being a part of standard installation is very informative.

In answer to your question, while my pump is Variable Speed, the supply and return valves are both manual.

What would you recommend in terms of a spa circulation cycle to keep pH at an acceptable level, but still benefit from some skimming action? The last pool guy to visit the house said to keep the waterfall at a trickle for the 10 hours the pool pump is running...

 

[Jimrahbe]

lb,

I agree with your pool guy... Unless you just want to go out there and turn valves each day...

As a check, you can test your pool FC and CC and then test your spa FC and CC to make sure that they are both about the same... If the Spa has lower FC and higher CC's than the pool, then you would need to increase the amount of "trickle"...

Thanks,

Jim R.