How would you setup your pool/Spa. Single or seperate pumps?

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orthopod

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Jan 12, 2008
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Braselton, Ga
We are getting close to plumbing time.

We have a pool, planning a 3HP VS pump.

LArge waterfall with seperate pump

When I asked my builder if I will be able to heat the spa without running the jets he said thats not the way they usually plumb the spa. It would require a seperate pump. If we are using a 3hp pump for the pool, the spa is about 40 feet from the pumps, is it ok to have this setup? I envisioned seperate pumpos, but he assures me this setup is the way he always does it and has no issues at all.
 
My pool and spa are run off the same intelliflo VSP (3HP). The automation system handles the valve movements to select one or the other. Works fine.

I do have a separate single “spa makeup” return on the pool side of my returns line controlled with an automated valve. That allows me to split the return flow to the three pool returns and the one spa make up return. This allows the spillover to operate without using the spa jets.

With a properly designed air intake, there is no need for a noisy air blower for the spa jets. My spa does not use an air blower and that’s just fine with me.

How many jets are in your spa?
 
JoyfulNoise said:
My pool and spa are run off the same intelliflo VSP (3HP). The automation system handles the valve movements to select one or the other. Works fine.

I do have a separate single “spa makeup” return on the pool side of my returns line controlled with an automated valve. That allows me to split the return flow to the three pool returns and the one spa make up return. This allows the spillover to operate without using the spa jets.

With a properly designed air intake, there is no need for a noisy air blower for the spa jets. My spa does not use an air blower and that’s just fine with me.

How many jets are in your spa?
Click to expand...

We are looking at 6 jets..

I dont understand the seperate single spa makeup...Does it basically circulate pool water into the spa to allow it to spillover? Now that I tyoes that I think I understand :eek:)
 
I have one pump with two three-way valves in the plumbing that lets me draw from ether pool or spa and return to pool or spa. Or a combination. This part goes through the filter and the heater. There are two jets in the spa. Then there is a seperate pump with, I think, six jets. It just recirculates the spa water. Quite vigorously, in fact. I never use it.

Normal operation, draw 100% from pool, return 80-20 pool-spa. It spills over into pool.
Spa: draw it down a couple inches and then just recirculate it spa in-spa out. I don't have to drain it down, but why heat water that will spill over as soon as someone climbs in and displaces it?
 
orthopod said:
We are looking at 6 jets..

I dont understand the seperate single spa makeup...Does it basically circulate pool water into the spa to allow it to spillover? Now that I tyoes that I think I understand :eek:)
Click to expand...

Looking down at spa bench. Single return in the wall is plumbed on the “pool side” of the plumbing. Jets are on the “Spa side” of the plumbing -

89404509-AFEA-40AD-9EBF-E56DE172A1FE.jpg

14EC30EE-2D56-4C6C-AACC-E5D312646179.jpg

I have 5 jets in my spa. 3HP is way more than enough. In fact, the pump never runs at full speed or else the jets would hurt.
 
JoyfulNoise said:
Looking down at spa bench. Single return in the wall is plumbed on the “pool side” of the plumbing. Jets are on the “Spa side” of the plumbing -

View attachment 84922

View attachment 84923

I have 5 jets in my spa. 3HP is way more than enough. In fact, the pump never runs at full speed or else the jets would hurt.
Click to expand...

Chlorine generator pushing CL into spa during spa mode?
 
Yes. But the Pentair EasyTouch automation is “smart” - when you put the system in SPA mode, the max SWG output is 5%. So it basically scales whatever your setpoint SWG output is by (1/20).
 

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PoolguyinCT said:
& since I’m in a where’s Waldo mood.. why no downward 90 on the air line? Won’t an Arizona dust sand storm clog the Venturi nozzle ??
Click to expand...

We don’t get haboobs down here in Tucson. We’re at a higher elevation than Phoenix and surrounded by four mountain ranges. That keeps the dust storms to a minimum. Might get a hazy day, but no dust storms.

I guess I could get a street elbow and point the air intake down....never really thought much of it.

The only ET factoid my kids know is that is was considered the worst-ever game made for the Atari game consoles and that there is a secret landfill somewhere in New Mexico where millions of cartridges were dumped and buried....
 
My pool is setup with two separate loops and two pumps.
The main loop has a 3hp VS pump, drawing from pool skimmers and/or main drain, feeding through filter and SWG back to infloor or side pool returns.

The spa loop has a 2hp single speed pump that draws from the spa drain and feeds through the NG heater back to the spa jets. There are also valves that interconnect the two loops, which allows draw from any source and return to any of the returns. I kind of like the flexibility that the two loop system gives me, and the simplicity that putting the spa on is just a matter of activating a pump and heater, (no valves involved).
 
Ortho,

My pool is set up very similar to Matt's only I don't have a swg added yet. The automation has a "spillover" and "spa mode" function that automatically sets the valves to return water to the spa and over-flow to the pool or it will line up valves to circulate to and from the spa only. We have a separate pump that runs through educators to suck in air for the bubble effect. We use the pool several times a week year-round. Spa comes in really handy when these old bones over-do it!

So long as the pump is properly sized for your max and min flow 40' is no problem. My run is around 50'

I hope this helps.

Chris
 
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