Purchased home with IGP--Noob looking for advice

[mrice20hd]

Wuts up guys and gals. Quick background and pool info.: The pool was already winterized when we looked at the home before we purchased. Then my wife was there for the pool inspection and I came at the end. He rated the pool a 4 out of 5. The previous owner decided to re-winterize it himself. I just opened the thing up this past weekend. The pool is blue and has minimal dirt and debris. I have my uncle, who is a 15 year pool owner, trying to help me and give me advice. He is pretty busy and I can't get a hold of him half the time. So here I am.

My pool was installed by Polynesian, it's 14,500 gallons, Whisperflo pump, Pentair FNS Plus Filter, 3-Way Jandy Valve installed, piped and powered for Polaris, pump timer, Rainbow Hi-Flo chlorine feeder, and multicolored light bulb in pool light.

My question is about the 3-way Jandy valve. I was told that one side should be my main drain and the other should be my skimmer. However, when I turn the valve to either side, water still runs through the skimmer. Also, if I turn it to either side, one of the two jets in the pool turns off (pool jet or jet on the steps). If I leave it in the middle, both jets are on and water still circulates through the skimmer. In the cases where I close off the left pipe OR leave it in the middle, pressure on the guage stays at 14psi. When I close off the right pipe, pressure shoots to 30 psi. I don't see how this thing is attached to the main drain. The main drain cover is missing as well. Here is an idea of what the vlave looks like from the top view: -----|----- The left and right side lines are the pipes (skimmer and main drain?) and the Jandy valve is the vertical line. The input pipe is at the top connected to the Jandy valve and runs to the filter. The two pipe on either side run in the ground. Any insight would be appreciated.

Mr. Ice

 

[Guest]

No picture on my end!

I'm gonna assume that you have a U-3 type skimmer; 2 holes in the bottom. The hole closest to the pool goes to the main drain, and the one at the back goes to the pump. I highly doubt that there is a line in between there that adjusts your flow from the bottom or from the skimmer, unless I am reading something totally wrong here!

Where is the Jandy valve located? Is it at the front of the pump? It sounds to me like you have a dedicated suction line for a pool cleaner (one side of the valve) and the skimmer suction line (the other side of the valve). I guess if I could see the picture I might be able to figure it out better for you!

OK, now here's the part where I get real serious: DO NOT go in to that pool until you have a certified drain cover installed!!! You are putting yourself, your children (if you have any), your family and your guests at risk if you allow them to enter that pool without a VGBA compliant drain cover. Put one on before you do anything else.

Try the pic again (or is it just me?!) and I'm sure we can get you figured out!

 

[mrice20hd]

Thanks for the reply simi. I have already called a scuba diver that repairs MD covers. Hasn't called back yet, but we're not going in until it's replaced. Why the pool inspector didn't notify me of it is beyond me.

Not sure what type of skimmer it is, but it only has one hole. I'll have to double check that tomorrow. I didn't post a pic yet so it's not just you. I'll have one up tomorrow so you can get a better look.

The Jandy valve is located in front of the pump. Also, is it possible the pump for the Polaris was located in my garage? There was one in there, but the previous owner took it. They also had a sprinkler system so I don't know if it went to that or both or just the Polaris. I don't see where the pump would have been located by the filter and pool pump. I mean there are no signs of where an additional pump was placed. There are also two pvc pipes sticking out of the side of the house near the pool filter and pump. Maybe that could have went to the Polaris. I don't know.

 

[Bama Rambler]

Since you say that the Jandy valve is connected to the filter I'm thinking it's on the return side of the system and therefore NOT a diverter for the main drain/skimmer, but instead a diverter for the returns. You eluded to this being the case because it switches the returns when you move it one or the other. The reason the pressure goes up when you trun it one way is most likely because the step return is much smaller than the other return.

 

[mrice20hd]

Bama,

It makes sense in what you're saying. The guts of the main jet were removed and I had to buy a new one. The guy at the pool shop said he may have had a waterfall or fountain hooked up to it. Maybe he used the Jandy valve as an on/off switch for the accessory. So where, if there is one, would my main drain pipe be located? As my uncle explained to me, the main drain is to remove dirt from the bottom of the pool. Is it possible the main drain was disconnected somehow and that is why the main drain cover is missing? I just have no clue why it would be missing unless it was interferring with the Polaris or he disconnected the main drain or it just wore out. The pool is only 6 years old and it's hard to believe the cover would wear out in that short of time. Would the previous owner really swim down there to remove it and not replace it if it was broken? It's just weird to me.

 

[Bama Rambler]

A very common way to plumb the MD (main drain) is to run it through the skimmer. I suspect that's how yours is done. If you could take some pics of your equipment and post them we could give you better info.

 

[mrice20hd]

I'll post some pics when I get home later today. I appreciate everyone's help with this.

 

[waste]

Mr. Ice, welcome to TFP!!

The Jandy valve you're talking about is on the return side

You should leave it open to both return lines

IF you have a valve at the pad to control the flow from the skimmer and MD, it would sit in front of the pump, if there's no valve before the pump, the MD is plumbed through the skimmer ( )

The other option is that the MD line failed at some point in the past (they usually can't be properly/ fully winterized, therefore break fairly often and are more trouble to repair than abandon ) and was abandoned :|

If you can provide us with pics, we'll have a much better idea of how your system is plumbed and what's going on :-D

 

[mrice20hd]

Here are the pics.

Pic of the Jandy Valve:

Pic of Jandy Valve w/Chlorine Feeder and pump in background:

Pic of the system setup:

Pic of the Skimmer:

Pic of pipe and wire coming from house next to system:

The skimmer has two holes, but the one closest to the pool appears to be closed with a plug of some sort. Maybe someone can tell me what the pipe and wire coming from the house would be used for. If the main drain is closed off, would I still need a MD cover? Perhaps this is why it is missing in the first place.

 

[waste]

Thanks for the pics

The valve controls the returns. The MD has been abandoned.

You should get a cover on the MD! However, since the drain isn't functional, you don't need a VGB approved cover . What I'd suggest is to put a solid cover over the drain pot, it would be fairly easy to 'home brew' one out of a plastic storage bin lid. This would prevent limb or mechanical entrapment in the defunct MD.

I don't think the wire or pipes coming off the house have anything to do with the pool.

I wouldn't worry about using the pool right now, but it's best to get a cover over the old drain sooner, rather than later

 

[mrice20hd]

What reason is there for controlling the returns? And those pipes wouldn't have anything to do with the Polaris? There is a pipe with a cap on it just out of the picture of the system setup immediately to the left of the Jandy valve. There was a pump the previous owner took from the garage, but there is also a sprinkler system hooked up that the pump might have went to. Is it possible the pump went to both the sprinkler system and Polaris? I just don't see where the pump for the Polaris would have been put near the system setup. I mean there isn't any sign of where one was.

 

[mrice20hd]

Oh, and thanks for answering my questions, waste.

 

[JasonLion]

My guess is that one of the returns used to be a dedicated line for the pool cleaner. There is plenty of room on that pad and a couple of signs that the plumbing has been changed around. It could have been setup quite differently before.

 

[mrice20hd]

But there is an additional jet/return in the pool. I have three returns and one of them doesn't blow water.

 

[JasonLion]

How good are you at archeology? As I said, it seems likely there were changes made at one or more times in the past. There might be additional pipes near or just below ground level in front of the equipment pad, or there might have been changes made closer to the pool and deeper underground where you won't be able to get to them without lots of exploratory digging.

People make difficult to decipher changes to their pools all the time, some of which don't make any sense at all no mater what story you try to come up with to explain what they might have been thinking.

 

[mrice20hd]

I figured out why there is no main drain cover in the pool. I had the chlorine feeder turned off while I had been cleaning and vacuuming. I turned the chlorine feeder on today and guess where water came out. If the chlorine feeder is being sent through the main drain, I assume I should not put a drain cover on, correct?

 

[JasonLion]

You still want a modern drain cover on it. You don't want someone reaching their hand into there and getting stuck. The risk isn't nearly as great as if there was suction, but why take any risk when it is simple enough to fix.

 

[Bama Rambler]

Please bear with me. As I've never seen what you described.

The only chlorine feeder you have is the one shown in the pictures, right?
If that's the case then you're saying that the main drain is plumbed to the discharge of the pump?
Now, I wonder why they would do that?

I'm sure there are reasons to do it just not sure what they are.

 

[JasonLion]

There are lots of "reasons" to plumb things this way, but none of them make any sense! It doesn't surprise me. Hang around here for a while and you will see all kinds of strange things that have been done for no reason.

 

[mrice20hd]

Now, I'm not trying to be difficult about the cover, but I want to make sure I'm not doing anything to cause problems later down the road. I appreciate the advice and taking the time to look at my situation. That said, with the force of water coming out of that drain, wouldn't it eventually blow the thing off and/or interfere with the chlorine? Also, the hardware around the drain looks like the same exact hardware around the jets/returns. Honestly, I don't even see where a cover could be attached to it. Maybe I will post a pic if needed. If you guys think I should put a cover on the thing, I will. And is it okay to swim in the meantime without one? I'm having issues with the scuba dude coming out to my house. I left him a message and the next thing I know he is at my house without even talking to me. Then he calls my wife because we aren't home and tells her he may not be able to come back out anytime soon for such a little job. That just blew my mind. But anyway, do you guys think I may be able to do it myself?