I have a spa seperated from my pool by a solid wall. Water does not flow over the wall into the pol. The spa water level is about two feet highter than the pool water level. Both are filtered by the same pump. My problem is getting water to circulate in the spa and keeping a constant water level. My pool service suggests that the builder should have installed an "equalizer line" from spa water level line to below pool water level line, so excess water in the spa would flow into the pool. Any experience with this?
spa overflow line?
- Thread starter pmarlette
- Start date
Welcome to TFP!
If the spa and pool share a single pump/filter/heater then yes, there should be an overflow line so excess water from the spa flows back into the pool. With an overflow line you can adjust the plumbing so too much water goes to the spa, but the spa level stays constant because excess water will go back to the pool. Without an overflow line you need to get the amount of water sent to the spa exactly right, and there is simply no way to make that happen reliably.
If the spa and pool share a single pump/filter/heater then yes, there should be an overflow line so excess water from the spa flows back into the pool. With an overflow line you can adjust the plumbing so too much water goes to the spa, but the spa level stays constant because excess water will go back to the pool. Without an overflow line you need to get the amount of water sent to the spa exactly right, and there is simply no way to make that happen reliably.
- May 25, 2011
- 42
Wow! I have never seen a pool made this way. When we separated the two, one at least have a circulation pump that ran independent. I'd like to know how this pans out.
I had a customer with a similar problem, but different. They had two separate systems, but wanted a constant water exchange. There was no way to connect the two with and equilizer or spill over without a major concrete excavation and repair. I did the water exchange at the equipment pad utilizing a diverter valve to control input into the pool body. See the attached picture. This can be very touchy and either overfill the spa or suck it dry. To compensate I inserted a solenoid valve on the return side controlled by a Levelor. The diverter valve just needs to be set at a lower flow rate less than the flow rate of the solenoid valve. The solenoid valves come in sizes from 3/4" to 2" and can be purchased at any irrigation supply company. I was hesitant to try a water exchange at the pad, but it has worked very well. I have since done the same thing at another pool that had too small of an equalizer line. This particular spa was mounted higher in the landscape than the pool, but no spill over. It "spilled over" through an equalizer line. They regularly have lots of bathers and the one 1.5" equalizer line didn't turn over water fast enough. Under large bather load, the tub would get pretty scummy and require a manual intervention to drain and refill. We added two more equalizer lines and use a Levelor to control the water inflow. I put in a switch to manually override the water sensor to turn off water "spill over" when desirable. This allows the owners to heat up the spa without loosing heated water into the pool. They can take a spa and when finished turn the water turnover back on with the flip of a switch.
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- May 25, 2011
- 42
We also had this issue with more than one pool. Onone of the raised ones we drilled (2) 2" holes with a hammer drill. The customer chose lion heads on the side facing the pool and we plastered in a 2" return line.. If it is the same level as the pool, well, you need to be innovative to get good flow. Just another solution to ponder.
can you do the water exchange from pool to spa at the equipment pad using one system?..the underground equalizing line is not big enough and leafs are jamming it up and the overflow at the bottom of the spa is filling up too fast...... like you, I don't want to dig up the expensive landscape and enlarge the line or add another line any advice thanks dg