Shut off valve?

[Drew80]

My Polaris pump recently quit, so I decided to take the thing apart to see what I could find. I turned the jandy valve to spa mode, which I thought would cut off the water to the cleaner. I was wrong, and I think I now know why.

My equipment is downhill from the pool. Putting the valve in spa mode cuts off supply to the return/cleaner, but it doesn't prevent backflow from the return. That's my theory, at least. Am I missing a check valve perhaps? Or maybe I'm supposed to have a shutoff valve? Or maybe I have one and I'm just blind?

I swear that the guy who installed my spa heater managed to turn the water off somehow. I would assume you would have to do that to get pipe dope to dry, but I have no idea how he did it. Any help?

I'm a pool newb (obviously) so please be gentle.

 

[jblizzle]

Welcome to TFP

It would probably be a lot easier to visualize your problem if you could post a few pictures of your equipment pad.

Having the pad below your pool, usually means that some sort of shut off valve is a good idea, but we will need to see what you have to see if it is workable as is.

 

[Drew80]

See how much of a newb I am? =)


This is the valve coming from the skimmer and spa drain. The pump leads straight up into the filter. You can see the heater on the right side.



Pump and filter. The pipe leaving the filter goes to the heater.



The pipe running from right to left is from the heater. It runs through the feeder and Nature2 and down to the return valve. The return valve splits and goes straight into the ground.


Unless I'm missing something, I don't see any way to get this system shut off.

 

[Bama Rambler]

Your best bet in that situation is to plug the return(s) in the pool.

 

[Drew80]

Your best bet in that situation is to plug the return(s) in the pool.

My return jets are threaded, so that seems simple enough. What about the cleaner return?

 

[jblizzle]

If you are working on the booster pump, you will have to plug all the pool returns so the water does not flow into the suction side of the pump and will have to plug the cleaner return so the water does not flow back to the top of the pump.

You likely could put some ball valves in the flex hose that could isolate the pump in the future.

 

[Drew80]

How do you recommend I plug up the cleaner return since it doesn't have threads?

 

[Bama Rambler]

A winterizing plug should do it, or even a rag or rubber ball partially stuffed in it.

 

[Drew80]

Thanks Bama. I'll try that.

 

[Drew80]

Follow up question. The basket in my pump is full of leaves that somehow got through the skimmer. I want to clean it, but I've tried disassembling it before and getting the lid back on is a nightmare with water pouring out the top. The o-ring won't stay in place because of the water pressure. Any tricks to getting that thing cleaned without draining my pool below the skimmer?

One idea (tell me if this is stupid). I could run the pump to drain the spa, shut off the pump, and then turn the Jandy valve to the spa side. Once I'm done servicing the pump, I can pump water back into the spa. Any problems with doing that?

 

[Bama Rambler]

There shouldn't be a problem doing that but I'd plug the pool return(s) and close the suction side 3-way valve and then you should be able to get the lid on & off without a problem.