I have an inground and the pool guy ran a 2" pvc line over to my pool equipment with the intentions of installing an auto fill. But like most pool guys in Texas he never returned to finish the job. So now I am in the market for an auto fill system. Can anyone recommend one that will work with my application?
Autofill
- Thread starter Mrelectric
- Start date
Usually the autofill is put in a buried bucket that is pretty close to the pool, not by the equipment. It has a cover like those for a skimmer.
The bucket is connected to the pool with an underground straight pipe. I assume that is what the 2" line might be for? Although it does not need to be nearly that big.
The bucket is connected to the pool with an underground straight pipe. I assume that is what the 2" line might be for? Although it does not need to be nearly that big.
The 2" pvc goes in to the side of the pool. I'm thinking I may have an autofill that is a closed system that can accept pressure. I'm not thinking a cavity feed system will work
How would the closed system know what the water level is?
Also there are risks attaching your freshwater supply into the pressurized pool system ... granted it would take multiple failures, but you do not want the pool water get back fed into your freshwater.
Also there are risks attaching your freshwater supply into the pressurized pool system ... granted it would take multiple failures, but you do not want the pool water get back fed into your freshwater.
The pool can't have pressure on it therefore it could never enter the city water line
True. I was thinking of a previous thread where they wanted to plumb the fill line into the equipment plumbing.
Do you have a link to what a closed system auto-fill looks like? I can not envision it.
Do you have a link to what a closed system auto-fill looks like? I can not envision it.
No I don't that's why I posted. I was hoping someone could steer me in the right direction
The only auto-fills that I am aware of use a buried bucket that is connected to the pool with a float valve that turns on/off the water to maintain a set water level.
I think there may also be other systems that have an electronic sensor that knows the water level (like in the skimmer or on the side of the pool) and signals a valve when to turn on water as needed ... or maybe I just dreamed that up
I think there may also be other systems that have an electronic sensor that knows the water level (like in the skimmer or on the side of the pool) and signals a valve when to turn on water as needed ... or maybe I just dreamed that up
- Jun 12, 2011
- 3,761
- Pool Size
- 19500
- Surface
- Plaster
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Pureline Crystal Pure 60,000
Wrong! If there is a loss of pressure on the city water system, pool water can feed back into the city system. That is the reason backflow preventers are now required on irrigation lines, (and also on pool fillers).
elwood58
LifeTime Supporter
So true. When we had our pool remodeled in 2012, they had to add an anti-syphon valve to our auto fill line to meet current code. Original pool construction in 1984 did not require it.
I would love to see wAyer suck thru a closed valve. I'm sure some inspector dreamed that up somewhere. We have them too
- Jun 12, 2011
- 3,761
- Pool Size
- 19500
- Surface
- Plaster
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Pureline Crystal Pure 60,000
But the valve doesn't stay shut, it opens when the pool water falls or an irrigation valve opens on a timer.
That sounds like an overflow drain line to me, not an autofill. All the autofills that I have seen are plumbed with 1" or less pvc or pex. Ours is pex. Our overflow is 2" pvc.
jcowart
0
That does sound like a drain although I have never seen one taken back to the pad. What does the outlet look like in the pool. Does it look like a grate and is it mid level or higher than your skimmers. If it is then it's a drain. The auto fill is usually in a box by the pool and will look like your skimmer lid. Inside will be a float type valve like what you find on your toilet. Most PB's that I know run the drain to a location that can be seen. Float valves are man made and man made things malfunction sometimes.
What if all the water on the street is shut off while the pool fill valve is open? My next door neighbor's house is a good four feet lower than me. The guy on the other side is about three feet above me. It would be really easy for water to flow backwards and out the low neighbor's sink faucet. That's why there are backflow preventers. Not everyone lives on a flat prairie.
The only large diameter PVC pipe I have associated with my autofill is a short segment that goes from the buried bucket right through the pool wall. Foot long max. Then a standard return eyeball was installed onto that pipe after plaster so it ends up looking like a standard return.
There's a water feed line at my equipment so I can connect a hose there and have water available for priming, cleaning my filter, etc. A water line was run from there, to the autofill bucket. Maybe they were going do the same thing but communications got mixed up with a plumbing helper.
Someone could have given a newbee instructions like: "Run a 2" pipe through the pool wall for the autofill...and oh, by the way, we gotta run the autofill line back to the equipment pad for water." Start misinterpretation at that point.
There's a water feed line at my equipment so I can connect a hose there and have water available for priming, cleaning my filter, etc. A water line was run from there, to the autofill bucket. Maybe they were going do the same thing but communications got mixed up with a plumbing helper.
Someone could have given a newbee instructions like: "Run a 2" pipe through the pool wall for the autofill...and oh, by the way, we gotta run the autofill line back to the equipment pad for water." Start misinterpretation at that point.
17 posts and no one has answered your question. Maybe that's because those systems aren't common.
One system that comes to mind that would work in your situation would be the Jandy Levelor system. It uses an electronic level sensing device and operates an electric solenoid valve to add the water. There are several other devices that operate on the same principal.
One system that comes to mind that would work in your situation would be the Jandy Levelor system. It uses an electronic level sensing device and operates an electric solenoid valve to add the water. There are several other devices that operate on the same principal.
Can we forget about the BFP for a minute? This is way sidetracked with backflow, and we haven't even gotten there yet. It doesn't matter that some people live on hills above you, the OP doesn't. But no matter, this is all beside the point.
Where does the pipe terminate away from the pool Mrelecric? Is it terminated at the pool equipment pad, or just stubbed out? I must admit, knowing the answer probably won't help me much as this is different than anything I've heard of for Autofill. Usually, it's just a 3/4" line or less piped to a float as mentioned. I'm having a difficult time trying to imagine how this set up is designed to function, but I am very curious. Did the PB give you any clue as to how this setup was supposed to work?
EDIT: Thanks Bama, you beat me to it while I was typing. Can you tell us anything more about this?
This is my learn something new every day item.
Where does the pipe terminate away from the pool Mrelecric? Is it terminated at the pool equipment pad, or just stubbed out? I must admit, knowing the answer probably won't help me much as this is different than anything I've heard of for Autofill. Usually, it's just a 3/4" line or less piped to a float as mentioned. I'm having a difficult time trying to imagine how this set up is designed to function, but I am very curious. Did the PB give you any clue as to how this setup was supposed to work?
EDIT: Thanks Bama, you beat me to it while I was typing. Can you tell us anything more about this?
This is my learn something new every day item.