Algae issues and valve concerns

[Bobfrapples]

Now that I’ve given up on pool store and chlorine pucks my pool has really started looking good once I got my cya down and started maintaining with liquid chlorine. However, I noticed today that my hot tub, which spills into the pool had some algae starting to form. Pool looks great though. I brushed, drained the hot tub and replaced with clean water but I feel like I might have one or a combination of two different problems leading to this.

Variable speed pump, been running at low speed for most of day where hot tub doesn’t spill into pool on low speed. Run high speed for only a couple hours a day, where hot tub goes spill into pool. Is that the issue, that I need more time for water to spill over?

Other question is how do I setup the electric valves for when in spa mode vs regular pool mode via my aqua link app and adjusting the valves? Spa mode seems obvious that I should have pool suction and pool return towards off. But in pool mode, should the spa suction be completely off? What about spa return? See pics below as this is current pool mode via aqua link app, first pic is suction side. It’s always been strange to me because the valves look like spa return is turned off but that can’t be the case because it spills into pool at high speed.

Need some insight for this newb.

 

[HermanTX]

Tell us a little more about the pool and spa. Maybe show a picture of the whole pool/spa and another couple of photos of the equipment pad from different angles. the return shows the spa return is OFF but you have flow to pool return, 2 skimmer returns (do you have 2 skimmers in the pool that are venturi type?) and a fountain. Where is the fountain?
Also there is a black hose at the very end - where is that leading to?

On the suction side, the spa main drain is OFF and the 2 skimmers and pool main drain are full open.

Variable speed pump, been running at low speed for most of day where hot tub doesn’t spill into pool on low speed. Run high speed for only a couple hours a day, where hot tub goes spill into pool. Is that the issue, that I need more time for water to spill over?

Do you have a dedicated return to the spa that is coming off of your pool returns? It may be underground but you should be able to count how many returns you have in the spa. Does one have flow when in pool mode and others do not? Or if in Spa mode, does one of the returns to the spa not have flow?

Other question is how do I setup the electric valves for when in spa mode vs regular pool mode via my aqua link app and adjusting the valves? Spa mode seems obvious that I should have pool suction and pool return towards off. But in pool mode, should the spa suction be completely off? What about spa return? See pics below as this is current pool mode via aqua link app, first pic is suction side. It’s always been strange to me because the valves look like spa return is turned off but that can’t be the case because it spills into pool at high speed.

This is correct. The Aqualink automation is set up to go rotate the valves between Pool and Spa mode as you indicated.
However if you are having flow into the spa when in Pool Mode and the valves are completely closed to spa jets then there may be another return jet you are not seeing.

More photos and your feedback on questions asked above will help.

 

[Bobfrapples]

Maybe I can take more pics tomorrow but here is some additional information. 2 Venturi skimmers which is the skimmer return lines, the fountain is just a pool jet shooting vertical on the tanning ledge of the pool and black hose goes to the additional pump which runs the cleaner/robot. You’ve confirmed my suspicions by current valve locations but I have no idea how the spa spills over into the pool in that position. Maybe it’s like you said, they connect somewhere else? They have to connect somewhere else unless those handles are on wrong. I may take it apart and check the cams and see what’s happening. But before I did that I was curious as to how these things are typically positioned. Seems like I’d want a very small opening to pull a small amount of water from spa drain even in pool mode and have more opening to spa return so that I have a water fall from spa to pool. Seems like this would do a better job of circulating the spa and still have water fall but that’s one of my unknowns for sure.

Fwiw, the secondary connection has to be on main spa return because water comes out of all jets in that shown position.

Should I adjust suction cams to where it pulls a small amount from spa drain and just run at higher speed during day so that water spills for longer and hopefully no algae forms in there?

 

[HermanTX]

You obvious have water flowing to the spa now when in Pool mode so we need to figure out how that is occurring.
The valve handles could be put on wrong. They do not show to be cammed so they appear to rotate 180 degrees between Pool and Spa mode.

There is a feature in AquaLink that is called Spillover mode.
Spillover mode - the suction is from the pool (the 3 way valve is closed to SPA and only OPEN to pool suction, and the Return valve is only back to the spa. Then the spa flows over to the pool to complete the circulation path. In this mode, only the Return actuator rotates from full open to pool to full open to the spa. You do not need to have suction from the spa.
You can then schedule Spillover mode 1 or 2 times a day to refresh the spa water
Pool mode - is suction only from the pool and return only to the pool
Spa mode - is suction only from the spa and return only to the spa.

Take a picture of your AquaLink panel outside with the main cover off to show the relays and wiring.
Also, show what buttons operate which devices such as lights, booster pump, etc.

 

[Bobfrapples]

Got home late so I didn’t have time to take the cover off the aqualink panel or take cover off to look at valve cams. However, I poked around and found the connection between the pool return and the spa return which bypasses that valve and explains how the spa spills into the pool with the spa return closed and confirms our suspicion.

I took pic below of the aqua link panel with cover still on. As you can see, it has spa fill which I’m sure is the spill mode you talked about.

Knowing what I know now, the spa will spill into the pool in pool mode and there’s really no way to only circulate pool only water unless I run the pump at low speed; it seems like I need to just run pool mode at high rpm’s for a few hours 1-2 times per day to turn over the spa water and the rest of the time run pump at low speed to continue turning over the pool water. That seem logical? Only part that confuses me is that the bottom of the spa seems like it will sit stagnant if I never suck from the spa at all during the day, because the jets seem like they’d only move around the top half of the water since the jets are located above the halfway water mark pointed straight out. I guess I could also run spa mode for an hour a day too…..

 

[HermanTX]

However, I poked around and found the connection between the pool return and the spa return which bypasses that valve and explains how the spa spills into the pool with the spa return closed and confirms our suspicion.

I would like to see photos of this.

I took pic below of the aqua link panel with cover still on. As you can see, it has spa fill which I’m sure is the spill mode you talked about.

That is not totally correct. Spa fill is used to quickly fill your spa using the pool water and agree it acts like a spill over but cannot be scheduled.
The spillover mode is a separate feature on the AquaLink which we can discuss later

Knowing what I know now, the spa will spill into the pool in pool mode and there’s really no way to only circulate pool only water unless I run the pump at low speed; it seems like I need to just run pool mode at high rpm’s for a few hours 1-2 times per day to turn over the spa water and the rest of the time run pump at low speed to continue turning over the pool water. That seem logical?

Lets see the pictures and discuss. My pool is set up in a very similar way but would like to see photos of the plumbing before making suggestions.

Only part that confuses me is that the bottom of the spa seems like it will sit stagnant if I never suck from the spa at all during the day, because the jets seem like they’d only move around the top half of the water since the jets are located above the halfway water mark pointed straight out. I guess I could also run spa mode for an hour a day too…..

As the jets push out water they cause currents which does draw in water from the bottom of the spa. Unless you have a very deep spa - most are only 3.5ft deep.
You can schedule spa mode if you wish. I do not. As stated earlier, I have a dedicated return to the spa which constantly pushes water into the spa and then overflows to the pool. I do not schedule spa mode. I do however turn on spa mode manually every couple of weeks if the spa has not been used. I have never had an issue with water in the spa.

 

[Bobfrapples]

Understood and thanks for the help. I’ve been working late last few days so I’ll try to get a pic asap