The pool water level must be halfway up the skimmer opening. If it’s below that, it needs to be higher.
Another issue, some sort of leak... What's happening?
- Thread starter GonnaTryTFP
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Well, I know more tomorrow when I observe the street without the pump running. Then with it running, as well as with the new lower water level adjustment to the filler.
Well, if it is overflow, then the easy fix would be to go back to 2000 RPM all day. I was tweaking the water level to help the priming at 3000 rpm. But I don't use a hose vacuum anymore. I let a robot run for like 5 hrs a day. Is letting the pump run at high RPM important?
Pump speed should have no effect on water coming out of the waste pipe. If the auto fill only comes on with the pump, then your auto fill float may be broken causing the fill water to not shut off, which means you're just wasting water out to the street. Should probably check that out at least.
If the auto fill is malfunctioning, wouldn't the water be on all the time? I think it's working fine. It's just when the pump is on, the water level drops below the level I set it to, and it seems to never be able to get back to this level when the pump is on. FYI, my auto filler is set up to a spout at a different location. I'm not sure if we're talking about the same thing. Hopefully we are. LOL! I've always figured I'm losing water somewhere when the pump is on, that is why it won't stop filling. Or the fact that the Spa is now getting the water, which lowers the pool side. But when pump stops, and the spa drains down to pool, the auto-filler will stop.
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The “auto fill” I’m asking about is like the valve in your toilets that fill up the water in the tank and they have a little float that stops the filling of water when it reaches a certain height. Your pool may have a similar device that adds water to your pool from your homes water main. There will be a float somewhere that stops the flow of water when it reaches the correct height. Along with that there is usually an automatic drain that will drain off excess water if too much is in the pool (like from a giant rainstorm).
If you have an auto fill like I describe and you are sure it only comes on when the pump is on AND the float is broken, then that could be why water is escaping only when the pump is running.
When the pool water is too low, do you need to add water with a hose or does it never need any extra water?
I just have a generic pool filler I got from Amazon. Something like this. A garden hose from a spout goes into this this. I don't think there is any other auto-fill device in my equipment.
So I've been given this advice before.... that the water level needs to be half-way up the skimmer opening. But I always forget to ask... Is that with the SPA full? My spa drains down to pool level when pump is off. So when pump is running, the pool side will go lower cause the spa is now taking the water. So what is proper? Halfway up the the skimmer opening when Spa and Pool level are the same, or halfway up the skimmer opening when Spa is full and spilling?
- Jun 8, 2019
- 4,581
- Pool Size
- 20000
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- Vinyl
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Pentair Intellichlor IC-60
The reason for halfway up is to allow the skimmer to skim the surface of the water and to ensure it doesn't go below the skimmer level, which can cause the pump to pull air from the skimmer and run dry, potentially damaging your pump.
Both of those imply when the pump is running so that's when I would have the skimmer to the proper level.
Both of those imply when the pump is running so that's when I would have the skimmer to the proper level.
Okay, so I've eliminated overflow as the problem. Leveler was turned off today. Street was dry. When I turned the pump on at 2000 rpm, it took about an hour into it before I started seeing water in the streets. So I think it has to do with the pool plumbing somehow. I want to try keeping the spa lower, so it doesn't spill over. I'm thinking the cracks and the seams near the top may be the culprit. But my concern... is the water getting filtered if it isn't spilling over?
Tcadwall0
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- May 19, 2021
- 207
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- Fiberglass
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- Pentair Intellichlor IC-20
If something on the pressure side is leaking when running on high, then it would make sense that your filler is turning on to replace that water.
It might even be leaking all the time, and just not as badly as when you have higher pressures.
Might want to confirm with the bucket test that it is only leaking when running the pump. But sounds to me like you are going to be looking for a leak.
It might even be leaking all the time, and just not as badly as when you have higher pressures.
Might want to confirm with the bucket test that it is only leaking when running the pump. But sounds to me like you are going to be looking for a leak.
Do you guys think this could be the leak? I have roots splitting the top of the bricks from the walls of the spa. Water is going into this seam. When I look closely, the brim is at the bottom of the seam, so it doesn't look like water is going in, but as you walk along the seam, you get to the plants, and I think that's where most of the water is going through. Tomorrow, when the streets are dry again, I will not allow a spillover from the spa. I will keep the water level below the plants, then run the pump and see if it's still draining to the streets.
- Jun 8, 2019
- 4,581
- Pool Size
- 20000
- Surface
- Vinyl
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Pentair Intellichlor IC-60
If plants are growing it can’t be watertight. I would wait for someone to say what it’s best to seal it with but I would clean that out and seal it for sure.
- Jun 8, 2019
- 4,581
- Pool Size
- 20000
- Surface
- Vinyl
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Pentair Intellichlor IC-60
You could put a little food dye in the water by them and see if it’s being pulled in.
I would almost certainly bet you have something very wrong there. The water level looks way to high in that picture. It should be halfway up the tile on the wall and not even close to the brick coping.
That's just how it was designed. Here is a wider shot to show you where the spill-over ledge is. Water needs to get pretty high to spill over. But if I keep water below the spill-over ledge. That would mean the water won't be filtering, right?
Ok good. That’s something different, thought he same function. They make “built in” versions of those that go in a skimmer type hole.
- Jul 21, 2013
- 65,486
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- Pentair Intellichlor IC-60
I think you have a few problems with your deck and coping.
In this pic look behind the plants growing in the seam. You have the deck lifting and separated behind the coping...
In this pic you have a big crack running up the corner of the coping...
Where is your expansion joint between your coping and your pool?
That "seam" under the coping where the plants are growing should not be there. That is all signs of cracking from an inadequate expansion joint.
I think all the coping around the spa from the cracked corner and around needs to be pulled up remortored, The deck needs to be fixed and a proper expansion joint put in place.
Water should be able to go right up to the bottom of the coping without any leaking.
www.troublefreepool.com
In this pic look behind the plants growing in the seam. You have the deck lifting and separated behind the coping...
In this pic you have a big crack running up the corner of the coping...
Where is your expansion joint between your coping and your pool?
That "seam" under the coping where the plants are growing should not be there. That is all signs of cracking from an inadequate expansion joint.
I think all the coping around the spa from the cracked corner and around needs to be pulled up remortored, The deck needs to be fixed and a proper expansion joint put in place.
Water should be able to go right up to the bottom of the coping without any leaking.
Expansion Joints and Coping - Further Reading
www.troublefreepool.com
I may have misunderstood where the plants were. The spa should be fine as long as the water doesn’t touch the cement joint between the bricks and the tile under it. The spillover should keep that from happening . But it does look like maybe that joint has deteriorated?
The pool water level must be maintained approximately halfway up the pool skimmer.
I think you have a few problems with your deck and coping.
In this pic look behind the plants growing in the seam. You have the deck lifting and separated behind the coping...
In this pic you have a big crack running up the corner of the coping...
Where is your expansion joint between your coping and your pool?
That "seam" under the coping where the plants are growing should not be there. That is all signs of cracking from an inadequate expansion joint.
I think all the coping around the spa from the cracked corner and around needs to be pulled up remortored, The deck needs to be fixed and a proper expansion joint put in place.
Water should be able to go right up to the bottom of the coping without any leaking.
Expansion Joints and Coping - Further Reading
Dang it. This doesn't sound like a DIY project. LOL! Thank you for that link. I'm going to do some reading.