Design Question: Spa Spillover vs Skimmer Gurgle

[j1997sd]

We are in final stages of securing a pool design for a (smaller) 15K gallon pool with attached spa. My wife and I envision making most use of the spa. Due to site conditions, we will unlikely be able to incorporate solar and will have to rely on either a hybrid gas heater, or gas-only heater. Because of this, we are sensitive to potential increases in heating costs and are very interested in ways to plumb the spa to be heated separately from the pool.
Information on our pump is not available yet.

Initially we requested no spillover from the spa to the pool, thinking it would allow the spa to be heated and filtered separately from the pool, so we aren't losing heated water into the pool. But we received feedback from a pool contractor that if we do not include a water spillover into the pool, a side effect will be gurgling sounds at the spa skimmer.

The contractor may be correct, but I want to do my due diligence as this could have a big impact on our long term energy cost.

Is it really a problem to have the spa not have a spillover into the pool, for us to keep the spa heated and filtered separately? Or does it just come down to the right variable speed pump, actuated valves and plumbing being more complicated to achieve this while not encountering gurgling at the spa skimmer?
Thank you.

 

[Jimrahbe]

j,

It has nothing to do with gurgling.. Total Bull Feathers.

Most spas have a spillover because that is the only way they get fresh water. If you shut the spillover off and just left it that way the spa would soon turn green unless you managed it as a separate body of water from the pool.

Have you ever been in a gunite spa before?

When you put the system into the spa mode, the spillover shuts off. Then only the spa is heated. When done, the system goes back to the Pool mode and the spillover starts again. If you heat the water in the spa and leave the system in the spa mode, your spa will turn green unless you manually chlorinate the water. The water is not going to stay hot overnight, so there is no sense in not running the spillover.

Another option would be two sets of equipment, one for the spa and one for the pool. Silly, but it is an option.

Thanks,

Jim R.

 

[j1997sd]

j,

It has nothing to do with gurgling.. Total Bull Feathers.

Most spas have a spillover because that is the only way they get fresh water. If you shut the spillover off and just left it that way the spa would soon turn green unless you managed it as a separate body of water from the pool.

Have you ever been in a gunite spa before?

When you put the system into the spa mode, the spillover shuts off. Then only the spa is heated. When done, the system goes back to the Pool mode and the spillover starts again. If you heat the water in the spa and leave the system in the spa mode, your spa will turn green unless you manually chlorinate the water. The water is not going to stay hot overnight, so there is no sense in not running the spillover.

Another option would be two sets of equipment, one for the spa and one for the pool. Silly, but it is an option.

Thanks,

Jim R.

j,

It has nothing to do with gurgling.. Total Bull Feathers.

Most spas have a spillover because that is the only way they get fresh water. If you shut the spillover off and just left it that way the spa would soon turn green unless you managed it as a separate body of water from the pool.

Have you ever been in a gunite spa before?

When you put the system into the spa mode, the spillover shuts off. Then only the spa is heated. When done, the system goes back to the Pool mode and the spillover starts again. If you heat the water in the spa and leave the system in the spa mode, your spa will turn green unless you manually chlorinate the water. The water is not going to stay hot overnight, so there is no sense in not running the spillover.

Another option would be two sets of equipment, one for the spa and one for the pool. Silly, but it is an option.

Thanks,

Jim R.

Thank you very much, Jim!

I will be a first time pool owner and didn't know that the spa can be set on "spa mode" in order to stop the spillover while the spa is heated. It sounds like it would be better then that we DO plan for a spillover to help simplify the water filtration system if the spillover can be shut off while the spa is heated up.

Is there any benefit to NOT having the spillover that we should consider?

A colleague of mine suggested we plumb the spa and pool to able to be filtered and heated separately, but after reading your response I'm not seeing the benefit to her suggestion!

 

[Jimrahbe]

J,

In your location, you will not be closing the pool for the winter, so it makes sense to me to have the spillover and one set of equipment.

Unless you have an automation system, you will have to manually turn two valves to change from the pool mode to the spa mode and back again.

Is an automation system included in your new pool build? If so, which one?

Thanks,

Jim R.

 

[j1997sd]

J,

In your location, you will not be closing the pool for the winter, so it makes sense to me to have the spillover and one set of equipment.

Unless you have an automation system, you will have to manually turn two valves to change from the pool mode to the spa mode and back again.

Is an automation system included in your new pool build? If so, which one?

Thanks,

Jim R.

That remains TBD. We will be discussing the proposed equipment and plumbing configuration with a prospective pool contractor this weekend.....

Thank you very much for your feedback, this was really helpful. This gives me a better feeling for the need to allow the spillover, despite the "gurgling @ the skimmer" reason not making sense that I was originally given.

 

[Jimrahbe]

j,

Automation systems are kind of like having electric windows and a key fob for your car. Not at all "needed" but who buys a car now without them?

The downside is the cost, but If I loaned you an automation system for a few months, you'd beat me with a stick when I tried to take it back.

Thanks,

Jim R.