Having a pool built and need advice

[Newdude]

Plus, for the first half of the season, if you're making a bit too much, it'll correct itself in a week or three.

I also found that running 24/7 cut the variables in half with only having to adjust cell %, which was nice.

 

[voidpointer]

I assume you are not changing your pump runtimes, right? I run mine 24x7 because it is the best way to have consistent SWG chlorine production. You are also trying to dial it in off-season when chlorine depletion/usage is not consistent. Once the season starts it will become way more consistent.

I run my pump from 8AM to 12AM (16 hours). I decided to do that based on how others shared they set up their pump run times. What reason do I have to run for 24 hours? Isn't less run time better for my electricity bill and lifetime of the pump itself?

 

[Newdude]

Isn't less run time better for my electricity bill

4 more hours a day at low RPM will be a measly $4 -$5 on the electric bill. So yes, and also good luck ever realizing you saved a little.

lifetime of the pump itself?

Pumps are designed to run. Commercial pumps that never shut off run for decades.

 

[PoolGate]

I run my pump from 8AM to 12AM (16 hours). I decided to do that based on how others shared they set up their pump run times. What reason do I have to run for 24 hours? Isn't less run time better for my electricity bill and lifetime of the pump itself?

Low RPMs doesn't use much electric. But yes, you will use less. Running continuously compared to on/off cycles is debatable what reduces life more. Electric motors are really reliable. The electronics less so. Consistency is the main thing and your 16 hours is great.

 

[voidpointer]

I am at 10ppm CL today, so it remained the same at 15%. Looks like I'll keep it here for now until I start seeing it go down in the summer. Pretty crazy the output this SWG has. I would have thought 15% is nothing.

Regarding keeping the spa clean, I know we talked about this before a little. I think one of the ideas was having the kids fish rocks out from the bottom. I did this, but there's still a LOT of sand and super tiny pebbles. Not big enough to pick up by hand. I tried running the blower in spillover mode but it doesn't really stir up stuff at the bottom of the spa. I'm out of ideas!

EDIT: I also forgot to ask about CH. Mine has been at 275 pretty consistently since the pool started up. Should I consider going higher? PoolMath says it's outside of the ideal range.

EDIT 2: From this page:

Keeping the CH around the minimum recommended value, ~ 200ppm, seems to be a reasonable compromise between the formation and maintenance of a thin scale layer and low risk of boiler scale.

So I guess I don't want to raise it too high?

 

[Newdude]

Pretty crazy the output this SWG has. I would have thought 15% is nothing.

Go big, or buy another spendy unit that much sooner.

 

[Newdude]

I'm out of ideas!

Practice your putting into the drain ?

 

[voidpointer]

Practice your putting into the drain ?

View attachment 479643

I'd rather not clog up my cartridge filters

 

[kimkats]

Turkey baster! With the tip open a bit bigger to help such them up!

 

[voidpointer]

I noticed this pipe connected right next to one of my skimmers today. Is that for draining the water when the level gets too high? The second picture shows a tiny hole in the auto-fill valve bucket thing that I initially thought was for the overspill, but now I'm having my doubts.

I really hope the one next to the skimmer isn't a drain... because aren't I going to lose a ton of water when there are waves or significant water movement?

 

[PoolGate]

This are usually auto-fill, not auto-empty. But I think it could go both ways.

 

[voidpointer]

This are usually auto-fill, not auto-empty. But I think it could go both ways.

I already confirmed that the autofill is coming out of an eyeball in my pool. So I'm not sure what this mysterious pipe is for... I assume since it has a grille that it is a drain.

 

[PoolGate]

I already confirmed that the autofill is coming out of an eyeball in my pool. So I'm not sure what this mysterious pipe is for... I assume since it has a grille that it is a drain.

It could be the float for the autofill. Usually the autofill pipe is under the diving board.

 

[voidpointer]

It could be the float for the autofill. Usually the autofill pipe is under the diving board.

I performed an experiment... shot water into it using my water hose and checked if water came out of the popup drain in the yard... sure enough, it did. So this is a drain. Is this a weird spot for an overflow drain?

 

[PoolGate]

I performed an experiment... shot water into it using my water hose and checked if water came out of the popup drain in the yard... sure enough, it did. So this is a drain. Is this a weird spot for an overflow drain?

No not really. It's right next to the other drain plumbing. Where is the float for your auto fill? Maybe that float acts as the float for too full and too empty. Did your builder explain the operation of that? Do you get a lot of rain? I rarely need to empty my pool usually I am adding water.

 

[PoolGate]

Oh try this-push it down and see if the auto fill eyeball starts running.

 

[voidpointer]

The float is shown in the second picture of my earlier post. The white thing. Is that what you're talking about?

 

[PoolGate]

The float is shown in the second picture of my earlier post. The white thing. Is that what you're talking about?

Yep

 

[tommelton]

The grate in the skimmer is indeed the overflow. While not a typical location (at least to me) - that is a typical overflow drain.

 

[voidpointer]

So I recently adjusted the float actually because I felt like the water line was maybe 1" too low (it was certainly below the half-way point of the waterline tile). There's a butterfly screw that you loosen which allows me to adjust the float. It is held in place by these "gears" or "teeth" so you can adjust it in fixed increments. I went 1 increment up (which would allow the water to fill more). It has been filling for about 3-4 days now. However, it's at the point where barely any water is coming out (I have to put my ear right next to it to hear the valve running). I assume it'll shut off at some point, since filling at that rate must be very slow. I am not concerned the water will go high enough to drain out, but I am concerned that any waves or splashing would cause water to go through the overflow drain. I just don't want to lose a significant amount of water when we start using the pool more.

Honestly I was hoping the overflow drain was inside of the autofill bucket, because the water is more "stable" in there and protected from the splashing.