Help identifying parts of my equipment

[jonting421]

Hi all,

I'm new on here. I bought a new house, and would like to take care of the pool myself, but I was hoping you all could help me figure out my pool pump/filter system, The prior owner had no clue, nor did the people at Leslie's

Pictures of my system attached, I've color coded the pipes incas they are hard to see. Green and white connect into Motor 2.

3 questions I'm hoping you all can help me answer:
- I have two different pool timers that seem to control two different motors (wiring goes to Motor 1 and 2), I can only turn on one at a time (it breaks the circuit when I do both) but they both run the filter pump - are we able to tell from the picture what the purpose of the two pool timer controls are for? what does each control?
- I have a DE filter (left) and some other large canister (right) - what is that?
- Where is my backwash outlet for the DE filter?

I want to try and clean the DE filter, but unfortunately I don't even know what I'm looking at right now, and I'm afraid to just start turning knobs and stuff before I know what they do. Any help would be greatly greatly appreciated.

Thanks so much!

 

[ferretbone]

That thing with the ? is a filter to catch DE before the water goes to your waste, or in your case back into your system..To be honest those are so old and out dated I don't even know where I can find those anymore. I have seen three or four in my life time and a few were by passed. Do me a favor, your fingers cross as many as you can then walk around your house looking for some type of open pipe in the ground thats facing up. Probably will be in the front yard next to your house but you could get lucky.


Anyway never open that ball valve that comes out of it (?) with the blue handle. Unless your backwashing, in that case turn everything off (pump), turn the black handle on your multiport on the side of your big filter to backwash,,,,,,OPEN/TURN that blue handle next to the ? and then turn your pump on to backwash..........

Tip Always look at the pressure gauge on you big filter when you turn it on, if the gauge shoots up really high when you first turn it on kill the pump power and figure out what valve (s) are closed that shout not be.

That smaller pump is a pool cleaner pump. Look up polaris booster cleaner pumps. If you dont have a little cleaner in your pool with wheels just leave it turned off. Its on a fireman switch so it will not run without the main pool motor. One seconf thought to do have a small spa? That is an old booster pump is why I ask.

Look up intermatic timers, and learn how to set,change,and stop them from running your little pump. The pool pump timer is the one with the dials on the timer wheel inside the box hanging on the wall.

Your fingers cross as many as yo

 

[jonting421]

First of all. Thank you so much.

1. What is the purpose of that little pipe I'm looking for around my house?
2. Backwashing step is clear, GOT IT. I'm guessing I'll need to clean out the "?" Every once in a while though? Is there a certain process or should I just turn off the pump and open it up.
3. Are you able to tell from the picture which pipe leads back to my pool, and which one sends the backwash out of my system (is that the little front yard pipe I'm looking for, or are you telling me I don't have a backwash outlet and that it filters itself and recirculates?)? Also, FYI the green and red pipes go into the ground.
3. No spa but there use to be a Polaris. So you're saying that Motor2 is a pump specifically for the Polaris, and since I don't have it anymore I should just never turn that one on. GOT IT.

Leslie's and a pool guy had no clue what that "?" Was at all. Thank you so much. I don't know for what reason I'm crossing my fingers, but I trust you so I got all my fingers toes eyes croxxed right now. Will go hunting for that pipe in the morning.

 

[ferretbone]

That thing with the ? is a filter to catch DE before it goes to your waste, or in your case looks like back into your Real filter.. Which is so stupid I'm having trouble finding the reason for this.

To be honest those are so old and out dated I don't even know where I can find those anymore.

Anyway never open that ball valve that comes out of it with the blue handle. Unless your backwashing, in that case turn everything off (pump), turn the black handle on your multiport on the side of your big filter to backwash,,,,,,OPEN/TURN that blue handle next to the ? and then turn your pump on to backwash..........

Tip Always look at the pressure gauge on you big filter when you turn it on, if the gauge shoots up really high when you first turn it on kill the pump power and figure out what valve (s) are closed that shout not be.

That smaller pump is a pool cleaner pump. Look up polaris booster cleaner pumps. If you dont have a little cleaner in your pool with wheels just leave it turned off. Its on a fireman switch so it will not run without the main pool motor. One seconf thought to do have a small spa? That is an old booster pump is why I ask.

Look up intermatic timers, and learn how to set,change,and stop them from running your little pump. The pool pump timer is the one with the dials on the timer wheel inside the box hanging on the wall.

 

[ferretbone]

Yeah maybe If I cross my eyes because I'm kinda tired. It looks like the redline goes to the pool and the white line is the suction to the small booster pump, then the green line goes into the ground to the pool on a special pool cleaner line for your polaris.

So you have a booster pump for a pool cleaner (Polaris Green line to the pool) It gets its water using the white line sucking it from the yellow line. Which is the main pool return line to the pool unless you turn that stupid blue handle next to the question mark can. lol...... I don't think I can be any more clear than that.

OK
From there you have one return line to the pool, the red line. Which is really the yellow/red line. The pool return line. Moving along

The multiport on your filter has a tiny site glass screwed into it up front with green algae in it. That pipe coming Out of it is your backwash pipe. If you wanted to cut that pipe and run a hose or hard plumb some pipe out into an area where you can backwash that pool..... Im just throwing that out there. I was hoping you had a waste line ( that pipe sticking out of the ground) like we are looking for that would be perfect. The closer the better no big deal if you can't find yours. You can leave everything there alone and use that can I guess. I just think there stupid.

 

[ajw22]

Show us pics of your equipment from different angles so we can follow the overlapping pipes. I can’t see what is connected to pump 2 from the pic.

Show us pics of the pool so we can see what features it has that the equipment may be connected to.

Show us pics of the filter MPV.

? is your DE backwash canister. Turn off the pump and open the top of ? It was designed to have a cloth bag inside that captures the DE. Most have the bag rotted away and the backwash water just passes through with the DE to wherever the canister drains to.

If this is your first time cleaning the filter you may want to open it up and hose down the grids rather then a backwash.

DE Filter Use and Care - Further Reading

www.troublefreepool.com

MPV Valves - Further Reading

www.troublefreepool.com

 

[jonting421]

@ajw22 - thank you for the note on the DE canister, I saw you post history where it seems like you also have one. I get how it works now. Very helpful

@ferretbone - thank you for all the notes and tips and helping explain to me what each piece and pipe does and goes. MASSIVE thank you. Unfortunately, no pipe sticking out of the ground anywhere around my house. So I'm assuming that means the backwash pipe is the blue line which runs straight into the DE filter canister, which then recirculates the water back into my MPV/main DE filter.

I think I'll buy some DE filter canister bags/filters, and try backwashing it to see if all goes well. If all goes well I'll just keep my system as is, if needed then I'll cut the blue line to create a backwash outlet and bypass that thing.

Thanks again.

 

[ajw22]

OK, now I see where your separation tank connects into your MPV.

Water should go from the MPV waste line into the top of the canister. The water with DE drops into the filter bag and the filtered water drains out the bottom of the canister.

https://www.pentair.com/content/dam/extranet/nam/product-related/product-manuals/pool-and-spa-equipment/filters/SEP100DESeparationTankInstallationandUsersGuideEnglish.pdf

Pools - Pool Filter Parts and Accessories - Filters, D.E. Separation Tanks - Pool and Spa Parts Superstore

www.poolandspapartssuperstore.com

Pentair PacFab SS DE Separation Tank SEP48,96,144 Models

Pentair PacFab SS DE Separation Tank SEP48,96,144 Models,

www.swimcsi.com

 

[JamesW]

It looks like it is designed to reclaim the water by returning the filtered water back to the pool through the returns.

https://www.hayward-pool.com/assets/documents/pools/pdf/manuals/ProGrid-C9002SEP.pdf

 

[JamesW]

https://www.pentair.com/content/dam/extranet/nam/product-related/product-manuals/pool-and-spa-equipment/filters/SEP100DESeparationTankInstallationandUsersGuideEnglish.pdf

Separation tanks are designed to work primarily with diatomaceous earth (D.E.) swimming pool or spa filters.

Their purpose is to separate the D.E. and dirt from filter effluent during the backwash cycle.

The separation process should produce water out of the separation tank suitable for return back to the pool or disposal into city storm drain systems.

 

[1poolman1]

Motor 1 is the filter pump. Motor 2 is the booster pump which appears to be a VERY old StaRite pump with a very leaky seal. They, StaRite booster pumps like that, haven't been made in about 30 years. Motor 2 should never be on without #1 already running. If they both will not stay on at the same time you need a pool electrician to find out why unless you are very familiar with pool-electrical installations.