Help identifying pool parts...

[PaigeMark]

Very little is labeled in my pool set-up so I’m trying to figure it all out (and label as I go). If you can help identify any of the unlabeled parts, I would appreciate the help. Hoping that knowing what all of the main parts are will help me determine what each valve controls. There was a link somewhere about an “encyclopedia of pool parts”, but the link was broken. I’m guessing that the part in the second photo has something to do with the auto-fill mechanism. Also, I realize the the two sanitizers are unnecessary so I will not be replacing the bulbs once they burn out. Thank you for your help!

 

[Richard320]

That device in the second photo looks like the control for an infloor cleaning system.

And yes, the visual encyclopedia was removed when the website got changed around. It's too bad, because it might have helped you.

 

[jblizzle]

Holy Cow, that is a lot of pumps!

The red arrow is an air blower for bubbles in a spa.

 

[JamesW]

What you have labeled as skimmers are not skimmers. Those are returns. Skimmers are on the suction (front) side of the pump.

The second picture looks like a Paramount pool valve for in-floor pop up cleaners.

 

[PoolGate]

The 3 pumps on the left are most likely feature pumps since they come in and go directly back out. Like waterfalls, deck jets, etc or a cleaner maybe.

 

[PoolGate]

Post a pic of the entire pool!

 

[PaigeMark]

Thank you! Yes, I get that the returns are all on the left nearest the heater in this configuration so I was completely backwards. I think both skimmers are plumbed together. The middle pump runs the floor cleaner. One pump runs the spill-over water features. I think the third pump is for the spa? It is a lot of pumps for a fairly small pool. The variable pump is the main pool pump. I wish that encyclopedia was still around. I thought I had found my holy grail for a second. Thank you all for your help. Everything is beginning to make sense and I will label it all. Please forgive the cloudy water...I’m waiting on my test kit and attempting my first SLAM.

 

[PaigeMark]

Thanks to your help, I am on my way to having a well-labeled pool equipment deck. I’m having trouble figuring out which line is coming from the Main Pool Drain and the Skimmers. As I turn the valves for each of the two lines, one is tied to the closest skimmer basket but seems to have no effect on the one farther from the pump. Could that skimmer be directly tied to the Main drain line? No matter what I do with these two valves, the second skimmer won’t pull any water. I’m not even sure if I have these set to Off or On...or something halfway between? There is water flowing through the pump. I did try covering the working skimmer with a bowl to see if they were tied together and there was no change at the non-functioning skimmer. Any advice?

 

[jblizzle]

So you closed one valve completely and observed what happened?
And then did the same with the other?

Can you be a little more descriptive with exactly what you saw with only 1 valve open?

Can you tell us if there are 1 or 2 open pipes in the bottom of each skimmer?

With 2 skimmer and the floor drain, but only 2 suction lines, clearly something is tied together.
Could either be the far skimmer is plumbed to the near skimmer or the floor is plumbed to the near skimmer.

 

[PaigeMark]

I closed one valve completely (the one on the right) and found no suction from either skimmer (each has two open pipes in the bottom...or possibly a plug deeper in the pipe?). Then, opened that one and had no suction from the deep end skimmer but suction in the shallow end skimmer. Then, I closed the valve on the left and still had suction from that same shallow end skimmer, nothing from the deep end sk. I think both valves are now in the open position in the photo? Thank you for your help.

 

[jblizzle]

So that makes it seem like the left pipe must be for the floor and then the right pipe goes to the shallow end skimmer (likely the hole furthest from the pool).
My guess would be that the 2nd hole in the shallow skimmer is plumbed to the deep end skimmer and you would need a float diverter valve to force the suction to that deep end skimmer.

Did you try a bowl in the bottom of the shallow skimmer when the left valve was completely closed?

Yes, both valves are completely open in the picture.
I would suggest that the floor (left pipe) be mostly closed to force more skimming action from the skimmers.

 

[Richard320]

Do you have a flying saucer-looking thing beneath a skimmer basket? Here's how it works.

 

[PaigeMark]

That makes sense. I’ll look for a possible float diverter valve. I did try the bowl test and it didn’t seem to make a difference. I’ll also close the floor valve mostly and see if there is more skimming action. A few minutes ago, I noticed that the pool service guys were here even though we have discontinued service. Before I could tell them otherwise, they had “serviced” the pool and didn’t know why that second skimmer wasn’t functioning. They left a checklist of functions supposedly performed but not a single notation of any water testing. Silly that we’ve been paying for this for so long. After they left, I went out to check those second pipes in each skimmer and for whatever reason, both are working. All valves are in the same position I had them in earlier. I’m happy but it’s frustrating at the same time. Could it be that the second skimmer just needed more time to “prime”?

I’m looking forward to my test kit arriving so I can begin to learn how this pool really works and I can move on to liquid chlorine from here on out. I really appreciate your help. I feel much more confident now that I’m taking the mystery out of the pool plumbing mechanics. Chem 101 will be my next challenge.

 

[PaigeMark]

Do you have a flying saucer-looking thing beneath a skimmer basket? Here's how it works.

View attachment 106603

I do not have one of those. I did see that once the pump moved from the higher speed “cleaner” mode to the lower speed “pool” mode, the suction is lost at both skimmers. Pool mode is set to 2900rpm, Cleaner mode is set to 3450rpm. Could it simply be a matter of resetting those speeds on the variable pump?

 

[PaigeMark]

Do you have a flying saucer-looking thing beneath a skimmer basket? Here's how it works.

View attachment 106603

Richard - As I’m figuring out a few other issues I’ve come back to missing diverter/float valves. Do I need to replace them in both of my skimmers? Thanks for pointing those out!

 

[jblizzle]

If there is only one open pipe in the deep skimmer, then there would be no need for a float diverter there. Although I guess it would offer some help is sealing if the water got too low and hopefully the floor would provide enough water to avoid pump damage.

 

[PaigeMark]

If there is only one open pipe in the deep skimmer, then there would be no need for a float diverter there. Although I guess it would offer some help is sealing if the water got too low and hopefully the floor would provide enough water to avoid pump damage.

Thanks! There are two skimmers with two open pipes. Currently, the second skimmer only functions when the pool pump is in “floor cleaner” mode which is a little...no, it’s a lot frustrating. Trying to sort that out. Wondered if a float diverter might be the issue...

 

[jblizzle]

I still do not have a clear picture on how your pool is plumbed.

 

[PaigeMark]

I still do not have a clear picture on how your pool is plumbed.

That’s my issue, too. Thank you for your help, though! As far as I can tell, I have a main drain as part of an in-floor cleaning system, two poolside skimmers, and a spa with spillover to the deep end of the pool. The main pump powers the pool at a lower speed(2000rpm) and the floor cleaning mode at the highest speed it will go(3450rpm). Water is continuously fed through the spa for the spillover feature to work in both pool and floor cleaner mode. Currently, the skimmer closest to the pump pulls continuously but the skimmer farther away only works when the pump is set to the floor cleaning mode. I’d like the skimmers to both run in pool mode but I’ve not been successful at doing that yet. I’m new to this so I hope that makes some sense.

 

[Richard320]

It could be that the two skimmers are plumbed together and the missing diverter is why all the suction goes to the near skimmer.

I think it's time to get a helper and a garden hose and start moving valves and seeing what comes out where and shoving the hose down mystery holes to see where the water comes up. You ought to see or feel it somewhere, especially if the hose is a lot colder than the pool.