Help me break down my plumbing please

[colinn]

so my pool builder hasn’t gotten back around to me to label my plumbing. I actually think it should’ve been labeled when it was installed but it wasn’t. I have two pumps. The pump on right is my water feature pump which feeds a bubbler and two waterfall descents. The main pump is to the left. That’s where my uncertainty comes in. I know what is before the pump is the suction side. I have two skimmers and a floor drain. I also have what looks like two drains on the side if that makes sense. The red circled pipe is off. Is that to my spa?

 

[Jimrahbe]

Colinn,

If you look at the input to the main pump, the Spa input is off and both skimmers and the main drain are both on. The main drain is the input with the single valve. The valve to the left adjusts the water coming from your two skimmers.

The water comes out of your main pump and into your filter.. Out of your filter and into your heater. Out of your heater to a 3-way valve.. the pipe to the left goes to your spa. the pipe to the right passes through a check valve and then to the "dreaded" tab feeder and then to the returns eyeballs in the pool walls. The check valve keep the nasty stuff in the tab feeder from leaking back and destroying your heater. You will notice the valve is adjusted to allow some water to go to your spa and make it overflow into your pool,

The two extra drains in the pool are connected to the input to your water feature pump. The output of your water feature pump goes to three ball valves which allow you to adjust the flow going to each water feature.

What else do you need to know???

Why did you not get an automation system that would allow you to switch between the Pool and Spa modes automatically??

Thanks,

Jim R.

 

[colinn]

Thanks a million for your explanation. Amazing that you can look at that and break it down. I thought about automation but by the time I decided I would pull the trigger, it was hard for my builder to source parts and I didn’t want to wait any longer. I did opt for a swg. The tab feeder was installed initially but it’s on 0. I use liquid chlorine until my swg is plumbed in. I’m coming up on 30 days since plaster was done so soon I’ll be able to use the swg. We’ve had rain for the last two weeks here in Houston so hopefully next week my pb can come and get the swg in. Adding chlorine everyday or every other day is starting to get old. Thankfully I have enough on hand that I don’t have to go looking in stores for it.

another question about the spa spillover. If I wanted to have the spa spillover have a stronger stream, how would I adjust the valves? I remember my pb telling me that when it’s in that mode the water is not being filtered? Don’t hold me to that since it was months ago we had a discussion about it.

 

[DeanP66]

The spa is being filtered, it's just not getting any new chlorine from the tab feeder. You can get a stronger spa spillover by turning the main pump on higher rpms and also by turning the 3 way valve on the return manifold to close off as much as the regular pool return as possible.

When you get your SWG plumbed in, it might be better to try and plumb it in before the 3 way valve coming out of the heater so the SWG will feed both the pool and spa with chlorine.

I'm wondering what that long pipe going up the back brick wall is for? Maybe for possible solar heating in the future?

 

[Jimrahbe]

Colinn,

I suspect that the long pipe up the wall goes to a spa blower..

In theory, the salt cell should feed both the pool and the spa, but this works best when you have automation that can reduce the cell's output in the spa mode. Since the Spa gets chlorinated with pool water, it is not necessary to add any more. Without automation, I would plumb the cell in the same spot the tab feeder is located now.

Thanks,

Jim R.

 

[colinn]

The spa is being filtered, it's just not getting any new chlorine from the tab feeder. You can get a stronger spa spillover by turning the main pump on higher rpms and also by turning the 3 way valve on the return manifold to close off as much as the regular pool return as possible.

When you get your SWG plumbed in, it might be better to try and plumb it in before the 3 way valve coming out of the heater so the SWG will feed both the pool and spa with chlorine.

I'm wondering what that long pipe going up the back brick wall is for? Maybe for possible solar heating in the future?

Good morning, the long pipe going up off my spa blower.

 

[colinn]

The spa is being filtered, it's just not getting any new chlorine from the tab feeder. You can get a stronger spa spillover by turning the main pump on higher rpms and also by turning the 3 way valve on the return manifold to close off as much as the regular pool return as possible.

When you get your SWG plumbed in, it might be better to try and plumb it in before the 3 way valve coming out of the heater so the SWG will feed both the pool and spa with chlorine.

I'm wondering what that long pipe going up the back brick wall is for? Maybe for possible solar heating in the future?

Thank you. Will give that a try.

 

[colinn]

Colinn,

I suspect that the long pipe up the wall goes to a spa blower..

In theory, the salt cell should feed both the pool and the spa, but this works best when you have automation that can reduce the cell's output in the spa mode. Since the Spa gets chlorinated with pool water, it is not necessary to add any more. Without automation, I would plumb the cell in the same spot the tab feeder is located now.

Thanks,

Jim R.

Thanks again. When the demand slows down a bit, I will look into automation.

 

[colinn]

The spa is being filtered, it's just not getting any new chlorine from the tab feeder. You can get a stronger spa spillover by turning the main pump on higher rpms and also by turning the 3 way valve on the return manifold to close off as much as the regular pool return as possible.

When you get your SWG plumbed in, it might be better to try and plumb it in before the 3 way valve coming out of the heater so the SWG will feed both the pool and spa with chlorine.

I'm wondering what that long pipe going up the back brick wall is for? Maybe for possible solar heating in the future?

I just thought about something. I don’t use the tab feeder. It’s on 0 and I solely Use liquid chlorine. So since I’m using liquid chlorine the spa would be getting chlorine even is I have the three way valve closed off to the pool. Correct me if I’m wrong.
TIA

 

[DeanP66]

Only if you have the spa return opened a little. If you leave it closed off, the chlorine will only make its way back to the pool.

 

[colinn]

Colinn,

If you look at the input to the main pump, the Spa input is off and both skimmers and the main drain are both on. The main drain is the input with the single valve. The valve to the left adjusts the water coming from your two skimmers.

The water comes out of your main pump and into your filter.. Out of your filter and into your heater. Out of your heater to a 3-way valve.. the pipe to the left goes to your spa. the pipe to the right passes through a check valve and then to the "dreaded" tab feeder and then to the returns eyeballs in the pool walls. The check valve keep the nasty stuff in the tab feeder from leaking back and destroying your heater. You will notice the valve is adjusted to allow some water to go to your spa and make it overflow into your pool,

The two extra drains in the pool are connected to the input to your water feature pump. The output of your water feature pump goes to three ball valves which allow you to adjust the flow going to each water feature.

What else do you need to know???

Why did you not get an automation system that would allow you to switch between the Pool and Spa modes automatically??

Thanks,

Jim R.

Good evening. When you said my spa input was off, what do you mean? I know the valve is closed in that direction. What would happen if I turned the valve in the opposite direction?

 

[Jimrahbe]

Colinn,

If you turn the Intake valve to Spa, and did nothing else, you will suck all the water out of the Spa.

If you want to use the Spa, you need to turn the Intake valve so that the Spa line is open, and the main drain and skimmer line is closed. AND.. You would need to turn your Return Valve so that all the water going to your tab feeder and back to the pool is off, and the Spa line is wide open.

Thanks,

Jim R.

 

[colinn]

Colinn,

If you turn the Intake valve to Spa, and did nothing else, you will suck all the water out of the Spa.

If you want to use the Spa, you need to turn the Intake valve so that the Spa line is open, and the main drain and skimmer line is closed. AND.. You would need to turn your Return Valve so that all the water going to your tab feeder and back to the pool is off, and the Spa line is wide open.

Thanks,

Jim R.

I really appreciate your input. My builder never came back to label the lines and I’ve been learning by trial and error but don’t want to make too many errors. Thanks a million.