Help this newbie to identify all pool/pump parts

[erickpeniche]

Hi everyone!

Im a complete newbie in regards of pool maintenance. This is my first pool and I'm still learning a lot thanks to this forum. I'm having a hard time trying to identify all the parts/valves from my whole pool and pump system. Today I tried to manually vacuum my pool and couldn't do it because the suction pressure was too much that I could push or pull the vacuum. In order to start playing with the valves and reducing the pressure, I need to understand and find out the parts in my pool and pump system. My 2 main goals that I would appreciate any help towards are: I need to drain some water in order to put new water (CYA too high) and I need to be able to manually vacuum my pool (with hose and vacuum head).

Since I can't upload all of the images here, I'm linking an imgur album with all of the photos that I took today. I have labeled the photos and also labeled the parts. As you can read in the image description in imgur, I have tried to label/identify some of the parts. I need help labeling all of the unknown parts (returns, drain, check valve, filters, etc...)

The whole pump and valves didn't came labeled, so before I start opening/closing valves, I want to know which valve correspond to what before I mess things up big time.

This is the link to the imgur album: https://imgur.com/a/0gBx4nA

Details about the pool: ~5800 gallons, plaster

Any help will be very much appreciated! Thanks for taking the time to help this newbie.

Erick

 

[ajw22]

OK. I will play.


1A - Pentair Mastemp heater
1B - Natural gas line to heater & shutoff valve

2B - Air Blower for bubbles from jets
2C - Electrical switch box or timer for air blower
2D - Timer - probably for pump run time
2E - Pump motor - Pentair 1.5HP single speed 3450 RPM
2F - Pump intake
2G - Hayward DE-720S Filter
2H - Filter output goes to heater input
2J - Heated water output
2K - Jandy valve to stub pipe that is capped off
2L - Jandy valve to shutoff return line
2M - Jandy valve to shutoff return line
2N - Jandy valve to turn on suction line to the left
2O - Jandy valve to shutoff suction line
2P - filter valve for backwash/drain/recirculate water

3A - see 2H
3B - see 2J
3C - see 2K
3D - see 2l
3E - see 2M

4A -Jandy vale that opens or closes suction line to the left
4B - see 2O
4C - suction pipe taken out of service, see white cap on end above it
4D - filter backwash/waste line - see 2P

5A - skimmer
5B - need closeup of it - maybe overflow drain

6A - looks like a suction intake
6B - return jet - connect to 2L or M
6C - need closer look - could be overflow drain
6D - return jet - connect to 2L or M

7A - may be the other end of 4C
7B - may be for bubbler output

8A - main drian
8B - return
8C - pool light

 

[erickpeniche]

You are a total HERO! Thank you so much ajw22 for helping me with figuring out my pool vacuum system parts. I'm sorry I took so long to reply back. I have been busy with the moving.

I'm now facing a small problem. If you look at the image #4, you can see 3 suction lines: 4B is the skimmer line, the one to the left (4A) might be for the main bottom drain OR the dedicated side suction line (image 6D and 7A) and the one that is taken out of service is 4C which I don't know what was the purpose of it. Now the problem here is that I want to connect my pool cleaner to the dedicated suction line (6D & 7A), but when I took of the cap of the dedicated suction line, turned the skimmer suction valve off (4B) and then turned on the 4A (maybe for the dedicated suction line or maybe for the main drain), no water is being suctioned... This leads me to believe 2 possible outcomes:

1: that the suction line to the left (4A) is clogged
2: I'm missing something or turning on/off the wrong valves

And then I started thinking... well, from what I'm seeing in the pool right now, I have 3 pool outlets (suction lines): the skimmer, the dedicated suction line and the main drain (I might be wrong since I'm still no expert on pool vacuum systems), so in theory there should be 3 suction lines in image #4: the one that for sure is working is the skimmer one (4B), the other one that is not suctioning any water must be for the main drain (since my logic tells me that this is more important than the dedicated suction line)... and the one that is taken out of service has to be for the dedicated suction line (PLEASE I HOPE IM WRONG)... It also ran through my mind that the MAIN drain could be connected to the same line as the skimmer one, but I haven't tested the suction at the main drain when the skimmer suction line is open.

I have no clue on why do I have an out of service line (4C).

Any ideas on what am I missing or if the 4A belongs to the main drain or the dedicated suction line? An also what about the out of service line?

Thanks again, you have helped me A LOT to understand my pool vacuum system.

 

[Mendy48]

Wow!!! This helps me too. Awesome. Thanks for asking the question.

OK. I will play.


1A - Pentair Mastemp heater
1B - Natural gas line to heater & shutoff valve

2B - Air Blower for bubbles from jets
2C - Electrical switch box or timer for air blower
2D - Timer - probably for pump run time
2E - Pump motor - Pentair 1.5HP single speed 3450 RPM
2F - Pump intake
2G - Hayward DE-720S Filter
2H - Filter output goes to heater input
2J - Heated water output
2K - Jandy valve to stub pipe that is capped off
2L - Jandy valve to shutoff return line
2M - Jandy valve to shutoff return line
2N - Jandy valve to turn on suction line to the left
2O - Jandy valve to shutoff suction line
2P - filter valve for backwash/drain/recirculate water

3A - see 2H
3B - see 2J
3C - see 2K
3D - see 2l
3E - see 2M

4A -Jandy vale that opens or closes suction line to the left
4B - see 2O
4C - suction pipe taken out of service, see white cap on end above it
4D - filter backwash/waste line - see 2P

5A - skimmer
5B - need closeup of it - maybe overflow drain

6A - looks like a suction intake
6B - return jet - connect to 2L or M
6C - need closer look - could be overflow drain
6D - return jet - connect to 2L or M

7A - may be the other end of 4C
7B - may be for bubbler output

8A - main drian
8B - return
8C - pool light

 

[Dirk]

Allen, that was impressive!

 

[ajw22]

Any ideas on what am I missing or if the 4A belongs to the main drain or the dedicated suction line? An also what about the out of service line?

We can only guess. You are on site and can test.

Start by getting into your pool and putting yout hand on each line you can find and see if it is sucking or blowing or doing nothing. Or use some food dye to squirt by a line and see which way it flows. Now you have narrowed down the lines to check as you change suction or return valves.

Now you need to experiment and turn off one valve at a time and go around to all the appropriate lines and map out what changes. Always leave one suction line and one return line open.

Good chance the main drain is connected off a skimmer line. That is usually the way it is done. But no guarantees and it might be one of the lines.

For 4C if you can blow some air into it from a shopvac and look for bubbles in the pool. If you identify the end in the pool then I would pressure test it before hooking it up. The reason it is disconnected is it may have been leaking.

Now the problem here is that I want to connect my pool cleaner to the dedicated suction line (6D & 7A), but when I took of the cap of the dedicated suction line, turned the skimmer suction valve off (4B) and then turned on the 4A (maybe for the dedicated suction line or maybe for the main drain), no water is being suctioned

If you turn the 4A handle 180 degrees you close the path to 4B and should not need to touch 4B to turn it off. See if you can rig up a blower to blow air through your pump basket into the suction lines Then moving 4A you can see where bubbles come out.

6D & 7A look like the have plugs in them. Did you remove the plugs before your test?