Help! What are all these?

[shalomtoall]

Our family moved into a home that has a beautiful spa, in-ground pool combo with waterfall.
A heater, IntelliChlor, Intelliflo vsf, cartridge filter, easytouch and wireless easytouch pad.
The pool combo was built in December 2017.
Soon after we've moved in the water turned green and the pool seems to lose water.
Since the previous owner wouldn't provide information on who serviced it or built it, we've hired a pool service company and paid close to $1000 for pool cleaning, filter cleaning, conditioner, salt, etc.
I would like to learn as much as we can, even if we will hire someone to take care of it.
If it's possible I want to learn to take care of it. The waterfall seems to have its own thing going on (a small pump?).
First of all I want to know what all these valves are. I've asked the pool service person to label them (they had no labels) but not sure if it is done correctly. (The pool service person left a side vacuum line open with skimmer closed. It took me some time to find this out and now skimmer seems to work).

 

[Dirk]

The two pipes I labeled the same are two of three choices: drain or skimmer or vac, no way to tell for sure from pics, but based on what you wrote I believe the one on the left is from the skimmer, and the one on the right is from the vac. That's assuming the skimmer was on when you took the pic. We can walk you through how to figure out which is which if that's not it. Do you have a drain? If it's plumbed to your skimmer, then my guess is probably right. We can walk you through how to figure out where your drain is plumbed, if you have one.

Get all the pipes painted, to protect from UV. Latex paint is fine, or spray paint. Then label everything. Use arrows for flow direction. Get some labels like these.




What I captioned as "some kind of timer" might be the junction box for your pool light. Is that a lever on the side? Does it do anything?

 

[Dirk]

OK guys, how'd I do?

 

[Dirk]

The EasyTouch is your automation controller. Please add that to your signature. The controller should allow you to select between spa mode and pool mode. When in pool mode, does your spa spill over to the pool?

You should actually have three discrete modes:
- pool mode (no spillover)
- spa mode (no spillover)
- spillover move

But it looks like your spa make-up valve is wide open, so even if you do have a spillover mode, your pool mode is also allowing your spa to spillover. When you're ready to learn more about that, and how to get your three modes working, let us know and we'll help you set that up.

 

[Dirk]

By the way... welcome to TFP! Congrat's on the new house and pool and spa! Stick around after you figure out your gear to learn how best to take care of your water. Nobody knows how to do that better than the folks here at TFP!

The sooner you get rid of those pool guys the better. Taking care of a pool is really easy if you follow what we teach here, especially because you have automation and an SWG. Nobody will take care of your water better than you will...

Buy a good test kit and get started on Pool School. I like the ebook version, found at the bottom of this page:

Pool School

www.troublefreepool.com

Order one of these kits asap, and buy a Taylor SpeedStir. Don't skimp on the kit, only one of these two will do:

Swimming Pool Test Kits Compared

What pool test kit should I buy? Why shouldn't I use test strips? Our recommended test kits will pay for themselves in no time!

www.troublefreepool.com

Taylor Technologies 9265 SpeedStir Magnetic Stirrer Start-Up Pack with Stir Bar and Batteries: Swimming Pool Liquid Test Kits: Amazon.com: Industrial & Scientific

Taylor Technologies 9265 SpeedStir Magnetic Stirrer Start-Up Pack with Stir Bar and Batteries: Swimming Pool Liquid Test Kits: Amazon.com: Industrial & Scientific

www.amazon.com

The SpeedStir will seem extravagant. It is not. You'll know that to be true the first time you use it.

 

[Dirk]

Show us some pics of your pool. And please show, and explain, what you mean by water fall.

 

[shalomtoall]

Truly God/god sent!
Thank you so much for this thorough replies.
I don't know enough to add to my own signature I will sure to add more as I learn. Will post more pics as they become available.
For now, 1) the valves labeled as from spa, From drain or skimmer or vac, From drain or skimmer or vac is so confusing. The set up was spa off/ right now the top (which I think is vacuum because when it was open the side vacuum was suctioning with no action on skimmer) is off, skimmer has some suction going on. If so what is my main drain because since I turned the vac off (pictured) I have air in return and low flow.
Where is my main drain?

2) what does bypass do? I've read it if it is a heater bypass I should turn it off when shocking or adding chemicals to kill algae. Is my bypass on or off?

3) my salt generator light is off for good. I am thinking about ordering a replacement cell or should I order a dummy until the pool is ready and then replace? We've put so much salt since we moved but it always said low salt and then it the light (cell) went out as seen in the picture.

 

[shalomtoall]

There are two drains in the deep end of the pool and two in spa. We seem to lose water as well. Could it be because of open spa make up valve being open? What valve is that and should it be closed?

 

[Dirk]

First, let me say what an amazing yard and setup you have! Just beautiful!

For now, 1) the valves labeled as from spa, From drain or skimmer or vac, From drain or skimmer or vac is so confusing.

OK, lets go slow. So take a look at any of the black valve handles. Opposite the handle you'll see a tab that reads "OFF." When that tab is over a pipe, that pipe is off. So that's one way you can figure out which pipe is which.

Let's start with the two pipes I labeled "From drain or skimmer or vac." To clarify, I'm saying one of those pipes is from one of those sources. The other pipe is from one of the two remaining sources. I'm making an "educated" guess that one pipe is coming from the skimmer, the other is from the vac. I'm also thinking, of the two, the pipe on the right, that loops over to the valve, is your suction-vac line. Here's how you can confirm that. Turn on the pump. Be sure the vac is connected to the hose and to the wall. Check to see if the skimmer is operating. Then turn that valve 180°. If the skimmer stops working, and the vac starts moving, then you've just figured out what that valve does, and which pipe is which. Remember, whichever pipe the handle's "off" tab is over is the pipe that is off. Make sense?

Try that, and report back, then we'll move on to the next set of pipes. If you're confident you did that little test well, then label those two pipes. Use a sharpie for now. Once you paint the pipes you can relabel things better. Draw some arrows to indicate water direction. If those pipes are your skimmer and vac, the flow arrow would each be pointing at the black valve. The flow is coming up out of the ground.

The set up was spa off/ right now the top (which I think is vacuum because when it was open the side vacuum was suctioning with no action on skimmer) is off, skimmer has some suction going on.

We're going to set that aside for now.

If so what is my main drain because since I turned the vac off (pictured) I have air in return and low flow.

Is your water level halfway up the skimmer opening? If not, add water to the pool until it is.

Where is my main drain?

Another "educated" guess. I don't think your main drain is plumbed to the pad. Do this: turn off the pump so the water in the skimmer settles. Open up the skimmer lid and take out the basket. Take a picture of the skimmer from above and post it. That will help solve the drain mystery.

That's enough for now. More tomorrow after you get that done.

 

[Dirk]

2) what does bypass do? I've read it if it is a heater bypass I should turn it off when shocking or adding chemicals to kill algae. Is my bypass on or off?

I don't think you have a heater bypass. To confirm: when you're out taking pics tomorrow, snap a pic or two of the pipes coming out of the heater, from overhead a bit.

 

[Dirk]

3) my salt generator light is off for good. I am thinking about ordering a replacement cell or should I order a dummy until the pool is ready and then replace? We've put so much salt since we moved but it always said low salt and then it the light (cell) went out as seen in the picture.

We're going to come back to this. Has anyone advised you to buy a proper test kit? That's the first step, before we go replacing things. You need to order one of the two kits mentioned on the following page, and buy a Taylor SpeedStir from Amazon. Report back when those two things show up (or if you already have either).

Swimming Pool Test Kits Compared

What pool test kit should I buy? Why shouldn't I use test strips? Our recommended test kits will pay for themselves in no time!

www.troublefreepool.com

Taylor Technologies 9265 SpeedStir Magnetic Stirrer Start-Up Pack with Stir Bar and Batteries: Swimming Pool Liquid Test Kits: Amazon.com: Industrial & Scientific

Taylor Technologies 9265 SpeedStir Magnetic Stirrer Start-Up Pack with Stir Bar and Batteries: Swimming Pool Liquid Test Kits: Amazon.com: Industrial & Scientific

www.amazon.com

 

[Dirk]

Have you been adding chlorine to your water? Have you been testing the water? How have you been chlorinating? How have you been testing?

 

[shalomtoall]

Thank you so much! This helps tremondeously. For now I have HDX 5 way test kit for Chlorine, Bromine, pH, Alkalinity, and Acid Demand. AS far as Chlorination is concern, we've been putting a lot of salt in the beginning (for about 1 month and a half after we've moved in) but we were getting low salt sign constantly and water turned green that is when we hired a pool service. He did clear the water but by mid Feb the water turned green again. We've been having rain, lots of wind, more rain and did I mention the wind... So we've been shocking the pool.
Will take some pictures and post it later today.

 

[Dirk]

Shalom!

If you were serious about learning how to take care of your pool yourself, you need a proper test kit. The one you have is not adequate. I gave you a link, above, to help you compare the only models we recommend. You'll also need a Taylor SpeedStir and the Taylor salt test kit. So your first priority is to acquire one of two recommended kits, the SpeedStir and the salt test kit. Once received, you'll perform a full suite of tests on the pool water and post the results here in this thread. With that, we can advise you on how to proceed with the maintenance of your water and your SWG.

I've also asked you for some pics (sounds like you're working on those) and I asked you several questions throughout your thread. I realize this can all be overwhelming. I'll help you when I can, at your pace. But each question, instruction and request you get from me, or the others guides and experts here at TFP, are designed to get you to your end goal: a fantastic pool and the ability to take care of it yourself. So go at your own pace, and if you want to get on the ol' TFP train, you might go back through the thread and work through my questions and instructions. And if not, that's perfectly fine. We're only here to help you help yourself...

PS. The reason your pool turned green, twice, is due to one or more of your efforts: using chemicals and shocking and pool guys and probably pool stores without first properly testing your pool. You can't add things to the water, or let others do that, without first understanding what it's already got in it. That will fail. And you're seeing the results. Sorry, a little tough love for ya... First and foremost, you'll need to decide who you're going to listen to. If you're listening to the pool guy and the pool store and some of us here and the guy at Home Depot, and trying to mix and match advice to figure out what to do, that's not going to work. Pick one, only one, and use just them. We hope that'll be us.

And to be clear, this site is not for debating pool care. It's a teaching site, and we only teach one way to take care of your pool water. You might get many of us helping you, or just me, but we all teach only the one method. So when I say "use only one," all of us here at TFP count as one!