Just moved into a house with pool using Pop up heads as cleaners. There are 9 pop ups. 5 are in the floor and 4 are on steps. Heads on steps are labeled Pool Valet which as I understand are made by Paramount. I have only seen the pop ups on the steps come up once and only one or two in the floor work at all. One is up all the time and the other sometimes. None rotate. Where do I start troubleshooting? The control unit is outside the pool cage in a flower bed. If I opened up the control unit what should I look for? Would a regular pool service company handle a problem like this? Thanks !
In Ground Pool Cleaners
- Thread starter Dave2590
- Start date
- May 3, 2014
- 58,345
- Pool Size
- 6000
- Surface
- Fiberglass
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Pentair Intellichlor IC-40
Dave, a picture of your in-floor valve/control unit in the flower bed area would help, as well as a pic of your whole equipment area so we can see valve setup and other things that might inform us.
Also, do you have any idea how old the floor system is?
Also, do you have any idea how old the floor system is?
- Feb 6, 2015
- 6,065
- Pool Size
- 12300
- Surface
- Plaster
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- CircuPool RJ-45 Plus
As Dodger said, pics will help us try to determine what exactly you have. Possibly include close up pics of the step pop-ups and those in the floor of the pool also.
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Dodger and proavia I will try to take some pics. Wouldn't you know it the water clouded up overnight. Just texted my pool guy to see if he added something while we were gone this morning. No idea how old the floor system is but the house was built in 1992.
- Feb 6, 2015
- 6,065
- Pool Size
- 12300
- Surface
- Plaster
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- CircuPool RJ-45 Plus
Cloudy water can be troubling. While we wait for pics, can you post a full set of current test results? What testkit are you using? How are you chlorinating your pool?
I have been using a pool man who comes once a week and takes care of everything. I do have a TF-100 test kit but have not used it since moving here a year ago so I'm sure the chemicals need refreshing. Pool guy uses a floater with 3 inch chlorine tabs. I believe he does test using strips. I have been on the verge of taking over the pool myself but its nice not to have the responsibility. If something is wrong I call him. Cloudy water came just in the past two days. Do you guys need full page pics or thumbnails? It gives me a choice.
By the way, I tested chlorine and PH with my old chemicals. Both were high, PH was very high. I added some PH Down and today cloudiness is gone. I'd just like to know about the pop up issue. I've seen the 3 on the entry steps come up and go back down. As I said one in the floor is always up. 2 in the floor have come up intermittently and one seems to never come up. A mixed bag. I'm guessing its an old Paramount system. The pop ups on the steps are labeled Pool Valet. Can't see anything written on the floor pop ups but assume they are all part of the same Paramount system. Heads on them look different than the ones on the steps
Sorry for the delayed reply. Full page pic size is not necessary, but something somewhat scaled down is almost always helpful.
I had wanted to see your valve setup to understand if your in-floor return route is always on, or requires valves to open flow to that return route.
With a 1992 pool, there’s some chance the motionless pop-ups are old-age cranky. The worst I’ve seen are rusted springs internally. Best thing to do is to remove each pop-up and manually inspect and actuate up and down. That can be very informative. You may even find gunk or pebbles inside blocking their movement.
The different look of step pop-ups and floor pop-ups may be age. Perhaps a previous owner replaced the step ones only. If they are newer, that could explain them popping up more easily.
I had wanted to see your valve setup to understand if your in-floor return route is always on, or requires valves to open flow to that return route.
With a 1992 pool, there’s some chance the motionless pop-ups are old-age cranky. The worst I’ve seen are rusted springs internally. Best thing to do is to remove each pop-up and manually inspect and actuate up and down. That can be very informative. You may even find gunk or pebbles inside blocking their movement.
The different look of step pop-ups and floor pop-ups may be age. Perhaps a previous owner replaced the step ones only. If they are newer, that could explain them popping up more easily.
- Feb 6, 2015
- 6,065
- Pool Size
- 12300
- Surface
- Plaster
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- CircuPool RJ-45 Plus
Sorry, got busy with honey-do's. And was waiting to see some pics.
Thumbnails should be fine - i think if a viewer clicks on them they will open larger.
Being the system may be 25+ years old, no telling how many times the pop-ups may have been changed out. Not sure if Pool Valet parts are readily available, but I did see a retro kit for the system. After we see some pics, we should be able to help you out. It may come down to economics on whether to revive the infloor system to its former glory or abandon it for newer and better technology (robot cleaner).
Thumbnails should be fine - i think if a viewer clicks on them they will open larger.
Being the system may be 25+ years old, no telling how many times the pop-ups may have been changed out. Not sure if Pool Valet parts are readily available, but I did see a retro kit for the system. After we see some pics, we should be able to help you out. It may come down to economics on whether to revive the infloor system to its former glory or abandon it for newer and better technology (robot cleaner).
Will send the pictures, thank you. I believe I have a dedicated valve for the pop ups. Its open now. I agree its a good bet on old age cranky. Maybe I'm contagious ! haha. Agree with you re the step pop ups especially since they are the easiest to replace. Going to look for a removal tool. Step pop ups vs floor pop ups have a different configuration.
I agree. Seems as if most of the pop ups are coming up except for a couple in the floor. I don't believe they are turning however, but maybe I'm wrong about that. I have two robots. A Hayward Navigator I inherited from the seller of the house the hardly wants to move at all and my Mamba that does move but doesn't get to the whole pool. Also have a manual vac head I just bought.
