Intellicenter spa/pool mode questions with overflow

[joepaiii]

I have an intellicenter and the pool builder setup two modes - pool and spa. When in pool mode water is added to spa and the spa drains are off so that the water overflows from spa to main pool body over spa waterfall.

My question - is there an easy way to have a pool_mode1 where it doesn't add water to the spa so that the waterfall isn't overflowing and just the pool is circulating? I could run the regular pool mode for a while or run the pool_mode1 for a while depending on what I wanted to do. I wouldn't mind running that way to see how it helps the PH over the winter.

Also would like to be able to turn off the waterfall to allow some sealer to dry without water hitting it.

Hope this question makes sense...

 

[Jimrahbe]

Joe,

It just depends on how your pool builder plumbed your pool..

In most cases, there is a "make-up" valve that directs some pool water to the spa, when in the pool mode. In some cases there is no valve and in other cases, the Return valve is off-set on purpose to cause water to flow to the spa...

Show us some pics of your equipment pad showing all the plumbing around your Return valve.. The Return valve sends water to the spa or the pool...

Thanks

Jim R.

 

[joepaiii]

Joe,

It just depends on how your pool builder plumbed your pool..

In most cases, there is a "make-up" valve that directs some pool water to the spa, when in the pool mode. In some cases there is no valve and in other cases, the Return valve is off-set on purpose to cause water to flow to the spa...

Show us some pics of your equipment pad showing all the plumbing around your Return valve.. The Return valve sends water to the spa or the pool...

Thanks

Jim R.

 

[joepaiii]

If this pic doesn’t work I will try to get a better pic tomorrow.

 

[Jimrahbe]

Joe,

Just to the left of the "Main Drain" label is a manual valve that I assume is for some water feature. To the left of that valve is a check valve with a manual valve under it. Turn the valve below the check valve off, and see if your spa spillover stops. My guess is that it will.

If this is true, then you can either automate the valve below the check valve, or you can set up the IntelliCenter with the spillway mode. Either will work. You can't use the spillway mode if you don't turn off the "make-up" valve below the check valve.

Thanks,

Jim R.

 

[joepaiii]

Joe,

Just to the left of the "Main Drain" label is a manual valve that I assume is for some water feature. To the left of that valve is a check valve with a manual valve under it. Turn the valve below the check valve off, and see if your spa spillover stops. My guess is that it will.

If this is true, then you can either automate the valve below the check valve, or you can set up the IntelliCenter with the spillway mode. Either will work. You can't use the spillway mode if you don't turn off the "make-up" valve below the check valve.

Thanks,

Jim R.

Thanks - what is spillway mode? Is that an option to add between spa/pool modes?

 

[Jimrahbe]

Joe,

Here is how it works...

Pool mode.. All the water is sucked from the pool through the Intake valve into the pump and then pushed through the filter and back through the Return valve to the pool.. (Often, as in your case, some of the water is also sent to the spa, which causes it to overflow into the pool..)

Spa mode.. All the water is sucked from the spa through the Intake valve into the pump and then pushed through the filter and back through the Return valve to the Spa..

Spillway mode.. All the water is sucked from the pool through the Intake valve into the pump and then pushed through the filter and back through the Return valve to the Spa.. This causes the spa to overflow into the pool..

The EasyTouch comes with the Pool and Spa mode already set up, but not the spillway mode. I suspect that the IntelliCenter is the same way.

Pretty easy to set up.. Rename a feature circuit and name it Spillway and set the circuit function to Spillway. Then add a pump speed for spillway.. Since all the water will be going into the spa, I would set a pretty low speed like 1200 or so to start.

The problem with the spillway mode is that you are basically shutting off all the pool returns. This is ok for a short period of time, but you don't want to run the spillway mode all the time. What we normally recommend is to set up a schedule to run the spillway mode a couple of times a day for half an hour or so. Keep in mind the whole purpose of the spillover is so that your spa gets fresh water.. If you never run the spillover, the spa water would never get replaced.

Thanks,

Jim R.