Missing A Return

[dice7074]

I feel really stupid having to admit this because it's been almost a year since the pool has been completed, but my husband and I just realized that we're missing a return. We're supposed to have six, but we only have five. I remember during the construction process, my husband mentioned to me that he counted six - this was sometime before plaster, but after that, we never looked back. It wasn't until about three weeks ago, I was counting the returns and I only counted five. Again, my husband confirmed, that it is now only five. He said he knows there is only one thing that could have happened to the return... it got covered up. My questions are, when would it have gotten covered up - shotcrete or plaster? Obviously my pool is doing okay right now, but will it be okay in the future? Do we pay for each return as part of our build (if so, I'd like to rectify this)?

 

[duraleigh]

5 returns for a 15k pool is gracious plenty. I would let sleeping dogs lie.

 

[Chuckiechan]

I feel really stupid having to admit this because it's been almost a year since the pool has been completed, but my husband and I just realized that we're missing a return. We're supposed to have six, but we only have five. I remember during the construction process, my husband mentioned to me that he counted six - this was sometime before plaster, but after that, we never looked back. It wasn't until about three weeks ago, I was counting the returns and I only counted five. Again, my husband confirmed, that it is now only five. He said he knows there is only one thing that could have happened to the return... it got covered up. My questions are, when would it have gotten covered up - shotcrete or plaster? Obviously my pool is doing okay right now, but will it be okay in the future? Do we pay for each return as part of our build (if so, I'd like to rectify this)?

I would ask the builder to look at the plans. Let's hope if there is a forgotten one the didn't' forget to cap it, or route it incorrectly where it might cause a problem.

If it's a no harm - no foul error, it's up to you as to how important the "plan deviation" is.

 

[Jimrahbe]

Dice,

On a new build it would be almost impossible to cover up a return... Keep in mind that they stick about a foot out into the pool before being cut off during the plaster phase.

I suspect that you have five returns and something else like a vacuum port or maybe an overflow port...

If you are having some type of problem, it is not because of the lack of return ports.

But, if we assume it was covered up, the best pool builder in the world would not be able to uncover it without a noticeable "repair" look to the area..

As Dave points out... with five working returns, I too would not even think about screwing with it now...

Thanks for posting,

Jim R.

 

[PoolGate]

Do you have any construction pics that would show all 6?

 

[dice7074]

5 returns for a 15k pool is gracious plenty. I would let sleeping dogs lie.

Agreed. And this was and is our initial and most logical response.

I would ask the builder to look at the plans. Let's hope if there is a forgotten one the didn't' forget to cap it, or route it incorrectly where it might cause a problem.

If it's a no harm - no foul error, it's up to you as to how important the "plan deviation" is.

This was the creeper... I didn't want to have to deal with him again if I didn't have to. What would happen if it wasn't capped?

Dice,

On a new build it would be almost impossible to cover up a return... Keep in mind that they stick about a foot out into the pool before being cut off during the plaster phase.

I suspect that you have five returns and something else like a vacuum port or maybe an overflow port...

If you are having some type of problem, it is not because of the lack of return ports.

But, if we assume it was covered up, the best pool builder in the world would not be able to uncover it without a noticeable "repair" look to the area..

As Dave points out... with five working returns, I too would not even think about screwing with it now...

Thanks for posting,

Jim R.

Do you have any construction pics that would show all 6?

Jim & PoolGate,

Yes, five returns and a vacuum port. My husband must have counted the returns before shotcrete, unless he counted the vacuum as a return (but even at that, our contract says six returns). I've been looking at all of the photos after shotcrete and I'm only seeing the returns and port that we have now.

 

[PoolGate]

Agreed. And this was and is our initial and most logical response.



This was the creeper... I didn't want to have to deal with him again if I didn't have to. What would happen if it wasn't capped?





Jim & PoolGate,

Yes, five returns and a vacuum port. My husband must have counted the returns before shotcrete, unless he counted the vacuum as a return (but even at that, our contract says six returns). I've been looking at all of the photos after shotcrete and I'm only seeing the returns and port that we have now.

Do you have a before picture showing a return that is not on the after pics? It may have been the vacuum port that was being counted. I would not worry about this if it doesn't exist. But if it does and was covered it would eventually cause an issue.

 

[Bama Rambler]

The only issue if it wasn't capped would be that it would leak. If that was the case, you'd know it by now. As said above, unless there's some real reason that you just have to have it. Don't worry about it.

 

[dice7074]

Do you have a before picture showing a return that is not on the after pics? It may have been the vacuum port that was being counted. I would not worry about this if it doesn't exist. But if it does and was covered it would eventually cause an issue.

No, I don't have any pics of the lines before gunite, so I have nothing to compare it to with the after pics. And I can't remember at which stage my husband counted six returns... It could very well be that he counted that vacuum port as a return.

- - - Updated - - -

The only issue if it wasn't capped would be that it would leak. If that was the case, you'd know it by now. As said above, unless there's some real reason that you just have to have it. Don't worry about it.

Yeah... we're not having any problems without it... I was just worried that it would creep up and bite me when I wasn't looking.

 

[Catanzaro]

Yes, five returns and a vacuum port.

Your vacuum port is your 6th return. Assuming in the pool wall and do you have a valve to open and close? Probably is a pressure line, for a vacuum or Polaris type of system. PB's consider this a 3rd return. Just went through this with a friend. He has 3 lines in the pool, outside 5 in the steps, but the 3rd line is a cleaner line, all plumbed in together, but on a separate one way valve (on or off).

Play around with the valves at the equipment pad to determine flow, unless you already have.