I have no advice/experience on adding lights to the spillway after construction, as stated before any thing can be done it’s just finding the right trades.
New Build - North of Houston, TX - Current State: Fence Done & Landscaping In Progress
- Thread starter KevMo
- Start date
I am asking about lighting the waterfall, not the spa spillway. A couple of decades ago we had some puck-sized lights in among the the waterfall rocks. They didn't work well because the technology for reasonably priced underwater lights didn't exist.
I thought if I could find the right kind of lights I might be able to route the low-voltage wiring through some gaps in the top of the waterfall and down to the functions boxes behind the waterfall.
Sorry thought it was about spillway lighting, yes that system with hiding the low voltage wires within the crevices of the rocks may work.
I love your pool! It looks great! You’ll have plenty of fun with your family for years to come.
RoyR
Bronze Supporter
The problem with waterfall lights is the safety issue - you can’t just use landscaping lights, due to shock hazard…and the lights for pools usually requires a niche, and they take up space.
Thanks for the comments, all. The effect I want is probably only achievable by protecting a light on it from a 35-45 degree angle. It will be a project later this year, but I may experiment with some LED spotlight(s) in a tree. I have done some concert and theatrical lighting in the past. I know the fixtures are available. It is just a question of how much I want to spend. The advantage is that there is very little ambient light outside the pool lights, so it does not have to be super bright to work.
Currently, the return on my main pump goes to the spa and pool, causing the spa to spill over all the time. In the picture below, my pool return is to the left and the spa return is to the right. The valve to the left of the chlorinator is used to control the bubblers in the tanning ledge. The bottom plumbing is moving left to right and I assume it is the makeup line to the spa. If I want to set up a spillover mode where the spillover only happens a couple of times a day for 30 minutes, do I need to place a valve in place of the red arrow? Then would my options be to automate it or close it completely and use a spillway circuit?
I guess I should ask if there is any benefit to not having it spillover all the time so I can weigh it against the expense.
I guess I should ask if there is any benefit to not having it spillover all the time so I can weigh it against the expense.
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In Intellicenter, is there any way to control an Intellivalve valve actuator in steps? I know how to set the start and end points, but can I set up low/medium/high positions and control with features?
I have a similar makeup line but mine is bury underground (pool built by previous homeowner). So I also have constant spillover from Spa to Pool. All I can do is plug the return in the spa to then use the spillover feature on the automation. However my spillover height is only an inch or 2 and about 24 inches wide. So while I get some aeration that pushes upwards on pH, it is not terrible and I keep my TA at 60-70 which also helps manage pH rise. Furthermore I keep my water level on the high side so at times the spillover is hardly noticeable. I have a separate water feature so I do not rely on the spillover to be the main water sound.
Actually, I like it that my spa is constantly kept sanitized with the pool.
It would be cheaper, I think, to replace the check valve with a diverter valve kit, and shut it off then set up spillover feature on automation. This avoids the cost of also adding a controller for that diverted valve.
Turbo1Ton
Gold Supporter
- Dec 26, 2019
- 1,995
- Pool Size
- 14500
- Surface
- Plaster
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Pentair Intellichlor IC-40
Unfortunately not at this time. It is supposedly something they are intending on finally getting around to. See meeting notes here... IntelliCenter Meeting
--Jeff
RoyR
Bronze Supporter
Mine spills over all the time….I like it better, looks better too. If you run the pump slow, that will reduce the bubbling (aeration of the water), reducing your ph buildup (need to use acid).
ps. Grout / tile / stone does not like wet / dry cycles…..
ps. Grout / tile / stone does not like wet / dry cycles…..
Is there a way in Intellicenter to turn on/off a feature circuit when switching between Pool & Spa modes?
Here is a time-lapse video of our build. We still have the fence and landscaping to be done, but we are very pleased.
I am glad I had the time to stay involved every day. It has been a great learning experience.
Pool Build Time Lapse
I am glad I had the time to stay involved every day. It has been a great learning experience.
Pool Build Time Lapse
Our pool has only been filled for 5 weeks and we are already getting white spots below the spa spillover. I included a picture. There are 7-8 spots along the length.
The PB said, “Calcium buildup. Diluted acid and water helps dissolve it and elbow grease. It will build up on the spa fast because it’s always on. It will also happen to the waterfall. “
The startup is still being handled by the PB’s included service. I will be taking over soon. Here are the latest test results. The water is crystal clear and there are no other spotting areas.
Is this really calcium buildup at this point? Am I destined to have to scrub this area frequently?
The PB said, “Calcium buildup. Diluted acid and water helps dissolve it and elbow grease. It will build up on the spa fast because it’s always on. It will also happen to the waterfall. “
The startup is still being handled by the PB’s included service. I will be taking over soon. Here are the latest test results. The water is crystal clear and there are no other spotting areas.
| pH | 7.8 |
| Total Chlorine | 2 |
| Total Alkalinity | 90 |
| Calcium Hardness | 250 |
Is this really calcium buildup at this point? Am I destined to have to scrub this area frequently?
Turbo1Ton
Gold Supporter
- Dec 26, 2019
- 1,995
- Pool Size
- 14500
- Surface
- Plaster
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Pentair Intellichlor IC-40
Read up on efflorescence. This is my guess, since it is localized to individual areas that are beneath a joint, and not all the way across.
www.troublefreepool.com
Did they put a waterproofing coating on the entire spillway before they put the travertine on? I went back and looked at your photos but didn't see one showing that.
I have a couple of spots under my spillway that are like this as well. Fortunately mine are much less noticeable since my tanning ledge is right in front of the spa. I do not clean them. That was a battle I didn't want to fight. With them exposed like yours I would probably want to stay on top of that and clean them off every so often.
--Jeff
Efflorescence - Further Reading
www.troublefreepool.com
Did they put a waterproofing coating on the entire spillway before they put the travertine on? I went back and looked at your photos but didn't see one showing that.
I have a couple of spots under my spillway that are like this as well. Fortunately mine are much less noticeable since my tanning ledge is right in front of the spa. I do not clean them. That was a battle I didn't want to fight. With them exposed like yours I would probably want to stay on top of that and clean them off every so often.
--Jeff
agjr85
Well-known member
I don't have a picture showing that aspect. My picture stopped just above that line so I don't know. They said they did. We had over 8" rain in the days before the spots showed up. The spa is on the higher elevation side of the yard. I am hoping that the high level of water and early in the post-construction period contributed more to the problem than I will have during typical times.
I recently had back surgery and haven't been able to get in and clean the spots. I will find out more about the severity and frequency after I clean the initial ones.
I have an electrical bonding question. As you can see from the pictures I posted earlier the pool shell, deck, water, and pool equipment (pumps and heater) are all properly bonded. I have a load panel installed at the equipment pad that feeds my Intellicenter load center. The equipment pad load panel is fed from my house load panel (120' away). An equipment ground is run between the house and equipment pad as required by NEC code. The load panel at the equipment pad is also grounded with a solid copper grounding rod. I noticed there are bonding lugs on the side of the Intellienter load panel, but they are not being used. Should the #8 bond wire connected to the pumps also be connected to the Intellicenter load panel or is the current setup sufficient?
