New House / New Pool Plumbing Help

[bdearen]

Hello,

Looking for some help identifying normal operation for my pool. I just moved into the house and it has a spa/pool sharing the same filter and pump. I have identified suction and return for both pool spa. Few other questions though, in my pool I have 2 drains in the deep end and 2 drains on the wall in the shallow end by the skimmer. Is there any way to adjust the flow of these? Where my vacumn is connected I have 2 holes in my skimmer. The vacumn only works in the back hole assuming the front one is for the drain in the wall when the other side gets clogged or something? Also I have a valve that directs water from the pump to the filter or if the 3 way valve is turned another way it bypasses the filter. Default "pool mode" puts it in the middle so 1/2 the flow bypasses filter and 1/2 goes into filter.

Please see the marked up image, orange is a booster pump for the water falls, why is the valve stuck at only 50% here? I tried to turn it but cannot. Red is spa return and spa suction on bottom. Light blue is pool return on top and pool suction on bottom. Yellow is the valve that closes when the pump is off to retain water in the spa but in pool mode it's set in between so 1/2 flow goes to filter and 1/2 goes back to the pool which I believe is not filtered. Why is that?

The 4 grey dots on the pool photo are the drains in deep end and drains in the wall under skimmer.

I also have 4 return jets in the pool that only work when I move the yellow valve which forces 100% through the filter instead of bypassing. Why is the bypass ever wanted?

 

[HermanTX]

in my pool I have 2 drains in the deep end and 2 drains on the wall in the shallow end by the skimmer. Is there any way to adjust the flow of these?

Do you have a drain in the spa? Your picture shows 2 suction lines to the main pump. My assumption is that one is from the main drain of the pool and the other is from the spa. The valve between them should rotate when moving from Pool Mode to Spa Mode, then back again.

Please see the marked up image, orange is a booster pump for the water falls, why is the valve stuck at only 50% here? I tried to turn it but cannot.

That is the problem with those ball valves. They will freeze up if not used and no way to repair them so you have to cut them out. Best to replace with a Jandy 2 way valve.

Is the suction for this pump from the side wall drains? You mention it hooks to the skimmer but how does the water feature pump gets its water?
deleted.

Also I have a valve that directs water from the pump to the filter or if the 3 way valve is turned another way it bypasses the filter. Default "pool mode" puts it in the middle so 1/2 the flow bypasses filter and 1/2 goes into filter.

could that 3 way valve control flow to the water feature? You say the dedicated pump is for the water feature so may not this line. Where does the water flow to when it is open. Does it flow to the spa?

I also have 4 return jets in the pool that only work when I move the yellow valve which forces 100% through the filter instead of bypassing. Why is the bypass ever wanted?

As indicated above - the bypass goes to a dedicated pipe back underground. Could this feed your spa for spillover to the pool?

One other point - how many skimmers do you have and where do they connect to the main circulating pump?

 

[HermanTX]

Red is spa return and spa suction on bottom. Light blue is pool return on top and pool suction on bottom.

If this is correct as you have it marked - then the picture indicates you have suction open from the pool but you have return flow going back to the spa (pool side is closed). So no flow to the pool returns. This would cause your spa to overflow into the pool.