New Pool Owner... Correct Valve Placement

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C

ChelseaSoccer

0
Feb 5, 2017
42
El Paso, TX
Hi all. So I'm a very new pool owner. We currently have a in ground pool with an elevated spa which will spill over into the pool.

Now that I have figured out what each valve does, I'm trying to determine the correct everyday setting for the valves.

I've attached an updated picture, with labels and current Valve placement.

On on a side note, we are renting this house and owners have no clue the dimensions or depth of the pool, or number of gallons, how would I determine that very important information? A picture of my pool is attached as well.

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Good job on knowing what each valve does! That is a big step in pool care.

Next-size in gallons-get out your tape measure and use it. Break your pool in half to help with this. Write down the dimensions for each part of the pool.

NOW go here: https://www.troublefreepool.com/calc.html This is our Pool Math. it can be found at the top of most pages. Go down towards the bottom. Put in the dimensions for each part of your pool one at a time. Write down how many gallons Pool Math says it is. Then add those numbers together. We can/will tweak the size as you get to know your pool. This will be a good starting point.

The next thing to talk about is a test kit. Who is responsible for the pool upkeep? Effort and money. It is best for you to have your own test kit. It will save you SO much money and heart ache with your pool. If you have your own test kit and balance your water using TFP you should not have any problems with algae! Look in my siggy for the best test kit. It has more of the tests we use on a daily bases.

Now here comes the big guns: Pool School - ABCs of Pool Water Chemistry This is the corner stone of what TFP does and why. It is a LOT of info so take it slow. We can/will help you understand it.

I will tell you that your spa waterfall can cause your PH to go up in your pool. PH is very important to keep under control as it has a direct effect on swimmer comfort-eyes and skin.

Here is a list of what we use in our pools: Pool School - Recommended Pool Chemicals as you can see most of it can be bought at Target or Walmart.

PLEASE ask and and all questions. We LOVE to help!

Kim:kim:
 
Thank you for the information. My test kit arrives this weekend and I have chemicals on hand. Once I determine my pool dimensions and current chemistry levels I will post my numbers and go from there.

On a separate note, what should be the normal day to day placement of my valves? Should the suction/drain to the spa always be off when not using it and the pool/spa return be at 50/50 or 75/25...?

Since I have to separate valves that control my main drain and one skimmer, should they both be all the way open or both 75% open?


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Chelsea,

You should set your Skimmer to full on. Set your Main Drain to about 20% (It can be off if you want, as it is not required)

Set your Return valves for 90% Pool and only 10% Spa. You really don't want your Spa spilling over into your pool a lot because it will cause your pH to increase. On the other hand you need to keep fresh water in your spa. You could run out each day and turn the Spa on for half an hour and then turn it off, but that would be a real PIA. So, in your case keeping the 10% Spa setting is about your only other option. You want the amount of spillover to be as low as possible.

Thanks for positing,

Jim R.
 
I hope your landlord is like mine!! I get free run of the pool and I even convinced her to fire the pool guy in 2015 [emoji23][emoji23] If so, you will have a MUCH easier time having free reign. All my landlord does is if something breaks, she has it fixed but at my recommendation. Unfortunately the last 2 people she sent to fix problems created more so I am handling that this spring [emoji173]

Have fun and enjoy that beautiful pool!!!


Christina
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Jim,

Very helpful information. With the 90\10% return Valve setting, I should have the spa suction Valve completely Off? And do I need to test the spa water in addition to the pool water?

Is there ever a scenario when I would run the pool in only pool mode?


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Chelsea,

In "theory" you would want to run in the Pool Mode all the time unless you wanted to use the Spa, then you would put the valves in the Spa Mode. But.. if you are not using your Spa everyday, it would soon become stagnate. It does not really matter exactly how you set your valves, as long as keep the water in the Spa fresh. You can use the Spa's drain, if you wish, but you need to make sure that you put in at least the same amount of water as you take out...

Jim R.
 
Chelsea,

I would not be overly concerned about your pool size. It appears to me to be about 13K gallons. Just being close is good enough in most cases.

I suggest that you test and record your current FC level. Then add 80 oz of 8.25% bleach, with the pump running. (Just regular bleach, no scent or low splash) Wait 30 minutes and test your FC level again. For a 13K pool your FC should go up by 4 ppm. If your FC goes up more than 4, then your pool is less than 13K, if the FC goes up less than 4 ppm, then your pool is more than 13K. You can determine this info using the "Pool Math" link at the very top of this page.

Of course all this assumes you have a good test kit.. What test kit are you currently using?

How are you currently chlorinating your pool? It appears that you have the Power and Control center for a Saltwater Chlorine Generator (SWCG) but that the cell itself is missing..

Jim R.
 

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Chelsea,

Depends... What is your CYA level? See this chart... https://www.troublefreepool.com/content/128-chlorine-cya-chart-slam-shock

This time a year you can get away with low FC.. In the summer, low FC will allow algae to grow and your pool and spa will quickly become a green swamp.

Have you been able to read through the list of links that Kim gave you above?

Thanks,

Jim R.
 
Chelsea,

Well, go into Pool Math and at the very top set the pool size to 13K. Then scroll all the way down to "Effects of adding chemicals" and you will see that if you enter 67 oz of 10% bleach you end up with 4 ppm..

Try it and see what you get... (BTW, if you did not already know...Bleach and Liquid Chlorine are the exact same thing...)

Jim R.
 
Chelsea,

So you have two issues... FC and pH are off from where they need to be.

I can't tell you the exact FC level you need, without knowing your CYA level, but for sure zero is never a good number. I would add enough Liquid Chlorine to get you FC up to about 8 ppm. Using Pool Math and our estimated 13K gallons, to get from 0 to 8 ppm would take a full jug of 10% Chlorine.

Just to make sure that we are on the same page, FC will get used up keeping your pool clean and clear at a rate of about 2 to 4 ppm per day. Maybe a little less this time of year. See this chart which shows how the amount of CYA will determine the minimum amount of FC required to keep your pool safe and clear. https://www.troublefreepool.com/content/128-chlorine-cya-chart-slam-shock

Your pH is low at 6.8. You really don't want to let this get below 7.2. Most people have a problem with the pH always being high, not low... So one thing you can do to increase pH is to turn on your overflow from your Spa into your Pool full blast. I know I already said to minimize the overflow, but I was assuming the your pH would be higher than 7.2. Leave the overflow running 24/7 if you can, and measure once or twice a day. Once the pH gets to 7.2 or over then turn the overflow back to some very low setting.

Let me know if this does not make sense and I'll see what I can add.

Thanks,

Jim R.
 
Jim, makes perfect sense. Add a jug of liquid chlorine to increase levels of FC and leave the pump on with full spa overflow for 24 hours to try and increase the pH. So I don't need to add anything to increase the pH just yet?


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