New Pool Owner - Spillway part of schedule?

[jf2go]

We bought a house with a pool and raised spa, and now I am a confused first time pool owner . Fortunately, the pool is clear and seems to be running well.

I am looking at the filter maintenance schedule, and had a question for the experts out there regarding the spillway. The way the schedule is setup, the pool runs daily for 6 hours and the spillway for another 2 hours. When the pool maintenance is running, water trickles down the raised spa into the pool. When the separate spillway schedule runs, the water flows forcefully into the pool 2ft out over the edge of the spa. My question is - is this separate spillway schedule necessary for pool maintenance? My concern with this is that it is typically windy up here where we are and water blows all over the place when the spillway runs. I can see the splash outside of the pool, and I end up adding water to the pool *perhaps* more frequently than I need to.

 

[Jimrahbe]

jf,

The spillway from your Spa serves two functions:

1. It looks cool..
2. It allows the system to keep fresh chlorinated water in your Spa. Just think how that Spa would look if you didn't use it for a month or so.

I would think that an hour or even a half hour would be enough to keep the Spa chlorinated, so you could adjust the spillway time down or change it to run at night or early morning when the wind would typically be at a minimum.

Jim R.

 

[JoyfulNoise]

I run my spillway for 1hr/day and I keep my spa covered with a bubble cover. That's more than enough to keep the spa properly chlorinated and algae-free.

Why does your spa spillway trickle down the wall? Sounds like the valve that controls it might not be fully closing. Can you post pictures of your spillway operating in its different states along with pictures of the equipment pad?

 

[jf2go]

jf,

The spillway from your Spa serves two functions:

1. It looks cool..
2. It allows the system to keep fresh chlorinated water in your Spa. Just think how that Spa would look if you didn't use it for a month or so.

I would think that an hour or even a half hour would be enough to keep the Spa chlorinated, so you could adjust the spillway time down or change it to run at night or early morning when the wind would typically be at a minimum.

Jim R.

Thanks Jim. Yes, the spillway looks really cool when it is running. I like to run it for visual effect when we have company over. I just wanted to understand whether it was required to run daily. Your explanation is great, so I will dial back the time a bit, and run it in the morning at the beginning of the cycle (when it is less windy) instead of the end.

 

[jf2go]

I run my spillway for 1hr/day and I keep my spa covered with a bubble cover. That's more than enough to keep the spa properly chlorinated and algae-free.

Why does your spa spillway trickle down the wall? Sounds like the valve that controls it might not be fully closing. Can you post pictures of your spillway operating in its different states along with pictures of the equipment pad?

Thanks for the help Matt! Based on yours and Jim's input, I will shorten the duration of the spillway run and move it to early in the morning. I'm not sure what to make of the trickling down the spa wall when the pool maintenance cycle is running. It would be difficult to see in a picture, but I will try and see if I can capture something. It is very subtle, but you can definitely see it running down. I am so new to all of this pool stuff, I'm really glad that I found this site. Here are the pictures of my equipment pad, and what the spillway looks like when it is running it's daily cycle.

 

[JoyfulNoise]

Are those two pictures correlated? In other words, is that what the equipment pad looks like when the spillway is fully flowing like that?

Also, aside from the spa jets and the floor drains in the spa, is there another return opening in the spa? Maybe in the lower wall of the spa about halfway down? It would look similar to the water return eyeballs in the main pool?

I'm trying to figure out what that manual valve is on top behind the automated valve and after the SWG chlorinator.

 

[Jimrahbe]

jf,

I am not familiar with the "Maintenance cycle" you say is scheduled. Can you tell me what this mode does? Does it turn on a pool cleaner or what??

Just like you, I am here to learn, and this is one mode I've not heard of before.

Thanks,

Jim R.

 

[jf2go]

Are those two pictures correlated? In other words, is that what the equipment pad looks like when the spillway is fully flowing like that?

Also, aside from the spa jets and the floor drains in the spa, is there another return opening in the spa? Maybe in the lower wall of the spa about halfway down? It would look similar to the water return eyeballs in the main pool?

I'm trying to figure out what that manual valve is on top behind the automated valve and after the SWG chlorinator.

Yes, the pictures were correlated. I took the equipment pad pic then the spa pic a couple of minutes later. Also, I do see a return opening in the spa about half way down the wall on one side of the spa.

Regarding the manual valve, here is a picture from a different angle. It is inline with something with a "flow" direction label.

 

[kcindc]

I have pool/spa combo, but mine isn't raised per se. I also do not have automation.

I adjusted my valves so that a little bit of water spills into the pool. I have just enough water to help push any debris into the pool so the pool skimmers can catch it because there are no skimmers in the spa. I did have more water going from the spa to the pool, but I dialed it back when I installed a SWG because I want to decrease the rate that my PH rises.

 

[jf2go]

jf,

I am not familiar with the "Maintenance cycle" you say is scheduled. Can you tell me what this mode does? Does it turn on a pool cleaner or what??

Just like you, I am here to learn, and this is one mode I've not heard of before.

Thanks,

Jim R.

Jim, as I am a newbie, I am certain that I am using incorrect terminology. What I am calling "maintenance", are the two programs that run daily - One for the Pool (6am-12pm), and one for the Spillway (12pm-2pm). These were already programmed when we moved into the new house. When the Pool cycle runs, the pool sweeper roams around and there is a slight overflow from the spa that trickles down the spa wall. When the Spillway cycle runs, the pool sweeper stops and the Spa looks like above picture. I have a person that comes by weekly to service the pool, but I would like to learn everything that I can about the pool operation/maintenance to ensure it is being taken care of properly.

 

[glo76]

I'm no expert but looks to me like the OP always has some flow to the spa through that manual valve. What does opening that valve up do - more flow into the spa?

 

[JoyfulNoise]

Ok. That looks like the source of your dribble. If you are running in POOL mode (pump suction to pool side and pump return to pool side) then you can close that manual valve and it will stop the dribble. I don't necessarily agree with the way the PB plumbed that particular setup because it doesn't afford you control over how much of the return water gets split between the pool and spa but it works.

The box-like thing after that manual valve is a check valve to keep the spa from draining back into the pool.

 

[jf2go]

I have pool/spa combo, but mine isn't raised per se. I also do not have automation.

I adjusted my valves so that a little bit of water spills into the pool. I have just enough water to help push any debris into the pool so the pool skimmers can catch it because there are no skimmers in the spa. I did have more water going from the spa to the pool, but I dialed it back when I installed a SWG because I want to decrease the rate that my PH rises.

That is a great point! I don't have a skimmer in the spa either, so leaves and random flying critters would get trapped in the spa water. With the slight overflow into the pool, the debris gets relocated down into the pool and taken care of by the sweeper and skimmer.

 

[jf2go]

Ok. That looks like the source of your dribble. If you are running in POOL mode (pump suction to pool side and pump return to pool side) then you can close that manual valve and it will stop the dribble. I don't necessarily agree with the way the PB plumbed that particular setup because it doesn't afford you control over how much of the return water gets split between the pool and spa but it works.

The box-like thing after that manual valve is a check valve to keep the spa from draining back into the pool.

Matt, so is dribble bad? There has got to be a joke in there somewhere . As kcindc mentioned, it may provide a means of relocating some debris from the spa to the pool to get removed by the skimmer. I haven't been brave enough as yet to mess with any of the valves. Still very early in my learning curve.

 

[JoyfulNoise]

On the road right now. Evaporite and calcium scale always worries me with a dribbly spa....

 

[jf2go]

On the road right now. Evaporite and calcium scale always worries me with a dribbly spa....

Got it, thanks! I will try and see if I can locate some example schematics to understand all of the flow and purpose for the valves and pool components. I don't want to change the position of a valve without having backup close by in case I wreck something.

 

[kadavis]

Somehow the PB has programmed the return actuator to move without the suction actuator moving. For 2 hours you have all the water going to spa and then the valve actuator returns to pool position. The grey valve only turns water off or on to spa manually. This is why for six hours you get a trickle at the spillway because only some of the water goes to spa and more to pool. If you adjusted actuator to open partially to spa you could control the amount going over spillway

 

[JoyfulNoise]

Somehow the PB has programmed the return actuator to move without the suction actuator moving. For 2 hours you have all the water going to spa and then the valve actuator returns to pool position. The grey valve only turns water off or on to spa manually. This is why for six hours you get a trickle at the spillway because only some of the water goes to spa and more to pool. If you adjusted actuator to open partially to spa you could control the amount going over spillway

It's actually a pre-programmed Pentair automation feature called "SPILLWAY". When you use it, it applies pump suction to the pool and return flow to the spa jets. That's how you create a spillway when there's no extra return plumbed into the spa. The downside is your water also sucks a lot of air into the jets from the air line which creates a lot of aeration. This can be fixed by capping the air line but then that requires uncapping it when you actually want to use the spa.

 

[Meadow]

That is a great point! I don't have a skimmer in the spa either, so leaves and random flying critters would get trapped in the spa water. With the slight overflow into the pool, the debris gets relocated down into the pool and taken care of by the sweeper and skimmer.

I have a raised spa and this is exactly how mine works. Glad I don't have that automation controller but a dedicated motor for jets.

I was so afraid to touch anything when I first took ownership. Got me some booze, turned on everything and play with the controller/valves until I figured what it does (kinda trial and error). Now I know exactly what pool and spa mode or both will do and I am in full control. You are exposed to something new but I guarantee, you'll figure it out.