New Pool/Spa Owner - Need Advice

[williamgdonovan]

Hi all, I need some advice on the operation of the pool at a home I just purchased. The pool and spa are both inground and fiberglass which I'm told is rare for the area. There is no spill way or connection between the bodies of water and they cannot be circulated together without running the valves at half open. The pool and the spa are separated by an approximate 8ft wide span of concrete. This is presenting problems for me because unless I have the valves open just the right amount I end up draining from one body of water and dumping it to the other with a risk of overflowing. So what I've had to do to overcome this is to once a day switch from pool suction to spa suction at the first valve then switch from pool jets to spa jets at another valve. We've had a few pool guys come out to the house and most are befuddled. First by the fiberglass pool/spa and then by the plumbing. Some have offered suggestions of automation, others to break up the concrete and to add an equalizer between the 2 bodies of water. Can anyone provide suggestions on how to address this problem the correct way and hopefully in an economic fashion? The previous owner was kind enough to give me some photos of the pool being installed that I have attached.

Thanks

 

[mknauss]

Welcome to the forum!
That is a new one on me. I cannot not see how anyone would plumb a system that must use the same water handling equipment that way.

Can you post a picture of your pool equipment (pump, filter, valving, etc)?
I suggest you read ABC's of Pool Water Chemistry and consider reviewing the entire Pool School eBook

 

[williamgdonovan]

Yes, I will take some photos when I get home this evening. Thanks!

 

[cfherrman]

We might be able to diy a balence line in your under your equipment pad

 

[tstex]

William,

I'm w Marty on this one and have never had this questions proposed.

Since the bodies are both separate and both fiber glass, this presents a unique set of problems. Also, if both structures are equal in water levels, there is no spillover effect. The right way to create a means of water [thus chemical] circulation btw the 2 bodies is by creating a flow btw the two. This too presents two diff set of problems:
1. Physically joining the two, thus being able to potentially cut and fix fiberglass. Not impossible, but cost-effective or realistic..??
2. How your plumbing from the pad could accommodate a retrofit to properly circulate the water if they were joined.

I would first ask the home seller who installed this and seek what was the installers intent? Someone had "to design" this set-up and I would be curious to their logic as to how and why.

Based on conventional pools w spa's and spillovers, I'm not sure if both cost-effective and feasibility fit here yet. From the pic's, I cannot see the finished product nor the 8 ft concrete barrier.

thanks, tstex

 

[williamgdonovan]

Completely forgot to take photos of the plumbing last night. Will do this evening. In the interim I have attached some of the listing photos showing the pool and spa. Thanks for the help!

 

[ajw22]

Dumb plumbing setup IMHO.

What is the second pump for?

You have a heat pump or gas heater?

How many gallons in pool and spa?

Easiest and best fix is separate equipment for each. Another pump, filter, heater. They can all be small for the spa. Then they are run independently.

 

[williamgdonovan]

The 2nd pump as far as I understand is a booster pump for the spa.

Currently there is no heater, the old one crapped out and the owner didn't want to replace to sell the house. I will be adding a new gas heater.

Pool is 15K gallons, Spa is 2.5K gallons.

 

[ajw22]

Consider a heat pump for the pool and a small gas heater for the spa.

I think the straightforward fix, least hassle, and maybe not that much more cost is to put a small pump, filter, and heater dedicated to the spa.

How is the pool/spa chlorinated? SWG? tabs? Liquid Chlorine?

 

[williamgdonovan]

We use chlorine tabs in a floater currently.

 

[ajw22]

We use chlorine tabs in a floater currently.

You have your own test kit? Have you tested the CYA level?

 

[williamgdonovan]

Yes, we’ve also taken the water to Leslie’s for testing. CYA was through the roof when we first started. We drained a portion of the pool and refilled to get it in line. Attached are pictures of the plumbing. Not the best photos because a fence is just a few feet off the concrete pad. Let me know if better photos are required.

 

[cfherrman]

What's the blue valve line at the far right?

What's the left pump going and coming from? It has a check on top of it.

 

[williamgdonovan]

Blue valve drains to the street.

The left pump sucks from the spa and goes back to the spa. My limited understanding is that it increases jet action in the spa through small holes in the seating area in the spa.

 

[cfherrman]

What's the grey pot?

Do you know where all the pool returns go? The ones with the (2) two way valves on the left

 

[williamgdonovan]

I have no idea what the grey pot does. A pool guy who came by thought it has something to do with the spa jets, he was searching for a button near or in the spa to activate the jets. Attached is photo showing where the returns go.

 

[ajw22]

Grey pot is an air bubbler. Pumps air through the spa jets.