Pool finally completed its initial fill yesterday! While it was extremely exciting, the enjoyment was short lived. I noticed that the spa was not holding water which based on my researching I immediately checked the Spa Suction valve. It is on an Intellivalve valve actuator and when I checked spa suction was open. I closed and proceeded with priming the pumps for my Day 1 startup. Fast forward a handful of hours...my wife alerts me that she can hear the pump. I head outside and notice spa appears to be holding same water level but pool is now low and skimmers are sucking in air. I dialed back the VSP and slightly closed the skimmers. Lines balanced out and returns to pool seemed good. I added some water back to the pool at this time to ensure the skimmers were good. However, when I walked over to the raised spa, I noticed a few trails of water running away from the spa. It was at this moment I began to freak. I let it be until I was awoken at 3:30AM to the sound of suction again. Back outside, pool level down again. Water trails outside the spa. Being that it was dark and I couldn't stay up to babysit, I shut down the VSP.
I am currently awaiting the plumber to hopefully make it out to my place today to troubleshoot. However in the meantime, I am trying to see if there is anything I can check or confirm prior to there arrival (hoping they actually come today). I'm attaching a few photos of both the leak trails I have, as well as my equipment pad. I began labeling everything yesterday, however, I am struggling with the way the plumber configured the return side of things. I have 2 lines past the chlorinator (1 with a 3 way valve & 1 with a check valve). Assumption is check valve is for the spa return. I am guessing the other line (with 3 way valve) is for pool return.
Questions I have:
1) What is the purpose of the 3 way valve on the return side of the chlorinator? If that check valve is in fact for the spa return, is that 3 way valve used for diverting all to pool or all to spa if wanted?
2) To the left of the intellivalve valve actuator that is on the chlorinator line, there appears to be another return. Now I do have both SWG & Chlorinator, so part of me thinks that 3 way allows to completely bypass the chlorinator portion of the return, but would that not also exclude the spa return (line with check valve)?
3) Friend of mine who owns a pool service was over to help with priming the pumps. He had some questions on the check valve. The way it was installed it was flap at top and opened towards bottom. When we first got everything primed, that line was full pushing up on the check valve flap. In looking at the plumbing that appears to be the correct positioning (I would think) because you'd want water to push that flap open, but not flow back up into that 3 way valve line?
Apologize for the length in post, but ultimately I am hoping & praying that my losing of water is just due to the way things are configured, but my major concern is the fact that I noticed the trails outside the spa. Plumber did tell me everything was pressure tested which I inferred included the spa, but I am struggling to see what else would explain water on the outside of the spa. We do have a dual suction channel drain installed in the spa, which I was told we could use to also act as a return to the spa (since we did not install dedicated return).
Happy to give more context or clarify anything mentioned above but want to wrap this up before it gets any longer. Anything anyone can offer is greatly appreciated. Not the way I was looking to start this process
I am currently awaiting the plumber to hopefully make it out to my place today to troubleshoot. However in the meantime, I am trying to see if there is anything I can check or confirm prior to there arrival (hoping they actually come today). I'm attaching a few photos of both the leak trails I have, as well as my equipment pad. I began labeling everything yesterday, however, I am struggling with the way the plumber configured the return side of things. I have 2 lines past the chlorinator (1 with a 3 way valve & 1 with a check valve). Assumption is check valve is for the spa return. I am guessing the other line (with 3 way valve) is for pool return.
Questions I have:
1) What is the purpose of the 3 way valve on the return side of the chlorinator? If that check valve is in fact for the spa return, is that 3 way valve used for diverting all to pool or all to spa if wanted?
2) To the left of the intellivalve valve actuator that is on the chlorinator line, there appears to be another return. Now I do have both SWG & Chlorinator, so part of me thinks that 3 way allows to completely bypass the chlorinator portion of the return, but would that not also exclude the spa return (line with check valve)?
3) Friend of mine who owns a pool service was over to help with priming the pumps. He had some questions on the check valve. The way it was installed it was flap at top and opened towards bottom. When we first got everything primed, that line was full pushing up on the check valve flap. In looking at the plumbing that appears to be the correct positioning (I would think) because you'd want water to push that flap open, but not flow back up into that 3 way valve line?
Apologize for the length in post, but ultimately I am hoping & praying that my losing of water is just due to the way things are configured, but my major concern is the fact that I noticed the trails outside the spa. Plumber did tell me everything was pressure tested which I inferred included the spa, but I am struggling to see what else would explain water on the outside of the spa. We do have a dual suction channel drain installed in the spa, which I was told we could use to also act as a return to the spa (since we did not install dedicated return).
Happy to give more context or clarify anything mentioned above but want to wrap this up before it gets any longer. Anything anyone can offer is greatly appreciated. Not the way I was looking to start this process