New to the pool

[Kevindong]

Just got the house. First time pool owners. I would like to take care of pool by my own to save some month fee and play with it.
I wanna update my signature. I might sounds ignorants but. How do I know what type of pool I have ? It is out door in ground. But what kind ? Please help I live in fort Myers Florida

 

[bmoreswim]

Welcome to TFP. We'll need a little more than just our imagination to help you identify your pool. However, being in Ft. Myers it is all but certainly a gunite (concrete) pool with a plaster type of finish. If you give us some nice pics of your pool and close ups of the equipment pad you will get some very helpful feedback - promise. And yes, taking care of your own pool and saving lots of money is what TFP is all about so you found the right place.

 

[pooldv]

Welcome to TFP!

Congrats on the new pool! Post some pics and we can help you with it. Here's how, Posting Photo's Tutorial

 

[Kevindong]

I will post some pic tomorrow in day time. I will come back. Thanks for the response

 

[Kevindong]

Here are the pics I took. Hopefully they are helpful enough to identify what kind of pool I got. And i always have water marks around the pump area. I don't know where are those water coming from and how to find out and fix it ?





i hope those are be enough to complete my signature. Much appreciated.

 

[pooldv]

Pool is gunite with plaster. You have Pentair Intellifo saltwater chlorine generator, a cartridge filter (not sure what), a single speed pump, look at ladle to see HP.

 

[Kevindong]

My salt water generator is not working at the moment. I had pool company checked out. They said it needed to be replaced and they don't cover since it changed the ownership. So basically I M running the pool as regular chlorine pool now. So it is gunite with plaster. I will figure out the volume of my pool tomorrow I guess. And my spa level is always that low when pump stopped running .Had pool company checked out. They said. It is normal. Same water moving between actually pool and spa. I don't know if that's true though

 

[triptyx]

The spa should have a check valve - if it does, yours might need replacing which is why the spa water level is low with the pump off.

Could you post a few more pics of your equipment pad?

 

[JamesW]

Looks like you have EasyTouch automation, a 1.65 total HP [edit]SuperFlo [end edit] pump (replaced motor Centurion Pro HSQ165), a Heat pump, a spa blower, an IntelliChlor SWG, a Clean and Clear cartridge filter and automated valves to select pool, spa or spillover.

The return line going to the spa should have a check valve to keep the water from draining down when the pump is off.

Check chlorinator diagnostics in EasyTouch.

 

[Kevindong]

Looks like you have EasyTouch automation, a 1.65 total HP WhisperFlo pump (replaced motor Centurion Pro HSQ165), a Heat pump, a spa blower, an IntelliChlor SWG, a Clean and Clear cartridge filter and automated valves to select pool, spa or spillover.

The return line going to the spa should have a check valve to keep the water from draining down when the pump is off.

Check chlorinator diagnostics in EasyTouch.

I will have a full pic about the line so you can help me to figure out where the check valve is.
There is no light what so ever on chlorinator. I thought it was just the fuse that broke. But I couldn't find the fuse as there isn't one. The power is not even sending to the chlorinator. Yup I think I got the clean and clear cartridge filter as I ordered the filter myself the other day.

- - - Updated - - -

The spa should have a check valve - if it does, yours might need replacing which is why the spa water level is low with the pump off.

Could you post a few more pics of your equipment pad?

I will certainly do that

 

[Burnthorne Pool Service]

Hello there Kevindong, congratulations on your new home!

There are a few things that I would like to mention about your post:

1) Your pump is leaking.. this looks like it is coming from where the pump bolts onto the housing. Could be a bad o-ring, could be a crack, could be anything.

2) If you have a home warranty, it should cover the SWG. I have only heard a few stories about this though, so I am not 100% certain. Also, have the home warranty cover the pump repair--if you do indeed have a home warranty, this definitely SHOULD be covered. Often times this stuff is looked at by a professional before purchase; I wonder why this was not done for you prior to closing the sale.

3) As others have stated, your check valve on your spa line is either not functioning properly or does not exist. If you do not have one, this will continue to happen, and there is not much else you can do to stop it. Installing one is not the most difficult thing in the world, but adding things in-line can be fairly tricky if you've never worked with plumbing before. If you do have one and it just so happens to be see-through (straight swing), it will not be difficult to repair. The clear cover comes off and swaps with a new one.

4) Just a heads up that your pump actually looks like a SuperFlo judging by the visible portion of the sticker and shape of the housing. It could be 1.65 THP as suggested by someone else, but the best way to know for sure is to look at the labels on the black motor.

All in all, I would certainly recommend having home warranty take care of the bigger issues if possible. If it is not possible, you can opt to do it yourself or hire someone to do the repairs. If you do it yourself, I HIGHLY recommend ordering the parts needed online. I am certain that there are topics posted about plumbing and repairs around here, as well as YouTube videos.

By the way, before changing any valves, attempting any repairs, etc, do you have a good understanding of how the system flows? How the valves work? If not, I can draw a diagram on a pic you upload and explain it, or I bet there's a sticky posted somewhere that someone can throw in here.

 

[JamesW]

I think that you are correct that it's a SuperFlo not WhisperFlo as I thought.

Re: Intellichlor SWG not working. Check that the connection to the EasyTouch box is secure. Make sure that Intellichlor is enabled in setup. Press the Intellichlor reset button on EasyTouch panel. Check diagnostics for Intellichlor in easytouch.

 

[Kevindong]

Hello there Kevindong, congratulations on your new home!

There are a few things that I would like to mention about your post:

1) Your pump is leaking.. this looks like it is coming from where the pump bolts onto the housing. Could be a bad o-ring, could be a crack, could be anything.

2) If you have a home warranty, it should cover the SWG. I have only heard a few stories about this though, so I am not 100% certain. Also, have the home warranty cover the pump repair--if you do indeed have a home warranty, this definitely SHOULD be covered. Often times this stuff is looked at by a professional before purchase; I wonder why this was not done for you prior to closing the sale.

3) As others have stated, your check valve on your spa line is either not functioning properly or does not exist. If you do not have one, this will continue to happen, and there is not much else you can do to stop it. Installing one is not the most difficult thing in the world, but adding things in-line can be fairly tricky if you've never worked with plumbing before. If you do have one and it just so happens to be see-through (straight swing), it will not be difficult to repair. The clear cover comes off and swaps with a new one.

4) Just a heads up that your pump actually looks like a SuperFlo judging by the visible portion of the sticker and shape of the housing. It could be 1.65 THP as suggested by someone else, but the best way to know for sure is to look at the labels on the black motor.

All in all, I would certainly recommend having home warranty take care of the bigger issues if possible. If it is not possible, you can opt to do it yourself or hire someone to do the repairs. If you do it yourself, I HIGHLY recommend ordering the parts needed online. I am certain that there are topics posted about plumbing and repairs around here, as well as YouTube videos.

By the way, before changing any valves, attempting any repairs, etc, do you have a good understanding of how the system flows? How the valves work? If not, I can draw a diagram on a pic you upload and explain it, or I bet there's a sticky posted somewhere that someone can throw in here.

Thanks for all the comment and suggestion. Too bad I don't have home warranty as this is not new construction. It is a 2006 home with same age pool. Everything worked perfectly when we had inspection . Stuff fell apart after moving in for couple month. I don't have clear idea how this whole process work. But I do know plumbing pretty well I meant I work as rental Mainnence for plumbing Eletricity and I had experienced plumbing for couple bathroom as well but I am kind of new to pool thing. A diagram is much appreciated. I will get some clear pic with my piping tomorrow when I got a chance as I am really busy at day time. Probably posting at night.

 

[Kevindong]

Additional pic. Hope that will help. Need to do some water text and cleaning tomorrow though.

 

[Burnthorne Pool Service]

Hopefully this helps. Please be sure to remember that the water always needs to flow when the pump is on. In other words, you cannot have the return line shut off completely, and you cannot have the intake area shut off completely. If your return line is completely off, you will have a high filter pressure. If your intake line is completely off, you will have no pressure. Either situation could present a danger to yourself and/or your equipment.

Your water flows through the front of your pump and out of the top, if that helps you remember things. None of us will be able to tell you what each of the individual return lines do, you will need to test those to see. Same with the two pool intake lines, one will go to the drains and the other to skimmers.

- - - Updated - - -

By the way, some are often confused about how the valves work. The "OFF" tab indicates where the flow is restricted. There is a flap on the internals of the valves that is located pretty much right underneath the off tab; it shuts whatever pipe off that it is pointing at. It can be used for partial flow, turning something off, etc.. Sorry if this is messy. Please let me know if you are confused about anything though. There is a lot to go over, but I'm not sure where you're at.

-Eric

 

[Kevindong]

View attachment 56817

Hopefully this helps. Please be sure to remember that the water always needs to flow when the pump is on. In other words, you cannot have the return line shut off completely, and you cannot have the intake area shut off completely. If your return line is completely off, you will have a high filter pressure. If your intake line is completely off, you will have no pressure. Either situation could present a danger to yourself and/or your equipment.

Your water flows through the front of your pump and out of the top, if that helps you remember things. None of us will be able to tell you what each of the individual return lines do, you will need to test those to see. Same with the two pool intake lines, one will go to the drains and the other to skimmers.

- - - Updated - - -

By the way, some are often confused about how the valves work. The "OFF" tab indicates where the flow is restricted. There is a flap on the internals of the valves that is located pretty much right underneath the off tab; it shuts whatever pipe off that it is pointing at. It can be used for partial flow, turning something off, etc.. Sorry if this is messy. Please let me know if you are confused about anything though. There is a lot to go over, but I'm not sure where you're at.

It is helpful information. I am kind of confused about in take line and drain stuff. I think I will need to play with it. See exactly what each one does

 

[Burnthorne Pool Service]

It is helpful information. I am kind of confused about in take line and drain stuff. I think I will need to play with it. See exactly what each one does

No worries! The intake lines (as I call them) or suction lines pull water from the pool to the pump. The front of your pump is like the front of a jet engine, so everything in front is pulling through the pump. That is the intake, and everything in front of it, such as the pool drains and spa drain, are considered intake lines. The top is the outbound line, this is where the water is being pushed through. So with your system, the water pushes through the filter, then the heater, then the SWG, then to your individual outbound lines (such as your pool jets, spa jets, anything that blows water into the pool).

In other words, the group of pipes to your right hand side control the flow of water into your system, whether it is through the spa or the pool, stuff like that.

The group of pipes to your left determine how the water is going to go back into the pool, whether it will be through the spa jets, the pool jets, and whatever the other lines do.

-Eric

 

[Kevindong]

No worries! The intake lines (as I call them) or suction lines pull water from the pool to the pump. The front of your pump is like the front of a jet engine, so everything in front is pulling through the pump. That is the intake, and everything in front of it, such as the pool drains and spa drain, are considered intake lines. The top is the outbound line, this is where the water is being pushed through. So with your system, the water pushes through the filter, then the heater, then the SWG, then to your individual outbound lines (such as your pool jets, spa jets, anything that blows water into the pool).

In other words, the group of pipes to your right hand side control the flow of water into your system, whether it is through the spa or the pool, stuff like that.

The group of pipes to your left determine how the water is going to go back into the pool, whether it will be through the spa jets, the pool jets, and whatever the other lines do.

-Eric

This is so clear. I got it. So in take lines are basically where to pull the water to the pump and go through the filter and one circle and then back to the return lines. All of the valves on the return lines are just the faucets we control to release back to the pool right ? Okay. It makes sense that way. I was just so confuse about the word " drain ". I was assuming draining. Is draining the water to the waste. I was like. Why would I drain the water to the waste ? So basically I was wrong about filtering as well? So basically there are three way to pull the water from the pool to pump and get the filter not only on skimmer ? If that's the case. I already turn off the drain from spa. So why would my spa water level going down when pump stop ? I am so confused now.

 

[JamesW]

The spa is higher than the pool. When the pump is off, water in the spa will flow back through the return lines into the pool until the water in the spa is the same level as the pool.

That's why you need a check valve.

 

[Kevindong]

The spa is higher than the pool. When the pump is off, water in the spa will flow back through the return lines into the pool until the water in the spa is the same level as the pool.

That's why you need a check valve.

But I basically don't lose any water right ? Is there any harmful if I don't correct it since I don't really lose water anyway ?