Ortega valve - can I do without?

[Hansenaz]

My pool has an old Ortega valve between spa and pool. First time I put in new parts (more than 15 years ago) I learned it was considered obsolete at the time. Lately my spa drains down to pool level within 30 min or so of recirculation stopping, so it's not working.

I figured it was time to just replace it with another check valve. But the geometry makes it look hard to do and in fact the local pool shop wamts more than $1000 to redo the plumbing (see pictures...the Ortega is the gray one).

It occurs to me I don't need the Ortega. We don't use the spa (the heater was removed years ago) though occasionally I drain it to clean it. Do I need the Ortega (or any) check valve? I've seen ""Ortega plugs" advertised - is that what I need?

 

[1poolman1]

My pool has an old Ortega valve between spa and pool. First time I put in new parts (more than 15 years ago) I learned it was considered obsolete at the time. Lately my spa drains down to pool level within 30 min or so of recirculation stopping, so it's not working.

I figured it was time to just replace it with another check valve. But the geometry makes it look hard to do and in fact the local pool shop wamts more than $1000 to redo the plumbing (see pictures...the Ortega is the gray one).

It occurs to me I don't need the Ortega. We don't use the spa (the heater was removed years ago) though occasionally I drain it to clean it. Do I need the Ortega (or any) check valve? I've seen ""Ortega plugs" advertised - is that what I need?

If your spa is raised, yes, you need that valve. If you allow the spa to drain completely, it won't be long before the plaster, if that is what you have, to start falling off the walls. If you don't want the Ortega (parts are still available for that check valve), remove the internal parts and get a unionized 2" spring check valve. Easy install. Set the assembly against the vertical pipe going to the spa, mark right at the top and bottom of each union nut, cut there and remove the piece. Glue the unions on and insert the valve, tighten the nuts.
This one from Amazon is good:

Amazon.com

 

[Hansenaz]

Thanks for the reply. My thought though is to just block the flow so the spa can't drain at all. (It has a separate overflow into the pool that runs daily.) Do I need the check valve just to facilitate manual draining/cleaning of the spa?

 

[Jimrahbe]

Hans,

The same pipe that causes the your spa to overflow into your pool, is the same pipe that will cause the spa to drain down when the pump is off.

Thanks,

Jim R.

 

[1poolman1]

Thanks for the reply. My thought though is to just block the flow so the spa can't drain at all. (It has a separate overflow into the pool that runs daily.) Do I need the check valve just to facilitate manual draining/cleaning of the spa?

If one of those lines with the blue-handled valves is going to the spa, unless the water enters above the level of the spa water, it will allow the spa to drain when the system is off unless there is a check valve in that line as well.

 

[Hansenaz]

Thanks Jim...now that I think about it, that's logical. And Poolman, those blue handled valves all go to the pool.

I haven't been completely idle. The day I read Jim's response I went out and drained the spa (clean out winter leaves), backwashed the DE filter, and inspected the Ortega "guts". The guts looked worn, and frankly Jim's instructions for Ortega-->that Amazon valve looked difficult - so I decided I'd kick the can and order some Ortega replacement parts. Just for fun, while waiting for the new parts, I didn't reassemble the Ortega, just screwed the endcap on. I figured the spa would just quickly drain down to jet level (~10") when the pump went off, just as it had been doing with the intact Ortega. Instead I've seen that the spa drain only about one inch in 16 hrs. Does this make any sense? I can't understand it since I'm able to overflow the spa (into a cosmetic waterfall) with the pump but not experience much backflow with no check valve.

I haven't received the new Ortega parts yet.

 

[Jimrahbe]

Hans,

A lot of how fast the spa will drain is related to how the plumbing laid out.

Also, some owners worry about a one inch drain down, other don't.

When you start the pool pump back up the next day, it should refill the spa because of the spillover..

So the world won't end, one way or the other.

Thanks,

Jim R.

 

[Hansenaz]

Thought I'd post a follow-up for the next guy with an Ortega valve problem. The simple Ortega "rebuild" (https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0118DFGGA?psc=1&ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_product_details + spring) is working just fine. I'd done this a couple times through the years but had thought it time to get rid of the "obsolete Ortega".

Anyway, looking back at my original post pictures, you see the 90deg Ortega is essentially glued to the 3-way, making the down pipes so close that a new check valve doesn't really fit. Though I never could understand Dan's instructions for how to do it, I appreciate his reminder that "Ortega parts are still available" - that opened my mind that maybe I didn't really have to get rid of it.

Some day in the future when I have to replumb the works, I'll get a different check valve.

BTW, regarding my post of May5 with the bizarre observation that I was getting less spa drain with no check valve: I saw that the first couple times after the pump cycle ended, but after that it went back to quick drain down to the jets (as expected). No explanation.