Pool Mode and Spa Mode and... in between mode?

[dandannoodles]

We've been using the pool a few weeks now and I'm dealing with things I would like guidance on. Details are as follows:

• The pool is plumbed in such a way that even in pool mode, some water is returned to the spa and over time, there is a slight overflow sending water from the spa into the pool. I'm guessing this is by design, so that the water in the spa continues to circulate even when not in use.
• I have an Intellicenter with two Intellivalves that work in tandem. They are currently set to be 100% pool side or spa side. (Meaning suction and return from pool in pool mode, and the same for the spa in spa mode)
• In spa mode, with people in the spa, the water level drops and since water from the pool is not coming back in, it stays low. So let's say a bunch of people get in, water is sent into the pool but then when people get out, the water level remains low.
• In spa mode, I am ONLY moving water in the spa and the water in the pool is more or less stagnant
• I have bubblers on the baja shelf in my pool and they obviously don't work when the pool is in spa mode
• I have a booster pump for just the spa and it can be on or off, regardless of spa or pool mode.
• It seems that with lots of people in the spa (kids in particular) the water gets a bit murky (we basically use the spa as a kiddie pool... imagine like ten 3-5 year olds in the spa)
• My wife is always asking me to heat the spa (kids want to play in it), then she calls and asks me to heat the pool (adults want warm water from the bubbler on the baja shelf) and I kind of have to just go back and forth between the two

So over the weekend, to address the issue above, I played around with the Intellivalves... I put them in Service mode and then adjusted manually. One thing I did was in Pool mode, I had the return valve send half the water to the spa. This allowed me send heated water to booth spa and pool, have a constant overflow from spa to pool, and have my bubblers on in the pool. Is there any detriment to doing this? I am guessing I could program the Intellicenter to do this automatically?

Conversely, if I don't care about sending heated water to the pool (or running the bubblers), I could also adjust the suction side valve to pull water from both pool and spa while in spa mode... so I can still get some skimming action in the pool, yet water goes all back into the spa and keeps the spa topped off. And I get some spillover heated water from the overflow. Yes?

Just trying to think about all of the "hybrid" or "in between" modes between pool and spa. Is this something people do? Or do people always just run either pool or spa mode?

 

[Rocket J Squirrel]

Depends how rich you are. Most people run in pure Pool or Spa mode. In Spa mode, you are circulating hot water only, minimizing gas usage. If you pull in pool water, you'll be heating cooler water and using a lot more gas to heat the spa.

 

[1poolman1]

We've been using the pool a few weeks now and I'm dealing with things I would like guidance on. Details are as follows:

• The pool is plumbed in such a way that even in pool mode, some water is returned to the spa and over time, there is a slight overflow sending water from the spa into the pool. I'm guessing this is by design, so that the water in the spa continues to circulate even when not in use.
• I have an Intellicenter with two Intellivalves that work in tandem. They are currently set to be 100% pool side or spa side. (Meaning suction and return from pool in pool mode, and the same for the spa in spa mode)
• In spa mode, with people in the spa, the water level drops and since water from the pool is not coming back in, it stays low. So let's say a bunch of people get in, water is sent into the pool but then when people get out, the water level remains low.
• In spa mode, I am ONLY moving water in the spa and the water in the pool is more or less stagnant
• I have bubblers on the baja shelf in my pool and they obviously don't work when the pool is in spa mode
• I have a booster pump for just the spa and it can be on or off, regardless of spa or pool mode.
• It seems that with lots of people in the spa (kids in particular) the water gets a bit murky (we basically use the spa as a kiddie pool... imagine like ten 3-5 year olds in the spa)
• My wife is always asking me to heat the spa (kids want to play in it), then she calls and asks me to heat the pool (adults want warm water from the bubbler on the baja shelf) and I kind of have to just go back and forth between the two

So over the weekend, to address the issue above, I played around with the Intellivalves... I put them in Service mode and then adjusted manually. One thing I did was in Pool mode, I had the return valve send half the water to the spa. This allowed me send heated water to booth spa and pool, have a constant overflow from spa to pool, and have my bubblers on in the pool. Is there any detriment to doing this? I am guessing I could program the Intellicenter to do this automatically?

Conversely, if I don't care about sending heated water to the pool (or running the bubblers), I could also adjust the suction side valve to pull water from both pool and spa while in spa mode... so I can still get some skimming action in the pool, yet water goes all back into the spa and keeps the spa topped off. And I get some spillover heated water from the overflow. Yes?

Just trying to think about all of the "hybrid" or "in between" modes between pool and spa. Is this something people do? Or do people always just run either pool or spa mode?

If the pool water were used to make up what water is lost to overflow from too many people in a spa, the spa will never heat to the required temperature until the pool is that temperature as well.
Happens when a suction valve starts leaking, or the actuator doesn't close the port completely, etc., and the pump is pulling water from the pool during spa operation as well. Its a repair I do at least once a year.

 

[Jimrahbe]

Dan,

The system was designed to be in the Pool Mode or Spa Mode.. Not in between..

Jim R.

 

[bradgray]

If the pool water were used to make up what water is lost to overflow from too many people in a spa, the spa will never heat to the required temperature until the pool is that temperature as well.
Happens when a suction valve starts leaking, or the actuator doesn't close the port completely, etc., and the pump is pulling water from the pool during spa operation as well. Its a repair I do at least once a year.

Or your spa will slowly reach north of 104F.

The inlet water from the pool is always cooler so temp sensors do not properly monitor the status of the primary body its returning it to. Meanwhile you keep pumping hot water into the spa section - so it will do as poolman said eventually, but the interim danger is that your spa temp is no longer regulated. Depending on the rate of flow, you can superheat that water way above system failsafe.

Highest we've ever measured was 119F from a fouled return Intellivalve. Screenshot from that old convo below. We confirmed it was at least 117F with a meat probe.

 

[wireform]

You mentioned the word murky which I assume is because all the people in a small body of water possibly without chlorination but that isn't a very healthy situation. We need to see the plumbing set up at the filter pad to see if there's any chlorine being routed to the spa. Intellicenter should have a separate intelichlor setting for when in spa mode so not to over chlorinate the occupants.

 

[dandannoodles]

You mentioned the word murky which I assume is because all the people in a small body of water possibly without chlorination but that isn't a very healthy situation. We need to see the plumbing set up at the filter pad to see if there's any chlorine being routed to the spa. Intellicenter should have a separate intelichlor setting for when in spa mode so not to over chlorinate the occupants.

Yes, I have an IC40 plumbed immediately before the Intellivalve at the return side. I do have it set to generate chlorine when in spa mode, but at a much lower level.

 

[dandannoodles]

If the pool water were used to make up what water is lost to overflow from too many people in a spa, the spa will never heat to the required temperature until the pool is that temperature as well.
Happens when a suction valve starts leaking, or the actuator doesn't close the port completely, etc., and the pump is pulling water from the pool during spa operation as well. Its a repair I do at least once a year.

So we don't really use the spa like an actual spa. We have little kids and they complain the pool is too cold, so I heat the spa up to like 85 degrees. I don't really mind getting the pool warmer either? It's actually nice, since we have some heated water going to the spa and then some going to the bubblers on the baja shelf where adults are often hanging out.

So I guess the question is, if I don't mind the pool also getting warmer at the same time, is this OK to do?

 

[bradgray]

So we don't really use the spa like an actual spa. We have little kids and they complain the pool is too cold, so I heat the spa up to like 85 degrees. I don't really mind getting the pool warmer either? It's actually nice, since we have some heated water going to the spa and then some going to the bubblers on the baja shelf where adults are often hanging out.

So I guess the question is, if I don't mind the pool also getting warmer at the same time, is this OK to do?

You just have to keep in mind it is no longer regulated.

If you set the temp to 85 in pool mode, and the pool isn't already close to 85, the spa will receive a disproportionate amount of the heated water intended for the pool. The temp sensors will not be measuring this body to stop it at 104 - it will only measure the temp of the intake on the pool.

The longer the heater runs, the greater the risk to users in the spa.

You may be surprised to find that if your pool is at 80, and you set it to 85 and split your return, that your spa section quickly exceeds 100F within the next hour while your spa very slowly leaks its ever-heating water via the spillway as the pool slowly creeps up a half a degree an hour.