Pool valves not marked. Help!

[SEA1967]

I'm trying to figure out what all of the valve controls on my pool do. The labels on all of them have worn off because of weather and i'm not sure if I am using them properly. Pictures are attached.

 

[ajw22]

Tell us what you have on your pool? Spa? Spillover? How many skimmers? Main drain? How many returns? Vacuum or suction pool cleaner? Water features?

We can't guess at what you have without some help.

 

[Jimrahbe]

1967,

I knew you were in Florida...

In front of your pump are three valves.. These valve decide what water comes into your pump... Without more info it is impossible for us to know what they do..

They could select between one or two skimmers, a Main drain, a vacuum port or even a spa.

How many skimmers do you have?
Do you have a spa?
Do you have a vacuum port on the wall of your pool?
Do you have a main drain?

The two valves after your salt cell select where the water goes when returning to the pool..

They could return it to the pool returns or eyeballs, or a waterfall or water feature or a spa.. What do you have???

Tell us more and we can give you some better answers.

Thanks,

Jim R.

 

[SEA1967]

I have a 9000 gallon pool with a waterfall, 1 skimmer on the opposite side of the waterfall, 2 cover intakes about 3 feet apart at the deep end, a black capped possible vacuum port a few feet to the right of the skimmer. I have never used it. Just put my vacuum hose into the port in the skimmer and wait until the suction starts.

 

[Jimrahbe]

1967,



Pipes # 1, 2 and 3 are all wide open with the two valves set as they are. There is no way for us to know which pipe goes where for sure, but my guess would be that #1 goes to the vacuum port, # 2 goes to your Skimmer, and # 3 is your main drain. You will need to determine which pipe goes where.. I would first determine which pipe goes to the skimmer.. Go to your skimmer and remove the basket.. See if you can feel suction at the pipe at the bottom.. Go to the two valves in front of the pump and turn them one at a time and see what happens.. Makes sure the pump does not run out of water.. One of those valves will shut off the input from the skimmer., one of the valves will control the vacuum input, the other from the main drain.. You will not be able to test the water going into the main drain, so just figure out which one is the skimmer and which is the vacuum.

Pipes #4, 5 and 6 move the water back to your pool.. As they show in the pic, only pipe # 4 has water flowing through it.. The valve right below the IC40 is set to shut off all the water going to Pipes #5 and 6

Again, you will just have to experiment to see which valve does what.. If your waterfall is running, then I would assume pipe # 4 goes to the waterfall.. Other options would be pool returns or spa or return in the lower part of the pool which would not be common...

The pipes marked with ???? looks like a pipe for an air blower to a spa?? Just to confirm your water fall is just a waterfall and not part of spa that overflows into the pool, correct???

Thanks,

Jim R.

 

[SEA1967]

1967,

View attachment 134252

Pipes # 1, 2 and 3 are all wide open with the two valves set as they are. There is no way for us to know which pipe goes where for sure, but my guess would be that #1 goes to the vacuum port, # 2 goes to your Skimmer, and # 3 is your main drain. You will need to determine which pipe goes where.. I would first determine which pipe goes to the skimmer.. Go to your skimmer and remove the basket.. See if you can feel suction at the pipe at the bottom.. Go to the two valves in front of the pump and turn them one at a time and see what happens.. Makes sure the pump does not run out of water.. One of those valves will shut off the input from the skimmer., one of the valves will control the vacuum input, the other from the main drain.. You will not be able to test the water going into the main drain, so just figure out which one is the skimmer and which is the vacuum.

Pipes #4, 5 and 6 move the water back to your pool.. As they show in the pic, only pipe # 4 has water flowing through it.. The valve right below the IC40 is set to shut off all the water going to Pipes #5 and 6

Again, you will just have to experiment to see which valve does what.. If your waterfall is running, then I would assume pipe # 4 goes to the waterfall.. Other options would be pool returns or spa or return in the lower part of the pool which would not be common...

The pipes marked with ???? looks like a pipe for an air blower to a spa?? Just to confirm your water fall is just a waterfall and not part of spa that overflows into the pool, correct???

Thanks,

Jim R.

Thank you Jim. Just a waterfall and you are right #4 controls it.

 

[Jimrahbe]

1967,

You need to shut off the valve near #4 (rotate 180 degrees) and see what #5 and 6 do.. I suspect that one is for the eyeballs in the side walls of your pool, but not sure about the other one???

Jim R.