Pump pressure dropped and returns not as strong after brushing dirt to main drain

[Grayson73]

Re: Pool valve questions

A suction clog would result in lower flow and lower filter pressure. A dirty filter would result in lower flow and higher filter pressure. I am still not clear what you issue is.

The in floor cleaner is all the pop up heads around the bottom of the pool.

Thanks! The pop up heads blow bubbles, so they are pressure and not suction, correct? What is the purpose of this? Blow leaves to the top?

 

[jblizzle]

Re: Pool valve questions

Yes the floor jets are return jets and should not have bubbles. They are supposed to keep the debris in suspension so they can be captured by the skimmer or the drain. They often work better in theory than reality.

 

[mas985]

But the bubbles are a clue. A clogged suction line will usually drain air into the plumbing system and you will see air in your pump basket. This air will travel out through the returns and in this case the in-floor heads.

 

[gtemkin]

Pump pressure dropped and returns not as strong after brushing dirt to main d...

To troubleshoot a problem like this it's helpful to know what every valve controls so you can shut off sections of the system and identify by a process of elimination where the problem is. You have still not identified the basic valve functions of your system. Suggest that be a priority.

 

[Grayson73]

Re: Pump pressure dropped and returns not as strong after brushing dirt to main d...

To troubleshoot a problem like this it's helpful to know what every valve controls so you can shut off sections of the system and identify by a process of elimination where the problem is. You have still not identified the basic valve functions of your system. Suggest that be a priority.

Thanks, I'll try to do that tonight. It's too cold to get into the pool, so I'll try to guess by what I can feel without getting in.

 

[gtemkin]

Please go to posting #8 of this thread. Half way down that posting is a procedure that, if you follow it, should be able to identify what each of your pipes going into the ground do, and therefor what features the valves control.

If you perform that procedure as described, only a single water feature will be on at each stage of the procedure. Right now you are confusing yourself by having several valves open at the same time and trying to judge based on flow "strength". If you follow the procedure, the water flow at each water output will be either ON or OFF, nothing in between, and therefor easy to figure out.

 

[Grayson73]

This is what I figured out so far.

For the right valve, the pipe going up is for the fountain jet. When I moved the "off" to that pipe, the fountain stopped. I don't know what the pipe going down is for, maybe the in-floor cleaner?

For the left valve, the pipe going left is for the pool jets. When I moved the "off" to that pipe, the pool jets stopped. The pipe going right looks like it's going to the right valve. Hmm, looking at what I posted previously, I wonder if I got this wrong. Wouldn't it make more sense if the pipe going right to the left valve controls both the fountain and pool jets since they are both pressure? However, that would make me question what the left pipe was for. Ack, going by memory is confusing me. I'll have to take my laptop out there and type it as I test it.

 

[ScottCh]

The pipes going left and right out of the first valve and up and down out of the second valve are all supplying "pressure" back towards the pool. You just need to figure out what each one is feeding. gtemkin gave you very good, detailed directions on how to do this back in post #8 of this thread. If you can take your laptop out with you that would be great....I get memory lapses myself, so I know where you are coming from.

 

[Grayson73]

I think I figured it out!

So looking at the picture, there are only 3 pressure pipes, correct?

Left valve, left pipe is for pool skimmer jet
Right valve, top pipe is for statue fountain
Right valve, bottom pipe seems to be for in-floor cleaner

So these are the questions I have:

1. When do I want to use each setting? Do I leave #1 open when I see leaves floating, so that they'll be pushed to the skimmer?
2. If I don't want to use the statue fountain, I never need to open #2, correct?
3. I should open the in-floor cleaner only when there is debris on the pool floor and I want it blown up, correct?
4. So there doesn't seem to be any controls to the "suction" side, since these are all pressure valves. If I want the most suction (such as the main drain), what should the valve settings be? Based on Gtemkin, I think it should be all valves open, since the most pressure = the most suction?
5. Do any of these valve control what water and how much water goes to the pool filter?

Thanks for all your help! This is becoming clearer.

 

[gtemkin]

I think I figured it out!


So looking at the picture, there are only 3 pressure pipes, correct?

Left valve, left pipe is for pool skimmer jet
Right valve, top pipe is for statue fountain
Right valve, bottom pipe seems to be for in-floor cleaner

So these are the questions I have:

1. When do I want to use each setting? Do I leave #1 open when I see leaves floating, so that they'll be pushed to the skimmer?
2. If I don't want to use the statue fountain, I never need to open #2, correct?
3. I should open the in-floor cleaner only when there is debris on the pool floor and I want it blown up, correct?
4. So there doesn't seem to be any controls to the "suction" side, since these are all pressure valves. If I want the most suction (such as the main drain), what should the valve settings be? Based on Gtemkin, I think it should be all valves open, since the most pressure = the most suction?
5. Do any of these valve control what water and how much water goes to the pool filter?

Thanks for all your help! This is becoming clearer.

Great that you got them identified. I think that will go a long way towards making your understanding of how the plumbing works much clearer.

Here's some answers. Others may have more to add.

1. When do I want to use each setting? Do I leave #1 open when I see leaves floating, so that they'll be pushed to the skimmer?

Yes. That will make the returns circulate water and improve the flow of debris to the skimmer.

2. If I don't want to use the statue fountain, I never need to open #2, correct?

Yes and keeping that closed will mean there's more pressurized water available to the returns and/or the in-floor system, which will probably make them work better.

3. I should open the in-floor cleaner only when there is debris on the pool floor and I want it blown up, correct?

Yes, although I don't have an in-floor system so I'm just guessing that's the best approach.

4. So there doesn't seem to be any controls to the "suction" side, since these are all pressure valves. If I want the most suction (such as the main drain), what should the valve settings be? Based on Gtemkin, I think it should be all valves open, since the most pressure = the most suction?

Yes, however your skimmer may be plumbed with 2 pipe connection at it's bottom (remove your basket to see if that's the case). There may be a flap of plastic that partially covers one of the pipes. If that's the case, you could swing that flap out of the way to enhance the suction of the main drain however it may really have very little effect. Sometimes you have to loosen a screw to allow the flap to swing. If you don't have anything like that or if one of the 2 pipes in the skimmer appears to just be plugged off, then yes, you're pretty limited when it comes to adjustments on the suction side of things.


5. Do any of these valve control what water and how much water goes to the pool filter?

Nope. 100% of the water goes through the filter. No adjustment whatsoever.

In general. Your plumbing system is set up to be pretty basic. It looks like there may have been an in-line chlorinator or mineral device, but that's been removed (the two couplings that don't seem to be doing much and are positioned at approx 4-5 o'clock in the photo).

 

[gtemkin]

By the way, in one of your posts you asked about how much the valves are supposed to rotate. I currently don't have any Jandy valves on my system so I'm speaking from memory, but I think the valves are only supposed to rotate 180 degrees, not 360 degrees. I think there's stop features in the plastic molding that are supposed to prevent you from rotating them "around" but I think they can never-the-less be forced past those stops. Probably not a good idea to do that if you really don't need to.

I just went online to look something up and it appears there may be versions of your valve that do rotate around all the way and others that don't. That may be your situation.

You're valves are a style that require periodic lubrication. Here's a link I found on how to lubricate them. Somewhere on the Jandy site there must also be instructions.

http://www.inyopools.com/HowToPage/how_to_maintain_a_pool_diverter_valve.aspx

 

[Catanzaro]

The Jandy valves I have are designed with pins. It shows the 180 degree mark. If you remove one of the pins, the whole Jandy Valve spins 360 degrees, but stops. For example, my main drain Jandy valve either shuts off the skimmers or only the main drain. The skimmers can only shut off and isolate one skimmer at a time. The pins are there to prevent damage to the system. Messing with the pins could cause problems. Same with the returns. You can not shut both off at the same time, only one at a time.