Should I leave spa valve partially open for freezing temps?

[LearningAboutPools]

I have freeze protection in my Pentair controller that uses ScreenLogic but I don't know if it cycles the valves between the pool and spa.

Should I just leave the vales partially open to the spa so I can be sure water is always moving?

If I flip that little switch to the middle of position with the electric valve it will stop it before it completely changes to close off the other pipe.

 

[LearningAboutPools]

My spa circuit setup (my pool says ON WITH FREEZE as does my water feature which is on a separate pump)

 

[Jimrahbe]

LAP,

As you can see in your last post, your Spa is not set to come on with freeze.

From an automation point of view, it can only be in either the Pool mode or the Spa mode. That is why when both the Pool and Spa are set to "on with freeze", it will switch back and forth between the Pool Mode and Spa Mode.

I personally like your idea better. Set Pool to on with freeze and set your Spa off, but manually adjust the valve so that both pool and spa pipes have water running through them.

You can either set your pump to run 24/7 when cold or set your Pool to on with freeze.

If your automation had the ability to stop the valves in the middle, they would do that rather than switch back and forth.

Another thought. Make sure that you only adjust your Return valve, you want your spillover to work. Adjusting your Intake valve could suck all the water out of the spa.

Thanks,

Jim R.

 

[Jimrahbe]

LAP,

I looked at your pic again and it appears you are adjusting your Intake valve. I would just adjust your Return valve.

If you also adjust your Intake valve, it can only be open very little. You want to make absolutely sure that more water is coming into the spa than is being sucked out of the spa.

Thanks,

Jim R.

 

[LearningAboutPools]

I realized that when I went to check on it and saw the water had dropped a bit!!!

Thank you!!!

 

[Toxophilite]

LAP,

I looked at your pic again and it appears you are adjusting your Intake valve. I would just adjust your Return valve.

If you also adjust your Intake valve, it can only be open very little. You want to make absolutely sure that more water is coming into the spa than is being sucked out of the spa.

Thanks,

Jim R.

If for freeze protect mode going to disable spa mode and only use pool mode and spa spillover, it may be that some will have to come from spa suction. It would be just that one pipe, but spa suction would never get circulated.

 

[Jimrahbe]

T,

All the spa return plumbing is underground except for the short pipe going to the Intake valve. I think water running through the valve would keep that from freezing in the OP's Las Vegas location, but it would not hurt to just crack open the Intake valve to the spa drain.

Thanks,

Jim R.

 

[Toxophilite]

T,

All the spa return plumbing is underground except for the short pipe going to the Intake valve. I think water running through the valve would keep that from freezing in the OP's Las Vegas location, but it would not hurt to just crack open the Intake valve to the spa drain.

Thanks,

Jim R.

I have thought about such for my pool. It just seems more reasonable than the valves working 4 times per hour for extended hours. I'm not sure of the working life or duty cycle of them, but static seems less likely on wear and tear.