shut off Pool Autofill

[miles267]

Should the autofill water source connect at the equipment pad and have a master shutoff valve there? Am planning to have my irrigation person connect up the autofill (PB won't do it) but wanted to ensure I was doing it correctly. Assumed the main water feed would come off the irrigation system to the equipment pad at a master valve and then continue on to a pipe that feeds the autofill line of the pool itself?

Our initial dig doesn't start until this week. Thanks.

 

[pooldv]

Yes, there is usually a valve to shut off the autofill at the edge of the pool deck opposite the autofill.

 

[miles267]

Thanks. Are there any best practices for autofill? Had intended to tap into the existing irrigation in back yard for ease and expense. Only run my irrigation early (4:00 am).

Read where some preferred this since irrigation systems run on timers so the autofill would also. Just trying to get ahead of this before the dig.

 

[pooldv]

Mine is plumbed to the regular water supply. I set the float 5+ years ago and haven't touched it since. I had a leak from a crack once, my water bill went from 80ish to 200ish one month. I got the crack fixed and it has been great since. There are others who prefer to run it on a timer and set it for x minutes per day. But, evaporation, splash out, rain and other factors will change the time needed.

 

[miles267]

We included an autofill valve into our new pool contract ($150). PB hasn't yet started digging, but did say they aren't responsible for hooking up autofill to a water source. Suggested we discuss with our sprinkler installer and tap into our irrigation as water source or it would be significantly more expensive for us to hire a plumber to connect to a main house water source. Since it will inevitably be up to us, do I need to ask the sprinkler company to do anything in particular when hooking up the autofill to a water source? Like plumb the autofill back to the equipment pad with a master shut off valve? I just want to plan ahead now before they start digging. Thanks.

 

[gwegan]

All the previous posts are talking around the subject here.

If the autofill device is connected to a public water supply system it is almost universally required to have an approved backflow preventer such as the following: Backflow Valves - Valves - Watering The Home Depot

Not the plastic ones, the $150 to $200 brass ones with two valves.

Those are what a plumber will install if the water source is public, whether he takes it off the irrigation system or from a hose bib off the house. That is probably why the pool installer won't do the work.

I like everything in one place so the backflow preventer and valve for my autofill is on my pad as is the junction box for my lights.

 

[miles267]

Thanks gwegan. We are on public water and have an irrigation system already with a backflow preventer already installed for it. Also we have a septic system so we don't pay sewage. I will ask our irrigation installer if they can run another water feed from the irrigation to the equipment pad for the same reason you mentioned (having everything in one place).

Sorry I didn't ask earlier, but does the autofill remain connected during the winter as well? I ask because I winterize my sprinkler system every year and turn off the master water valve which would also shut off the autofill water feed in this scenario.

 

[atttech-2]

I turn my auto fill off in winter. You won't get near the evaporation you do in summer and with luck the rain will keep the level where you want it. Last year I did not have to manually add 1 time during winter, even if you don't get enough rain you can drag a hose out there a few times through out the winter if need be.

If your auto fill is like mine it will also have a port at the top for an auto drain, if you get lots of rain you may want to ask the builder to install that too. It is simply a port near the top of the auto fill that they plumb a piece of PVC to then run it out to a low spot in the yard, a french drain or sewer pipe.

 

[zolakk]

When they built my pool last year they plumbed it into the existing irrigation system, but teed it off of the line before the valves and put in a secondary backflow unit with a shutoff near the pool end in addition to the one already on the main irrigation line. Looks just like this