Spa draining into pool

[jariv]

All,

I seem to be having a fairly common issue of the above pool spa draining into the pool when the pump is off. Water does not go below the return jets. I’ve checked the check valve on the spa return and it looks fine. Spring still works, O-rings intact. I moved both return and drain on the spa to “off” on the theee way valves but no luck.
What else am I missing?

 

[Jimrahbe]

J,

95% of the time it is the check valve. Are you sure you looked at the right one??

Show us a couple of pics of your equipment pad, mostly around the Return valve, and you'll get some better feedback..

Thanks,

Jim R.

 

[mmardini]

This happened to us. We repiped the pool equipment and it still continued to happen. The company that repiped came out and found that there was a drain under the drain cover in the spa that led to the pool. He clogged the drain and it hasn’t happened since! Maybe check under the drain cover?

 

[jariv]

I've tried to upload a picture of my plumbing it keeps erroring out. A couple of things I noticed: 1. I had the 3-way valve set to "off" toward the spa return. I would imagine that means there should be no water running to the spa in the return jets. That said, this morning when the pump kicked on, the spa filled with water again through the return jets. Theoretically, this should not have happened given I shut off the valve, right? I do not have an actuator. 2. @mmardini I did notice that there is a center drain looking type at the bottom of the spa. It does look like a return line for a water feature of some sort. I noticed when I shut everything from/to the spa, this center pipe or line appears to still be generating movement of some sort.

 

[Jimrahbe]

J,

Sorry, but I can't help unless I can understand how your plumbing is run.. And I can't do that without pics..

If you are trying to load huge HD iPhone pics you might want to try smaller non-HD pics.

Thanks,

Jim R.

 

[jariv]

J,

Sorry, but I can't help unless I can understand how your plumbing is run.. And I can't do that without pics..

If you are trying to load huge HD iPhone pics you might want to try smaller non-HD pics.

Thanks,

Jim R.

 

[Jimrahbe]

J,

Ok.. What I was looking for is to see if you had what is called a make up valve, This is a system that by-passes the Return valve to allow the spa to spillover into the pool. But, based upon your pic, you do not have a make up valve.

In normal operation, if the water drains down to just below the spa jets, the only thing that will keep the spa from draining down is the check valve.

In your case shutting off the Return valve, like in your pic, should also prevent the problem.

With the valves in the same position as in your pic, no water should be going to the spa..

If you can feel water coming out of your spa jets, then your Return valve has to be leaking.

If you can feel suction at the main drain, then your Intake valve has to be leaking..

That said, I can't see the rest of your plumbing, so maybe there is more to the story that I can't see.

Thanks,

Jim R.

 

[proavia]

Welcome to TFP!

Take a pic from further away showing us all your plumbing.

 

[jariv]

Okay here are more pictures of the plumbing. Spa return is on the top left. The suction lines are at the bottom. The return lines are the far right (next to the filter). I also included what I think is the culprit. The center drain I was referring to that appears to be allowing water in despite me closing the return and suction lines back to the spa.

 

[Jimrahbe]

J,

Please tell me what the labels say for the 4 valves on the top right of your last pic..

Thanks,

Jim R.

 

[jariv]

From (L-R) Pool Return/Sprays/Water Feature (2)

 

[Jimrahbe]

J,

So in your pic the water to going to your Sprays and two water features..

Does shutting any of them off turn off the water coming into your spa??

What is a "spray"??

At this point I still think your check valve is bad.. I'd replace the guts just to make sure.. Not that costly.

Thanks,

Jim R.

 

[jariv]

J,

So in your pic the water to going to your Sprays and two water features..

Does shutting any of them off turn off the water coming into your spa??

What is a "spray"??

At this point I still think your check valve is bad.. I'd replace the guts just to make sure.. Not that costly.

Thanks,

Jim R.

Just as an update--I believe I identified the issue. The "sprays" line goes to three waterfall features only. The "Water Features" line goes to two sun deck fountain like returns. The "Pool Return" line goes to all return jets in the pool AND what appears to be a water feature in the center of the spa. This feature is where I believe I'm getting my drainage and fill. I have shut off all suction and return lines to the spa yet it still empties and fills up with those lines closed. I believe it's the water feature within the spa that is causing the drainage. Since it's tied to the pool returns, there is no check valve. I am going to attempt to get a cover this evening since we aren't using that water feature to see if that prevents the draining. If it stops it, I'll then turn on the spa return line slightly to see if that still drains. If it does, then it's a check-valve issue. If not, then I know it's the water feature in the spa. Thoughts?

 

[Jimrahbe]

J,

Is that a check valve just below where it says "Water Feature"?? Hard to tell in the pic...

Thanks,

Jim R.

 

[jariv]

J,

Is that a check valve just below where it says "Water Feature"?? Hard to tell in the pic...

Thanks,

Jim R.

Yes, it is however that only goes to the two sun deck jets. I will say, I have noticed that when the pump is off, water is coming into the pool from those two sun deck return jets. I don't think that would make sense for the spa draining issue, would it?

 

[Jimrahbe]

J,

That may be the make up valve I was looking for .. (or maybe not.. )

Turn the valve, just to the left of the check valve, so that the handle points straight left.. This should shut off the pipe with the check valve. Then see if the spa still drains.

Thanks,

Jim R.

 

[jariv]

J,

That may be the make up valve I was looking for .. (or maybe not.. )

Turn the valve, just to the left of the check valve, so that the handle points straight left.. This should shut off the pipe with the check valve. Then see if the spa still drains.

Thanks,

Jim R.

Spa still drained. turned the valve to not allow any water to the return lines in the pool. Don't know what else to do at this point other than just replace the check valve on the spa returns and see if that works. I would imagine it has to be that. I will say though that hypothetically, even if the check valve was bad, no water should get to the pool returns since I also shut that valve off right after the check valve. I guess it's possible that I have a check valve issue AND a three valve issue?