Howdy!
In ground pool with attached spa, at least ten years old, installed by previous homeowners...
The attached spa was dropping to the level of the pool water every time the pump shut off and I was "intermittently" losing water from the pool when the pump was running. I looked at the check valves and other common causes.
I eventually noticed that the return jets in the spa wall are right at the level that the spa water was settling, so I assume air was entering the spa lines and creating a slow leak through the backwash seals.
I replaced all the unions and couplers on the pressure and return side at the pool equipment, replaced all of the diverter valves and added an extra check valve to stop water draining out of the pump basket and losing prime. I relocated the check valve that was originally only above "return no.2" and installed a new one before both spa returns.
Still didn't stop the spa draining.
I then ran water under pressure down each spa return line and found only one line is going to the spa, (return no.3 on the photo) the other (return no.2) returns to the pool....
This explains why it always seemed I was heating the pool water as well as the spa water regardless of the diverter valve placement.
Is there any reason it would have been installed this way and would I have any issues if I just capped that return line?
TLDR: Realized spa return no.2 is draining in to my pool, not to the spa, should I cap it off to prevent water loss?
Thanks so much!
(please excuse all the excess purple primer, it was getting late!)
In ground pool with attached spa, at least ten years old, installed by previous homeowners...
The attached spa was dropping to the level of the pool water every time the pump shut off and I was "intermittently" losing water from the pool when the pump was running. I looked at the check valves and other common causes.
I eventually noticed that the return jets in the spa wall are right at the level that the spa water was settling, so I assume air was entering the spa lines and creating a slow leak through the backwash seals.
I replaced all the unions and couplers on the pressure and return side at the pool equipment, replaced all of the diverter valves and added an extra check valve to stop water draining out of the pump basket and losing prime. I relocated the check valve that was originally only above "return no.2" and installed a new one before both spa returns.
Still didn't stop the spa draining.
I then ran water under pressure down each spa return line and found only one line is going to the spa, (return no.3 on the photo) the other (return no.2) returns to the pool....
This explains why it always seemed I was heating the pool water as well as the spa water regardless of the diverter valve placement.
Is there any reason it would have been installed this way and would I have any issues if I just capped that return line?
TLDR: Realized spa return no.2 is draining in to my pool, not to the spa, should I cap it off to prevent water loss?
Thanks so much!
(please excuse all the excess purple primer, it was getting late!)
