Are custom, in ground spas suppose to have a skimmer basket? Our spa by pool does not have a skimmer basket like our pool does. I didn't think it was a big deal until I fetched a toy out of the skimmer and found it was full of old leaves from the Fall. There is just a pipe that goes to the pool filter (I guess) Our PB was dishonest and is out of the picture. He is inexperienced and I don't trust he built it right. Did he? Thanks
Spa Skimmer?
- Thread starter LynneR
- Start date
Without having any additional background or imagery on your setup, I'm gonna make a guess predicated on what's normally done; the "skimmer" as you see it in your spa, is likely the piped overflow into your pool. And having any sort of filtering into or out of this is likely to clog and overfill your spa, so it should not have a basket. If it did, I would suggest removing it.
Send us a couple images of your spa and pool in the same shot and we can amend advice and help you sort it out. Everything above is a guess.
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Thanks for your help. This is picture of the skimmer (before it was finished) The pool and spa share equipment, but the spa does not overflow into the pool. Spa runs all winter. Pool is shut down. 10x10. Small leaves get stuck behind the skimmer flap and start to rot. There is no where for them to go or no way to get them out.
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Yes that is a "front access" skimmer and is often used for overflow into pools. Notice there is no lid, so baskets are a hassle. Some come with them, others don't. We remove them if they do because it's problematic as an overflow.
Shared equipment systems are designed to have spillover from the spa to pool, and the presence of that skimmer is indicative that this is the intended behavior of your system. Furthermore:
This makes sense because if you have your system in spa mode all winter, there is no water passing through this overflow into your pool. When the system is in Pool mode, the spa will receive a token of water from your pool and will overflow into the pool, keeping your spa and your skimmer fresh.
In spa mode, you system is only pulling from your main drain.
Can you send a photo of your equipment pad and your pool and spa from a macro perspective?
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Thank you. I'll get those pictures tomorrow.
By "spillover" you don't mean a natural descent from the top of the hot tub into the pool, correct? We don't have a descent, but you can empty and fill the spa with pool water by flipping a switch on the actuator by the equipment. So in the summer, where do the leaves and debris go that get into the spa's skimmer? Thanks for helping me learn.
Not in your case, no. The overflow/spillover is likely plumbed inside the shotcrete. It will utilize that spa skimmer and flow downward and exit into your pool wall. You'll likely have a white plastic guard on your wall somewhere near the spa. It'll look like your main drains.
Yep. Do you have automation as well? Youre in Utah so likely Pentair, but maybe Hayward or Jandy? Generally filling the spa is better/easier done using the control system than manual engagment of the actuator.
They'll dump into the pool via that spa skimmer. Usually. Again, this is how we would have plumbed it. But we've seen builders do weird things.
I look forward to the extra photos!
Sorry for the picture delay. I don't recall anything resembling a main drain on the walls of the pool, I'll have to pay attention in the Spring. Although I don't see how large leaves (and we have many) get through a main drain cover into a pool. Unfortunately we don't have faith in our PB that he did things right :/
The pad is relatively aesthetic. Though the PB used ball-valves and most worth their salt, know these are not ideal. They will wear out over time, or stick, and cannot be serviced (repaired).
Hopefully you get many years of trouble-free operation with those.
I do see a skimmer plumbed into the suction side of your spa intake. I also think I see a vacuum port, which is unusual for a spa. Given that new information, it is indeed possible the skimmer in your spa is functioning as a typical skimmer. However, it is wide open, and there should be visible suction into that skimmer intake, such that the weir gate is bobbing up and down.
Some front-access skimmers do have basket that is designed to be removed via the opening. I'll try and find a diagram for one. Have you tried reaching into that area to confirm there is no "floor"? When you said earlier that you did not have a basket, but found decayed leaves, I took that to mean leaves that were dry-docked inside the intake. However if there is indeed a basket, they may simply be piled up in the basket.
As an aside, if you do not have a physical spillover, you would need a transfer pipe so that the spa cannot overfill if the actuators fail, or if the "spillover" mode is enabled on your EasyTouch panel. If you are able to provide another picture showing the far end of your pad from another angle, we can rule that out or in.
Hopefully you get many years of trouble-free operation with those.
I do see a skimmer plumbed into the suction side of your spa intake. I also think I see a vacuum port, which is unusual for a spa. Given that new information, it is indeed possible the skimmer in your spa is functioning as a typical skimmer. However, it is wide open, and there should be visible suction into that skimmer intake, such that the weir gate is bobbing up and down.
Some front-access skimmers do have basket that is designed to be removed via the opening. I'll try and find a diagram for one. Have you tried reaching into that area to confirm there is no "floor"? When you said earlier that you did not have a basket, but found decayed leaves, I took that to mean leaves that were dry-docked inside the intake. However if there is indeed a basket, they may simply be piled up in the basket.
As an aside, if you do not have a physical spillover, you would need a transfer pipe so that the spa cannot overfill if the actuators fail, or if the "spillover" mode is enabled on your EasyTouch panel. If you are able to provide another picture showing the far end of your pad from another angle, we can rule that out or in.
It became evident our PB didn't know what they were doing and we are now getting liens on our home from unpaid subs. We were mislead. It's really stressful. Are ball valves the one you turn manually? I put my hand in the skimmer and I don't feel a basket, the water seems to get pulled down through a pipe when the spa is on, leaves seem to swirl around behind the flap/door. I just don't see how leaves and junk don't get sucked into the pipe. The pipes go underground and we can't access them. If the actuator is flipped on, yes, the pool will fill the spa with water and it would be catastrophic. Good times.
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Luckily everything is working so far and we've enjoyed the pool and spa. We're just nervous about running into issues down the road.
Yes; ideally those would have been a 2-way version of what you see underneath your actuators. Pentair 263019
But it doesn't meant you'll have issues. It just means if they occur, it can't be repaired.
Without the basket, they will get sucked into the pipe given enough flow. The strainer pot in your filter pump would be where that debris would then collect. The point of a skimmer is to capture it before it gets to the pump, but it's not catastrophic if the filter pump catches the debris. Most suction vacuums do this by default with really large debris. Rarely is there an issue because of this.
Yes, this is not ideal. There is a way to convert the plumbing for your sundeck bubblers and create an overflow using your spa skimmer, assuming the feature pump draws from it's own wall or floor drains. You would remove the feature (black) pump, connect the spa skimmer return to the intake on the bubbler line, and then use another 3-way and actuator on your pool return to divert water to the bubblers return line for action. It's not the easiest retrofit but it IS possible.
Rob with Plush Pools has done some work down here in St. George, but actually resides up north. You may try him if you'd like to replumb the system. He's the only PB I know in the northern Utah area.
Alternatively we could walk you through it. It would be fairly involved, but doable if someone you know has welded PVC before.
This assumes you want to make changes. You don't have to. But it would eliminate the risk of the spa overflowing.