SWG plumbing diagram — pool and spa

[rynoshark]

I modified one of the frequently posted diagrams to add a AquaRite T-15 SWG unit/cell and flow meter. I added a anode into the diagram, but I'm debating whether to skip this. My pool setup feeds a 12k gallon San Juan pool and a San Juan hot tub. Only one pump. Along with installing the SWG, I am upgrading to Intelliflo VS pump, PE635RC controller, valve actuators to automate switching between pool and spa. The existing Jandy Lite2 heater and the 250 lbs sand filter, 62 gpm flow rate is being used. Any thoughts on this setup? The existing plumbing is four two-way valves for returns/drains. The pool only has a single main drain (plus skimmer). Will add a main drain safety cover over the pools main drain.



I should probably label this diagram with minimum recommended distances between various connections as that would be useful when plumbing this in. How useful is the spa make-up (allowing slight amount of water to go to spa) if the spa drain is not open? Is it just better to switch to the hot tub for an hour a day to circulate? I would love to figure out a way to circulate the spa water to the pool water, so everything is mixed and chlorinated the same.

 

[Jimrahbe]

R,

Welcome to TFP... A great place to find the answers to all your pool plumbing diagram questions...

Does your spa water spillover into the pool??? If not, you do not really want a make up valve... The whole purpose of the make up valve is to add water to the spa causing it to fill up and overflow into the pool.

One issue with your set up is that you will get full strength chlorine into your spa... With an automation system this is not an issue because the automation will reduce the SWCG's output by about 90%.. This way spa users are not subjected to high levels of chlorine in a small body of water. Not sure if your AquaRite does this or not..

If your spa does not overflow into your pool then running the spa once or twice a day is the best way to keep it chlorinated.

Thanks for posting,

Jim R.

 

[rynoshark]

No, the spa water is separate. Thanks for clarifying my misunderstanding on the spa make-up valve, I will axe that part since I do not have a spillover.

Yes, I will have this automated so that the spa is turned on once or twice a day, and will see if I can get the AquaRite to adjust the level of chlorine when switched. It may not be possible! If so, then perhaps I should add the 3-way valve AFTER the 3-way valve to the pool, so it only chlorinates the pool (and then I have to manually chlorinate the spa). I will do further research on the AQR system and automation to see what is possible. I would have thought the same level of chlorination in both the pool water and spa would be appropriate...I didn't know the spa required less chlorination.

Thanks Jim!

 

[Jimrahbe]

R,

Just to make sure I am clear... both the pool and the spa require the same level of chlorine in the water.. If the SWCG generates x amount of chlorine and puts it in the pool you get a lot lower concentration of chlorine than the same x amount of chlorine put into the spa... The same amount of chlorine, but in a lot less water.

I'm not sure it is a major issue as long as you monitor it and understand what is happening..

The only real problem would be if you had people in the spa for long periods of time with the cell constantly running...

It would be great if your spa had a overflow pipe that allowed you to return water back into your pool. It would work like a spillover but underground..

Thanks,

Jim R.

 

[rynoshark]

Why couldn't this all be done in the poolhouse with the existing return/drain lines from SPA, somehow cycling water through the main pool?

- - - Updated - - -

Attached are updated drawings simplified based on Jim's suggestions. The second shows the control equipment that I'm planning on having in place.

 

[Jimrahbe]

R,

Sorry,

I'm not sure what it is you are doing exactly??? If you are reducing the amount of chlorine produced when in the spa mode.... then that should work...

But, since you are never interchanging the Pool water and the Spa water, you will have to maintain two separate chemical bodies of water....

Maybe I just missed your point...

Thanks,

Jim

 

[rynoshark]

Hi Jim,

It seems like interchanging the Pool and Spa water could happen somehow in the poolhouse automatically? All the piping runs through there so it would seem that there would be a way to automatically adjust the valves to do some cycling of the water back and forth? I guess this would require another pump to pump water from spa to pool while the main pump sent water from the pool through filtering, to the spa?

Ryan

 

[rynoshark]

....

 

[lightmaster]

I don't have any 3-way valves, so I don't know for sure, but can't they be positioned to have both the pool and spa drain open half way, or 75% pool, 25% spa. Then do the same with the return valve. This way it would suck from pool and spa and output to pool and spa, mixing the water.... You could then place the SWG on the pool return after the 3-way valve and not have to worry about highly chlorinated water going into your spa.

 

[OrangeAndBlue]

I don't have any 3-way valves, so I don't know for sure, but can't they be positioned to have both the pool and spa drain open half way, or 75% pool, 25% spa. Then do the same with the return valve. This way it would suck from pool and spa and output to pool and spa, mixing the water.... You could then place the SWG on the pool return after the 3-way valve and not have to worry about highly chlorinated water going into your spa.

This works in theory but I imagine will be very difficult if not impossible to actually consistently achieve with automation. If the valves are not set to exactly even between pool and spa water input and output then you will slowly drain one and overfill the other. Seems too risky to automate and run without supervision unless there is some other feedback sensor to help regulate the water levels involved.

I think with this setup you either need to manage chemistry for two bodies of water separately or see if you can get some kind of overflow from spa to pool installed.

 

[Jimrahbe]

This works in theory but I imagine will be very difficult if not impossible to actually consistently achieve with automation. If the valves are not set to exactly even between pool and spa water input and output then you will slowly drain one and overfill the other. Seems too risky to automate and run without supervision unless there is some other feedback sensor to help regulate the water levels involved.

I think with this setup you either need to manage chemistry for two bodies of water separately or see if you can get some kind of overflow from spa to pool installed.

"O&B" has hit the nail on the head... Even with automation, you would never be able to get the input matched with the output.. Either the spa would drain or the overflow...

Jim R.

 

[lightmaster]

"O&B" has hit the nail on the head... Even with automation, you would never be able to get the input matched with the output.. Either the spa would drain or the overflow...

Jim R.

Ah. Figured automation would be able to control the valves more accurately than that. Taught me a good lesson to; when I eventually get an IG pool, the spa will definitely have an overflow waterfall to prevent this issue.

 

[rynoshark]

So, if no spillover exists between spa and pool, I guess installing a second SWG for the spa is the only option (a T5).

 

[OrangeAndBlue]

So, if no spillover exists between spa and pool, I guess installing a second SWG for the spa is the only option (a T5).

No, you don't need a second SWG. It would be setup like in your updated diagram above without the spa makeup line. You would need to setup your automation so that it runs for most of the time in pool mode and then flips the valves to spa mode and runs for a while to circulate the spa. So you can run both on the same system but not simultaneously and thus the water won't mix. Since the water never mixes you'll need to manage the water chemistry of each separately.... doable but you'll be doing twice the testing and will need to find the right run time for each pool and spa mode to get the appropriate FC production from the SWG in each.