trouble with A&A infloor cleaning system

[nvfostermom]

WE just completed our pool the first part of JAnuary, and we are noticing a consistent problem with the floor cleaning system. Both in the spa and around the edges of the steps on one end and the deep end side walls we have this sand like substance that we just can't get rid of. WE have had the Manufacturer come out for "warranty repairs" twice now, and today he told me that it is as clean as it will get. That it won't clean the pool 100% . I get we have to skim stuff off th top etc, but WE were under the impression that this "AWESOME system" would eliminate the need for vacuuming etc. and would make the cleaning virually maintenance free . DOes anyone else have this system and experience the same thing. WE have tried puching the stuff in the pool, down towards the center near the drain, but later will come back to find it just blown back into those same places.
I bit frustrating since we spent ALOT of money on this systme, and now are looking to have to buy some type of vacuuming to get the stuff out. The spa is even worse, because he says it doesn't actually have a drain there they stuff has to be "Floated to the top and spilled over into the pool area. "

Not pleasant when you want to relax in the spa and it feels like you are walking on sand.

 

[triptyx]

Really sorry to hear about your issue. We have a lot of people that have issues with in-floor cleaning. I'll leave a response specific to that system to an expert with in-floor experience.

Now regarding the spa...How can you heat the spa to a proper temperature if there's no drain? Or is it that the drain in the spa goes straight to a booster pump, through the heater, and back into the spa without filtering??? That doesn't make a lot of sense to me.

 

[Kouri]

You may not like my story, but here it is. Our pool was built ~1998 and had an in-floor pop-up system. When we decided to resurface everyone told me to take out the pop-ups but I wanted to research before deciding. Our system was not working properly and many of the pop-ups were missing but I was willing to fix it if necessary. Every day we had what looked like sand in the bottom of the pool and it was easily visible and would cloud the pool when brushed. In the end, we removed the pop-ups. It's been 2.5 weeks since the pool was re-surfaced and just today we were commenting on how there is no sand in the pool -- in fact, it's crystal clear. Did the sand come from the pop-ups or the old surface? I can't say either way but we no longer have sand.

 

[gwegan]

Welcome to TFP

Welcome to TFP!!!!


You have a spa without a drain? You have to run the spillover to run the spa? That makes no sense.

These systems can be temperamental and if the heads are not placed correctly they just don't work. But that's on the pool builder not the manufacturer. Have you had the pool builder out there?

I have may doubts that if the manufacturers rep can't get it to work anyone on here can help you much.

I think you might want to have the Pool Builder buy you a robot.

 

[proavia]

While I could be wrong, I've never heard of this manufacturer (A&A) coming out to do "warranty repairs". Are you sure it was one of A&A's reps and not just someone your PB had come out? Have you personally called A&A Manufacturing in Phoenix to see if they can assist you?

I have an A&A infloor system installed in 1999 and the manufacturer has been quite supportive of any issues I have had. A couple of other members here have also had much the same experience. While my infloor doesn't keep my pool "100%" clean, it does a fine job. Do I still need to brush the entire floor once in a while - sure. But I just do that when I brush the walls.

If they are still doing it like they did in 99, A&A actually designs the system for your pool. I would check with them directly. Possibly they will provide you their plan for head placement. You can then compare that to where your PB located the heads.

I never could figure out how an infloor system is supposed to keep the spa clean in a pool/spa combo - unless you run in spa mode long enough for the infloor to complete at least one full cleaning cycle (which may take upwards of an hour) while in spa mode.

Do you know exactly which system your PB installed? I believe A&A makes several models.

All that being said, too bad you didn' t find us prior to beginning your build. You may have found a robot a better option in 2017.

 

[Kouri]

I agree with proavia regarding A&A. I spoke with them and another mfg (can't remember the name) and they were very helpful. Since I was second owner, the pop-ups weren't covered by warranty and the control mechanism had a problem so I removed the system.

 

[nvfostermom]

Re: trouble with A&A infloor cleaning system

Really sorry to hear about your issue. We have a lot of people that have issues with in-floor cleaning. I'll leave a response specific to that system to an expert with in-floor experience.

Now regarding the spa...How can you heat the spa to a proper temperature if there's no drain? Or is it that the drain in the spa goes straight to a booster pump, through the heater, and back into the spa without filtering??? That doesn't make a lot of sense to me.

weLL,I don't understand eactly how it all works, THere is a round drainlooking thing on the bottom of the spa, but apparently that is only woprking when the spa is "ON" . THe A&A rep from Arizona who was here, said that the pop ups have to get the stuff to "float up and over the spill way into the pool to be cleaned out " so the heavier snad type stuff just stays on the bottom. IT does heat, and we have hot water that flows in through jets on the sides of the spa, and the water spills over the spillway. In fact when they filled the pook oroginally the dirty water that was in the spa was filtered out through the pool in some way. I just don't understand exactly how all this works, and frankly am getting tired of hassling with this company over these last little things.

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The pool builder says it was installed per their design, so it is a warranty issue, and the rep from A&A from Arizona, says that it is an acceptable amount of debri that is being left behind??

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YEs there was a whole engineered design, all it says on the paperwork is A&A infloor cleaning system with Venturi skimmer and channel drain. IT comes in in several cycles, spa, then wet deck, and works towards the deep end etc., but there just seems to be these dead spots where it collects the debris