Valves open or closed after opening?

[wkusae31]

I used a new pool company to open my pool this year, and I don't believe they did a good job. My concern is the valve opening or closing position (circled in red). Is this correct to leave both of these open?

I'm thinking I need to leave both open, right? Or why else would I need to close them. Water is flowing out of both eyeballs, but the top valve was at a slight closed position when he left.

I have a pool heater too (electric).

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

 

[PoolStored]

I used a new pool company to open my pool this year, and I don't believe they did a good job. My concern is the valve opening or closing position (circled in red). Is this correct to leave both of these open?

I'm thinking I need to leave both open, right? Or why else would I need to close them. Water is flowing out of both eyeballs, but the top valve was at a slight closed position when he left.

I have a pool heater too (electric).

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Suction side is the orange valves. Looks like the main drain is all the way open, and the skimmers are partially closed. Maybe they were trying to balance the input. Are you getting good skimming action?

Pressure side is the blue valves. It looks like you have three returns...that is confusing because you say you have 2 eyeballs. Where is the third line going? (1 line is the top valve, 2nd line is the bottom and goes to the left and third goes through the SWCG).

 

[wkusae31]

Suction side is the orange valves. Looks like the main drain is all the way open, and the skimmers are partially closed. Maybe they were trying to balance the input. Are you getting good skimming action?

Pressure side is the blue valves. It looks like you have three returns...that is confusing because you say you have 2 eyeballs. Where is the third line going? (1 line is the top valve, 2nd line is the bottom and goes to the left and third goes through the SWCG).

The skimmer closest to the shallow end gets great suction, but the other skimmer doesn't and I'm not sure about the main drains (too cold to get in right now).

I'm thinking that one of the returns goes into the heater? I forget if the water goes from the heater straight back into the pool or the heated water back into the lines inside the pool shed and then gets disbursed back to the pool.

I'm just wondering if all of the "Blue" valves should be on open position?

 

[PoolStored]

I'm thinking that one of the returns goes into the heater?

That makes sense.

I forget if the water goes from the heater straight back into the pool or the heated water back into the lines inside the pool shed and then gets disbursed back to the pool.

I do not see a line that looks like it comes from the heater into the shed. If it has its own line to the pool, you should have a 3rd return. This is confusing.

I'm just wondering if all of the "Blue" valves should be on open position?

You will have to find the 3rd return from the heater. It is likely that the top blue valve controls the feed to the heater. Turn you pump off. Turn your heater on. Turn off the top blue valve and start the pump. Go to the heater. If it shows "FLO" then that top blue valve controls flow to the heater.

 

[wkusae31]

Pic is the input and output from the heater.

I turned the top valve off and tried to turn pump on but lost prime in pump. Once I opened the valve and got prime back to pump, I turned on the heater and shut the top blue valve off again. The heater kept working.

I'm not sure if pump losing prime and me turning valve off is related but weird it happened. I've never lost prime before. I've tried to recreate the issue but it didn't happen again.

My wife said that the blue valve may need to stay on or why else would they put a valve there if it was meant to be closed. Which is a pretty good point, I guess.

 

[reggiehammond]

Outside of leaf season when skimmers can get clogged up, I run my main drain closed 95% or so. In my experience, the main drain does absolutely nothing beneficial, while the skimmers having all of the flow is only a good thing.

 

[PoolStored]

Now it all makes sense.

The line to the heater is the top valve. The line 2nd from the left is the return from the heater. The blue valve in the middle (vertical) is a heater bypass.

So, to take the heater out of the cycle, close the top blue valve and have the lower blue valve open. Water from filter goes to SWCG and back to pool.

To run water through the heater, open the top valve, and either have the bottom one open or closed. If bottom is closed, then all the water goes to heater. If bottom is open then water will go through heater and through bypass.

To summarize, if you are running the heater, top valve open, bypass closed. If you are not running the heater, top valve closed, bypass open.

My wife said that the blue valve may need to stay on or why else would they put a valve there if it was meant to be closed. Which is a pretty good point, I guess.

There is (typically) a reason to have a valve a a reason for it to be closed or open.

Heater Bypass - Further Reading

www.troublefreepool.com

 

[wkusae31]

Now it all makes sense.

The line to the heater is the top valve. The line 2nd from the left is the return from the heater. The blue valve in the middle (vertical) is a heater bypass.

So, to take the heater out of the cycle, close the top blue valve and have the lower blue valve open. Water from filter goes to SWCG and back to pool.

To run water through the heater, open the top valve, and either have the bottom one open or closed. If bottom is closed, then all the water goes to heater. If bottom is open then water will go through heater and through bypass.

To summarize, if you are running the heater, top valve open, bypass closed. If you are not running the heater, top valve closed, bypass open.


There is (typically) a reason to have a valve a a reason for it to be closed or open.

Heater Bypass - Further Reading

www.troublefreepool.com

Thanks for the great info. If we left the heater bypass valve open we'd be mixing heated pool water with non-heated?

I've owned this pool (2nd owner) for 9 years and I believe the middle vertical valve has been open in previous seasons.

 

[PoolStored]

Thanks for the great info. If we left the heater bypass valve open we'd be mixing heated pool water with non-heated?

In essence.

You would have water flow through the heater and through the bypass back to the pool. The heated and unheated water would remix at the T below the lower blue valve.

Since the heater has some head, you would likely have less flow through the heater than through the bypass.

 

[wkusae31]

In essence.

You would have water flow through the heater and through the bypass back to the pool. The heated and unheated water would remix at the T below the lower blue valve.

Since the heater has some head, you would likely have less flow through the heater than through the bypass.

I've set it up that way and the water doesn't seem to be getting much warmer. 0.4 degrees in about 1 hour or more (from 65.5 to 65.9).

It's also only about 67 degrees and cloudy outside though.

 

[PoolStored]

I've set it up that way and the water doesn't seem to be getting much warmer. 0.4 degrees in about 1 hour or more (from 65.5 to 65.9).

Not sure I can give you more input. Heat pumps are slower to heat than gas. I have 333K gas heater. Took about 18 hours to go from 62 to 82. 30K pool.

Glad we figure out your plumbing!

 

[PoolStored]

I've set it up that way and the water doesn't seem to be getting much warmer. 0.4 degrees in about 1 hour or more (from 65.5 to 65.9).

It's also only about 67 degrees and cloudy outside though.

You should run either in complete bypass mode (top close, bottom open), or all flow to the heater (top open, bottom closed).