Waterfall Empties Spa

[jralph]

We have an inground pool with attached spa and spillway. There is a retaining wall on one side of the pool that has 2 waterfalls plumbed in. If the spa is on and the waterfall feature is turned on, the spa will drain. If the system is in pool mode, everything works ok.
I'm certain that our pool builder did not setup the automation properly as the system should either lock out he waterfall feature in spa mode or have the automatically switch to pool mode when the waterfalls are activated, however he has been unresponsive to this (and other fixes).
We have an Pentair EasyTouch controller. Does anybody know how to fix this automation problem?

 

[Jimrahbe]

Ralph,

The EasyTouch has no Interlocking capability.

You just need to know not to run the waterfall in the spa mode.

Show me several pics of your equipment pad and maybe we can come up with some kind of work around.

Thanks,

Jim R

 

[jralph]

Ralph,

The EasyTouch has no Interlocking capability.

You just need to know not to run the waterfall in the spa mode.

Show me several pics of your equipment pad and maybe we can come up with some kind of work around.

Thanks,

Jim R

Thanks for the response. It took me a while to get some good pictures but I have attached them to the thread. Hopefully you can help with some ideas. My problem is that I have family members (both elderly and children) who use the pool and don't seem to understand the concept of not running the spa and the waterfalls together.
.

 

[Jimrahbe]

Ralph,

Thanks for the pic, and I understand what a pain it was to take them, but... It is pretty hard to see everything and I can't click on them to make them bigger. This just means I have no way to map out exactly how your pool works.. Do you have bigger pics and a couple from the side...??

Here is the basic issue. When in the spa mode, all the water is sucked from the spa drain, and it all goes through the pump, filter, and heater and back to the Spa. All the water that leaves the spa returns to the spa.

But, due to a plumbing error, when you turn on the waterfall, it takes some of the water that is supposed to go to the spa and sends it to the waterfall. So you are basically sucking more water out of the spa than you are putting back. So, the spa gets sucked dry.

The real fix is to fix the plumbing.. But I can see where that could be a real pain.

We might be able to come up with a way to keep the valve from turning when in the spa mode, but I can't know for sure until I can map out your plumbing.

Thanks,

Jim R.

 

[Ahultin]

Looking at the labels, it appears on the return side that an actuated three way that goes pool waterfall or spa, then spa has an actuated three way that goes spa waterfall or spa returns, it that correct? So the only way the pool water is returned Is thru the pool waterfall or spa spillover?

 

[jralph]

Here is a diagram I did before the PB put the labels on the pipes. Also reposted are some higher resolution pics. There are three actuators on this diagram. From left to right Valve 1 (near the word Waterfall) Valve 2 (near the words Jet Tub Spillway), Valve 4 (near the words bottom drain spa).

 

[Jimrahbe]

Ralph,

Here is what you need to do to fix your issue.

Whoever plumbed your pool set up did not do it correctly.

Notice on the Intake side, the "Intake" valve that selects between the pool and spa modes is at the very top.
But on the Return side the "Return" valve is the second valve down. It should be on the top.

You can fix the problem by adjusting the plumbing as shown below.
Then swap the Waterfall valve and the Return valve connections inside your EasyTouch.

Does not look like it should be much of an issue as it does not mess with the other connections which be a real pain to replumb.

I could not think of any electrical changes that would solve your problem and still allow the system to switch back and forth between the Pool and Spa modes.

Please let me know if this does not make sense,

Jim R.

 

[jralph]

Thanks Jim. I'll give that a try.