Why was this installed this way?

[RyanWendell]

Hello all,

I am installing a SWCG and just moved into this house recently so still trying to understand all the valves and equipment. I have attached some photos but I am trying to figure the purpose for this older 5 port piece. After much googling I found it is 1 1⁄2” 5-Port Top Feed T-Valve - Part # 540365 from A&A mfg. http://www.aamfg.com/pdf/aamfg_2010-2011_Product_Catalog_R1.pdf


What's confusing is my pool only has 5 return jets and a skimmer. There is also a Spa but all the piping for that makes sense. I opened up the A&A mfg 5 port thing and all that was inside was 5 acrylic balls and LOADS of algae. Clearly it was not working. I removed the balls and cleaned as best as I could and closed it all up and ran the system. From the return jets in the pool some of the algae from this...thing... came out. When I shut off the system some DE powder started to flow out of the skimmer and when reopening the 5 port thing... One of the pipes was drained of water while the others had water in them.

I get return water to the 5 jets when this device is shut off from the valve before it and when it's opened (without the balls) it returns to the same jets (since the algae came out)

Any ideas why it would be installed this way?

 

[ogdento]

Do you have those pop-up floor cleaner jets? My dad's pool has a 5-port valve that controls flow to those.

 

[proavia]

If you don't have the pop-ups in the floor then the system was abandoned during a pool remodel/resurface. Set the valve in the off position (OFF facing right in your pic) and replace the balls. In theory, the balls will prevent any water flow thru the pipes in the bottom of that water valve if someone were to open the valve on the inlet line.

The one pipe out the bottom has a check valve (the bigger round thing on the pipe) - that line probably ran to the spa and the valve prevented any badkflow into the pool.

 

[jimmythegreek]

Proavia hit it on the head. You used yo have an IFC system that's now abandoned. If you do any future pipe work you can eliminate it all together. You have to be sure its not tied in underground to other returns otherwise it will always grow and hide algae. Some detective work and maybe food dye will tell you what's going on underground

 

[RyanWendell]

Proavia hit it on the head. You used yo have an IFC system that's now abandoned. If you do any future pipe work you can eliminate it all together. You have to be sure its not tied in underground to other returns otherwise it will always grow and hide algae. Some detective work and maybe food dye will tell you what's going on underground

It could be possible they use to have an IFC system before but I am doubtful. Unless when/if they resurfaced the pool they repiped the IFC to the normal jets to not have to really do much work with the valves?

Since this system is currently connected to the 5 return jets would it be easier to just keep all the piping the way it is and fix this 5 port IFC thing and keep it going to avoid algae growth in the pipes and 5 port thing?

 

[proavia]

If you set the Jandy valve (the one at the bottom right of your pic) closest to the infloor water valve so the word OFF is facing toward the pipe feeding the water valve, does water still come out of the in wall returns? Having no water going to the water valve should not restrict/stop flow to the in wall returns. The acrylic balls in the water valve stop water from going into the pipes below them. If you don't have infloor pop-up heads the water valve shouldn't have any viable function.

Do you know what each of the other Jandy valves do - to where they send water? Provide a pic showing what each pipe connected to each Jandy valves feeds.

Can you post a wider angle view of your equipment pad? Also a picture of your pool showing the bottom - maybe one of the spa too.

 

[Rich D]

I would be cautious about putting water to the old IFC. You just never know what the previous owner or pool company did. If they did not properly decommission the head holes then the water could push through the plaster..