Anyone know anything about pool plumbing?

King_Me

Our spa is dumping into the pool when the pump goes off.  Really didn't think a lot about until I had to fill the pool with water every other day.  When spa water is dumped in pool it causes the water level to go past water drain and out goes the water,

I'm assuming it is a check valve.  I see two installed.  Unfortunately there's no way to fix either one.  I already got a replacement one that can be maintained if something goes wrong.

My questions:  Why is there two check valves?  Thinking previous owner didn't want to cut out old one so just installed a 2nd one.

Here is a picture of the two.  The top(brown colored) is much smaller in length than new one, I have no room to install new one there so going to replace bottom one with the new one.  Is there any reason why it would be partially installed underground?  Does it need to be lower than the other plumbing for a reason?

And what's the canister looking device with electric feed to it?  Some kind of blower?  Not even sure it works.

plowboy

The canister is your blower motor for your spa.  The 2 check valves in series makes no sense. If they go to your spa, then one or both has failed. 

dave44

Looks like an old one failed so someone installed another one without taking the old one out? And that one failed? 

    Not my field though.

King_Me

plowboy said:

The canister is your blower motor for your spa.  The 2 check valves in series makes no sense. If they go to your spa, then one or both has failed. 

Thanks plowboy.  I plan on replacing the lower one tomorrow.  If I remove the upper one its going to be a huge plumbing deal and would I have to replace a couple valves while doing it.  I see flow going thru it so I'm assuming they just added a additional one rather than dealing with huge issue of replacing it.  This is what the new one looks like.  The flapper can be replaced if it fails rather than cutting our the entire thing.

plowboy

That should fix it up

King_Me

What exactly does the blower do?  Is it for bubbles in the spa?  If it is, it don't work.

dave44

King_Me said:

What exactly does the blower do?  Is it for bubbles in the spa?  If it is, it don't work.

Yes. Where’s the switch?

plowboy

dave44 said:

King_Me said:

What exactly does the blower do?  Is it for bubbles in the spa?  If it is, it don't work.

Yes. Where’s the switch?

Usually a conical shaped rubber button at the spa edge on older ones. Newer ones with the fancy computer boxes are controlled at the fancy computer box or remote 

dave44

And some have timers elsewhere?

plowboy

Likely. Its not on a timer, but on demand. 

King_Me

I don't know where the switch is located.  I didn't even know what it was for....lol  The system is about 20 years old, I bought the house about 18 months ago.  I'll open it up and check for power and try to locate a switch.  I'm sure it doesn't work like everything else that came with pool.  All the components are almost all replaced - pump motor, filter cartridge container and lid, salt generator along with meter and just had it relined with glass tile.  Glad our dogs use as we don't.  This is it.  Dogs couldn't wait until it was full -

dave44

I figured it was older, it looks great.
 Look on the side of the house closer to it. Is it heated?

King_Me

No heat.  I found the switch to the light in the pool.  Just one switch and all it does is turn on the light.

dave44

Love those dogs!
  If you have a blower you have a switch to turn it on. It’s not something that just runs, look around on walls, fence, a post. Usually code would dictate around 40 inches off the ground and not near the water, but I can’t remember how far that was, 8 ft?
   And look in the panel box, probably a gfci breaker.
( although we have a light switch and outlet about 30 inches above the ground, maybe 12 ft from the pool)

King_Me

OK, got the new check valve installed, turn the system back on, spa fills up with water, turn system off and spa still dumps into pool.  Played with the diverter valves and found when I close the return valve for the spa it retains the water.  Makes sense but shouldn't there be a check valve for the return???  I'm just leaving it off for now.

mrthorn

Put a check valve on the return side 

Soda Popinski

After owning a pool for 16 years i've learned that i wish i didn't own a pool.   They're like boats, only you can't park them and forget about them for 6 months. 

King_Me

mrthorn said:

Put a check valve on the return side 

Yes, that is probably what needs to be done to fix it.  What I can't understand is the system is 20 years old and appears to be professional installed, how could they not address it??  I bought the house about 18 months ago.

mrthorn

There’s probably was a check valve on the return side, but it failed and they just got rid of it and shut the return off if they weren’t using it. 

Bimini_Twisted

mrthorn said:

There’s probably was a check valve on the return side, but it failed and they just got rid of it and shut the return off if they weren’t using it. 

Tried to come back too soon I guess.

gingerbreadman

Fixed yet?

King_Me

gingerbreadman said:

Fixed yet?

Yes, I took a bunch pictures and brought them to my local pool supply store.  Explained to them when the Spa drain diverter valve is closed it retains the water when pump goes off, he said that is the correct position, the diverter is only opened when the spa is to be emptied.

I thought it had to be open to have the water circulate, I guess I was wrong.  With the water going into pool and going out from waterfall to pool is enough circulation.

I guess its fixed!  I finally figured out what all the diverter are and their purpose.  Only took 18 months to figure it out....lol

Soda Popinski

good deal now you know!