Pool newbie

[Limeybiscuit]

Hi Everyone :-D

Myself and the wife recently bought our new ( to us ) home and it came with a pool. We have thus far understood the basics of maintaining the chemical balances, every week we get the water checked out and it comes out fine so far.

My newbie question is that I do not quite understand what all the valves are near my pool pump. I only know what the main tank does in respect of cleaning filtering and back washing. Our pool consists of 6 jets one of which doesnt work, a waterfall and two skimmers.

Below are some pictures of what the pool pump looks like, I would be most grateful if you could advise me on what all these valves do? The pool was heated via solar at one point, that is all I know.

When I turn the black valve near the basket the pool pump starts to make a high pitched noise, as if it is loosing prime so I put it back to original setting, the water in the basket also appears to go down when I turn this dial.

I am unsure what the red valve on the wall is , when I turn it I can hear water traveling through them pipes, however again I put it back to original setting.

The other area of uncertainty is the object called the chlorinater , unsure if maybe this was once salt water based perhaps?


https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-VafnUQRupF4/TiJJ8lwFIJI/AAAAAAAAAIE/0ct2MRqeo1s/s800/IMG_0616.jpg

https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-xyu5hyzO-Ws/TiJJ8_6ezOI/AAAAAAAAAII/eHtEjIIlZws/s800/IMG_0618.jpg


Sta-Rite skimmer with a winterizing plug still in place:
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-3sqLRX5hDLM/TiJJ8wyZLsI/AAAAAAAAAIM/sXoXz6hdmZ0/s800/IMG_0617.jpg



Pool pump, filter, and piping with 'train-wreck' pipe layout
https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-FZnXeStmUes/TiJJ9BwxgvI/AAAAAAAAAIs/INzBp7o9Btk/s800/IMG_0621.jpg

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-J7_KaGuwgtU/TiJJ9O4wD1I/AAAAAAAAAIU/-NB1Hsn2gvQ/s800/IMG_0620.jpg


Suction side piping, probably with 1 pipe from skimmer and 1 from the main drain.
Note the 'train-wreck' layout - see comments below.
https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-hMruL1H21L8/TiJJ9TedvMI/AAAAAAAAAIY/GMTqonWb5aM/s800/IMG_0622.jpg


Pressure or return side piping, with reverse train-wreck layout.
https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-gyVbthU1Y9U/TiJJ9UldFMI/AAAAAAAAAIc/5i3oSx9SQ30/s800/IMG_0623.jpg


Old Sta-Rite pump, strainer basket lid view.
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-XTAI9DBI6gE/TiJJ9rwiDPI/AAAAAAAAAIg/qqbsX0VBOOM/s800/IMG_0625.jpg

Jandy type valve
https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-hwXhn79QzHA/TiJJ9dFo9KI/AAAAAAAAAIk/wU2W_hn_IX0/s800/IMG_0624.jpg

Abandoned loop for solar heating panels?
If those are spring check valves, that loop is a MAJOR flow restriction.
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-g2gRKJigtgQ/TiJJ98DNg1I/AAAAAAAAAIo/cL2vTZVpQwU/s800/IMG_0626.jpg

Rainbow 320 trichlor feeder on return piping.
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-zawTtfLDEJY/TiJJ-E1AwlI/AAAAAAAAAIw/TLBq047Skus/s800/IMG_0628.jpg

Bold green = PoolDoc notes on photos

[PoolDoc]

I just labeled the photos in-line.

There are two significant flow restrictions on your piping. The first is the 'train-wreck' piping, typical of Jandy valve layouts, which sets up two opposing streams of flow in a collision or 'train-wreck' layout. It's not so bad when the flow come from the 'stem' of the tee, rather than the arms. This is the case on the return piping. But, it's quite bad when the flow is coming from the arms and exiting out the 'stem'.

In fact, it's SO bad I've never been able to find a pressure drop table on such a layout, in either pool or plumbing tech literature. I guess the engineers assumed that anyone with enough sense to use such tables would have enough sense to avoid such a layout.

The second flow issue is the check valves on the loop on the wall. Valves like these sometimes have springs in them, that can result in enormous flow losses.

If the loop serves no purpose, it might be best to remove it.

[drband]

Shouldn't the winterizing plug be removed from the skimmer? Then you could actually use the skimmer! Glad Ben could decipher that plumbing layout... it's not obvious- at least to me.

[Limeybiscuit]

Thanks for your responses, much appreciated. The previous owner did indeed have a solar panel once, this was removed once he re-roofed the house. The red valve on the wall, I can turn it however and can hear water flow but unsure as to what purpose it serves so I always turn it back to its original state.

Both skimmers have this white plug screwed into them, I notice you stated it was for winterizing. So in essence if I remove each white plug from each skimmer what advantages would it give me? Both skimmers have two holes and both skimmers have one white plug screwed into them.

Also when I move the below valve to the opposite direction the water in the basket goes down and the pool starts to loose prime I think the pressure guage goes down and it makes a high pitched noise. When turning this valve all skimmer shut off, I am assuming it is directing flow to main drain?


http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v387/b1mmer/Pool/IMG_0624.jpg

[PoolDoc]

Typically, a valve like that has a gate that is positioned opposite the handle, so that the port the handle points to is closed. If this is correct, and you move the handle 180 degrees from the position shown, you'll close all flow to the pump.

Regarding the solar loop, currently it appears 100% of your water flow goes through that loop, so closing the valve would (again) stop all flow.

. . . I think you need to hire a pool service guy to come out and show you how to operate your pool. You aren't likely to get very good results trying to work it out here.

[Limeybiscuit]

True, was thinking the same also. Getting someone to show me.

[Limeybiscuit]

Wow, I was searching online for certain pool issues and came across my own post from 6 years ago.

I'll update shortly with new images and of course another set of issues LOL