What is this thing?

[FlatDrPepper]

There is a strange pot kettle thing attached to one of the drain outputs on my variflow valve. Anybody have a clue what this is??

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-iEZd_4NaniY/T0k0oTpEt1I/AAAAAAAABWg/YRZacXzc5z4/s640/b450U-web.jpg



Also, I'm having trouble finding where to select to pull from the skimmer or drain. It is currently stuck in skimmer mode only. In the picture, there is only one pipe going up into the pump. Is there a common place that selector would be?

https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-eE1sKU1BZmc/T0k0owMY5nI/AAAAAAAABWo/IhJ2r9x9hRY/s640/cx65N-web.jpg


Thanks!
Cody

[PoolDoc]

The first item is -- I think -- a DE separation tank. I assume you have a DE filter?

But, to be sure, somebody who has actually had a sep tank needs to chime in, and confirm my guess.

Your 2nd picture shows a one-way, ON/OFF Jandy valve. If you have both a skimmer and main drain, those lines have been connected somewhere before the point in the picture.

By the way, I grabbed your pictures and put them on the PoolForum Picasa archive; ImgUr.com kills pictures after 6 months, and I've already got too many old threads that would still be useful IF the pictures or links in them hadn't gone stale.

[Goolsbymd]

I don't have a lot of pool experience so can't tell what I'm looking at but could it be a surge tank to reduce the sudden pressure changes from starting and stopping your pump?

[waterbear]

Looks like a Pentair Stainless Steel DE separation tank to me!

[FlatDrPepper]

Thank you all for your help! I will look at it closer tomorrow but I do have a DE filter and a separation tank would make a lot of sense since when I directly backwash I have noticed some dirt buildup on the alley behind my house where the water drains. I suppose I should have been using it all along. Oops :/

I'm still a little bugged about the skimmer/drain selector issue. Through my other readings it really seems like there should be two plainly visible pipes coming up out of the ground going into the pump. I do have a polaris pump- maybe it's somehow hooked up through that? I will have to investigate more later. Anyway, thanks again!