first-time pool owner needs help converting to salt water system, replumbing a valve

[hkornberg]

I am converting an older pool in a new house that I bought to salt water. I need to replace the vacuum valve as well.

1. If i cut the line from the vacuum to the pump to replace it, am I going to get soaked, and if so, how do I put the new valve in while 10,000 gallons of water is pouring on me?

2. once I can get the vacuum to work, hopefully the pool clears up.... but if not, what do I do. Its super foggy, was very green, now only moderately and the tests were coming out with good levels. Buildup pf dead algae?

3. I need to put the salt generator inline, but there is only room to do it on the line going to the pool, after the check valve, filter and pump..... Am I going to get soaked if I cut that one? and if so, How do I do it? (Same prob;lem as above, but different side of the pump.

[PoolDoc]

Sorry, but your question does not include nearly enough information to make it possible to answer. Generally, with plumbing questions like yours, pictures are necessary. But that's not an offer -- you're asking me to design a piping repair job for you. I do know how -- I was a licensed master plumber for 30 years -- but it's a lot of work, and I don't know the codes you have to operate under.

I'll offer some advice . . . though you may not welcome it:

Retrofitting older pools with 'salt' (ie, Salt Water Chlorine Generation, SWCG) is often a bad idea. Many older pools are NOT salt-compatible. Piping, metal valves, aluminum ladder anchors, steel diving board anchors, heaters, and more can be severely corroded by the salt water in just a couple of years. And, just from the questions you are asking, I know you do NOT know enough about pools or piping to be able to tell if your pool is salt-compatible.

You might want to read the Salt Pro/Con FAQ -- salt is much more problematic than most people realize and does NOT save money: http://www.poolforum.com/pf2/showthread.php/29186 .

Regarding a "vacuum valve" . . . I don't even know what you are talking about. Do you mean a regular valve (gate, ball, slide, Jandy, etc?) on a line going to/from some sort of vacuum system? Or, do you mean the control valve of an in-floor cleaning system?

Another reason to at least WAIT before making the changes you're considering: you need to learn to OPERATE your pool successfully, BEFORE adding gadgets and gizmos. Salt will NOT fix a green pool, and neither will any sort of automatic vacuum.

You may have a non-functional, or barely functional filter. If so, THAT is a much higher priority.

Also, you're either going to have to learn to do the chemicals right yourself, or else trust your pool to the tender mercies of a dealer testing and dosing program that is DESIGNED to maximize chemical sales.

There's a learning curve with pools, and you're on the wrong end. But unless you want to suffer through years of problems, there's nothing for it, but to start learning. The FAQs in each relevant forum section are a good place to start.

Good luck.

[PoolDoc]

Upgraded membership and moved thread to the Pool problems section. You may need to log out and back in to see everything.

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Please note: the Super Search page does NOT search directly; it only CREATES special Google links, that enable a FOCUSED Google search!