Spa emptying out?

[waste]

m, I've looked at the photos, I've thought, I've looked again and thought some more ... (I saw this last night and looked again today - {I'm currently having to fight w/ DW for computer time - I made the mistake of giving her an Ipod for an aniversary present, I should have stuck with jewelry }.

OK, so the glaring thing that I see from the pics is that #1 and #3 show the same valve settings. From this I surmise that the topmost line is the 'spa fill' (pic #2 shows it as open). I am also figuring that the suction side has an actuator valve on it, I'm thinking that it only opens the spa drain when in spa mode or spa fill, otherwise it's closed. From what I can see in the pics, the 2 pipies on the 'un-actuated' valve (bottom in the pics) feed the in floor system (2" line - the left one)and the wall rets and spa rets(the 1 1/2" - right one).

The best I can come up with is that you have a nearly identical set-up on the suction side (a spa line comming into the actuator valve with 2 (or more) suctions comming from the pool with a 'manual' turn valve between them. This could explain what's happening to your pool, but won't explain why you used to be able to use it without the spa draining , I'm obviousely missing a peice of the puzzle

If you need to use the spa this week, call in the pool pro, if it can wait - please post pics of the whole system, and we'll save you $ (if not time)

Sorry I can't be more help, but if you're willing to give me an 'e-tour' of your set-up, I can probably help you. With the pics I got a much better idea of what's going on, unfortunately not enough to tell you exactly what has happened (or is happening) - sorry

[mkelley]

Thanks for looking!

We're in no hurry to use the spa -- while we'd like to get in we haven't been able to for nearly a month now so a few more weeks won't hurt. I'll try this weekend to shoot all the images to give you a complete look at everything so you can make more sense out of it (I wish the labels hadn't rubbed off on the pipes, though).

Thanks again for helping out -- by next Monday I'll repost here the new image links.

[mkelley]

Well, at least I think I've nailed it down to where the problem is.

I rounded up a DVD I had made when the pool guy explained the entire system to begin with. The valves I imaged had nothing to do with this (well, nothing per se). There is one more automated valve located near the heater that is the spa/pool input controller.

This is an automated Jandy valve, and when I looked at it it was making an odd humming noise. I pushed at it and it moved like it was completing an operation and then stopped making noise. But nothing I do will move it further (automatically that is -- I can't even budge the thing manually).

So I'm guessing it has burned out, or gone bad, or gotten stuck or some thing I can't imagine. The wiring to the controller part looks okay (and is not in a place that could have gotten wrong) and it *was* making the humming so I'm guessing it still had power to it. But I'm going to have to call the pool guy$$$ into repair it, I guess.

Thanks for the offer to help, though -- it would have been nice to avoid the money but I'm pretty sure this isn't anything I could ever fix myself.

[hinejs]

The humming automated jandy valve, should have a toggle switch on the back-side. Flip it the other direction. Does the valve move? If yes, great, it may not need to be replaced, but adjusted. If no, then it will have to be replaced. A relatively simple repair. You could do yourself. The expensive part will be the automated valve itself. Youre probably looking for a JVA24 by Jandy ( a little more expensive), or a CVA24 by Pentair Water. Follow the black cord up and into the control panel and carefully remove the lead. Paying attention to where it was removed from. You'll also want to remove the actuactor itself (the motorized part) 4 screws hold in onto the 3 way jandy valve. Note the orientation of the actuator. You may also have to adjust the stops on the actuator. Open up the case on the old actuator and look at where the stops are located on the valve stem. Compare to the new actuator valve stem and adjust accordingly. By the way you're doing all of this with the power shut off to the entire pool / spa equipment panel. Its probably a 30 minture repair for a qualified tech, for you maybe an hour.

Holler if you need help. where are you located by the way?

[mkelley]

It has a switch on the side that's a three way toggle. It appears the center position is "off". Eventually, by switching it back through all three positions I was able to get the valve to move but not consistently. It moves and then stops and makes a sound like a gear stripping (which, come to think of it, is probably what is happening). I can get it to move further by nudging it manually, but then it does the same thing again. It will do this in both directions, never actually stopping until I flip the switch to off but sticking in one position while it "grinds".

I assume I'm looking for this kind of thing:

http://www.poolsupplydeals.com/Detail.bok?no=1299
or
http://www.onlinepoolsupply.net/auto...3045.htm?id=10

at which prices makes me gulp (particularly considering this is only a little over a year old). Am I right in anticipating having to do this every year or two? Doesn't fill me with confidence (and I have at least two more of these automated valves in the system. Yikes!).

If all we're talking about is changing the wires and screwing this thing on (and perhaps dealing with the stops) I guess I could handle this myself. Just what would a tech charge for doing this for me, anyone got even a ballpark figure? And are there better places to buy these actuator thingees?

Thanks for the info -- I live in central Florida where it's actually going to be warm enough to swim by the end of the week.

[hinejs]

that's the one. remove tha actuator and see if it operates properly. it is possible that you have something stuck in the valve itself. the actuator retails $369 installed.

[mkelley]

Okay, I'll give this a shot (but it will have to wait until next weekend, as I'll be at work all this week). I assume I just unscrew it from the top of the valve somehow (valve handle just comes off?). I'll look more closely at it and see what gives.

The idea of something being stuck is interesting. And so if the valve can be purchased for $150 (or less) I guess you're saying a pool person charges $200 for 30 minutes of labor. I can see why you're in the pool repair business (<bg> actually, I truly appreciate you giving free help here. Also, I don't begrudge anyone making a living -- I used to make good money helping folks with computer problems, although I didn't make close to that per hour :>)

[mkelley]

Um, I'm back to this again (since I now have a lot more time to try and fix this as I retired "again").

Would this valve also work for this?

http://www.inyopools.com/Products/02100001004877.htm

As a rule I don't buy the cheapest thing I can find, but since the Jandy burned out in less than a year (with very little use) I'm thinking I'll get something cheap so if I have to I can replace it yet again. So does anyone know if this would be a good (or at least adequate) replacement for the Jandy?