New home owner, new pool, clueless as to valve configuration

[matthewpdavis]

Can anyone give me an idea of what Im looking at with my filtration system and how I should manipulate the different valves? Please view this video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pWlRBP1n4TA

[lbridges]

The Polaris Caretaker is what is known as an in-floor cleaning system - it has heads that lift up off the floor to "sweep" dirt toward the drain (which is labeled pool floor return in your video).

Don't know how basic to start - do you know that the "OFF" side of the handle points toward where you do not want water to flow to/from? If you were to disassemble a valve, you would find a little curved piece of plastic that sits under the "OFF" part and it blocks off whatever OFF is pointed toward. If OFF is pointed to nothing (like it is over on the right side near the SPA label) then nothing is blocked off. If OFF is pointed toward a pipe like it is for spa skimmer, then flow from the spa skimmer is blocked OFF. So, in the video the Pool Skimmer is set to off, the spa skimmer is set to off, and water is drawn only from the floor drain to be sucked in at the pump.

You correctly identified the backwash valve.

On the output side of the filter you can send to the spa or pool and the valve is set to send equally to both. The pool part then is also set to send to the Caretaker cleaning system (labeled Pop-ups). I;m not sure where the water would go if you turned the Pop-ups valve to off - are there a set of openings in the pool wall that water could flow through to get back to the pool (sometimes they plumb like that in case the cleaning system fails). Normally I would expect it to be set so the "OFF" was pointed at the unlabeled line and the water flowed to the Pop-Up line. Then you would also typically control flow back through the spa or pool depending on use.

You asked a lot of questions and it's hard to remember them all - can you post still photos and ask again for anything I missed?

[floridapooltech]

The Polaris Caretaker is what is known as an in-floor cleaning system - it has heads that lift up off the floor to "sweep" dirt toward the drain (which is labeled pool floor return in your video).

Don't know how basic to start - do you know that the "OFF" side of the handle points toward where you do not want water to flow to/from? If you were to disassemble a valve, you would find a little curved piece of plastic that sits under the "OFF" part and it blocks off whatever OFF is pointed toward. If OFF is pointed to nothing (like it is over on the right side near the SPA label) then nothing is blocked off. If OFF is pointed toward a pipe like it is for spa skimmer, then flow from the spa skimmer is blocked OFF. So, in the video the Pool Skimmer is set to off, the spa skimmer is set to off, and water is drawn only from the floor drain to be sucked in at the pump.

You correctly identified the backwash valve.

On the output side of the filter you can send to the spa or pool and the valve is set to send equally to both. The pool part then is also set to send to the Caretaker cleaning system (labeled Pop-ups). I;m not sure where the water would go if you turned the Pop-ups valve to off - are there a set of openings in the pool wall that water could flow through to get back to the pool (sometimes they plumb like that in case the cleaning system fails). Normally I would expect it to be set so the "OFF" was pointed at the unlabeled line and the water flowed to the Pop-Up line. Then you would also typically control flow back through the spa or pool depending on use.

You asked a lot of questions and it's hard to remember them all - can you post still photos and ask again for anything I missed?

to avoid any future confusion:
1. The valve labeled "pool floor return" should be re-labeled "main drain" as a "return" is referring to water or flow returning back into the pool.
2. As ibridges states, the polaris caretaker and "pop-ups" are the same system, and you may want to re-label that valve as such.
3. The blower should be hooked up to a 15 minute timer, if there isn't one, you may want to look at getting one as the wiring box it should be in looks covered/empty.
4. With the settings you have in the video, your spa returns are on (jets), pool returns and caretakers are on (jets), main drain is on, your pool skimmer is off, spa skimmer is off.
5. Having water going INTO the spa, and the skimmer OFF so water doesnt get sucked back out, it will cause it to utilize the "overflow" fountain feature on your spa and spill into the pool. If you begin to get debris into your pool, you may want to turn both skimmers on and main drains off or a combination of each. You will want to make sure your pool is always receiving water, so the returns should always be on. (did not see a shutoff for this so it may just be plumbed in without you able to control it.
6. Sand lasts for about 5 years, so if the old owners never told you when they last replaced it, you may want to.
7. that valve attached to your caretaker may be for the spa. Do you have any popups located in the spa?

Any more information, feel free to post questions on here.

[matthewpdavis]

Thank you very much. I am going to print this out and digest it all for a bit. I will take still photos as well and post them on my next thread! Really appreciate all the input!

Here is a link to the still photos. Could you please tell me what the valve handle positions should be for the following (O'clock position): Optimum Pool Floor Cleaning, Pool Surface Cleaning, Spa Floor Cleaning (yes there are pop-ups in the spa), Spa Surface Cleaning

Also, the valve config I set last night (not what is pictured) drained my Spa and made my pool water level higher. How do I reverse or avoid)

http://i563.photobucket.com/albums/ss71 ... ollage.jpg