PC103: EQUIPMENT BASICSSMART START Pool School

EQUIPMENT BASICS

➤ Your pool equipment is the heart of your pool; properly functioning equipment is key to keeping a pool clear and safe for use.

➤ Trying to clear a pool with only chemicals—when the real problem is the equipment—is like trying to clean viruses off a computer with a dying hard drive or a V8 engine that’s only running on six cylinders.

➤ This course will cover equipment basics only and the flow of water in the system.

➤ All equipment wears and breaks down over time; it’s important to check your equipment regularly for proper operation and to repair or replace old equipment that is not functioning its best.

This is a general overview diagram of a typical in-ground pool. Over the next few slides, we’ll go over the main flow of water and each piece of equipment that relates to it.

FLOW OF WATER

➤ The flow of water begins in the skimmer located on the side of the pool.

➤ Water and debris pass through a weir door; this door prevents debris from flowing back into the pool.

➤ Inside the skimmer box is a skimmer basket; this is the first line of defense to keep debris away from the moving parts in your pump.

FLOW OF WATER

➤ In-ground pools may also have a main drain; this is positioned in the bottom of the pool and provides additional circulation.

➤ Water from the skimmer and the main drain go to the same place: to the pump.

➤ Many pools are equipped with valves that can shut off water flow from the main drain and/or skimmer.

FLOW OF WATER

➤ The pump controls the flow of water in the pool; it is one of the two most important pieces of equipment when it comes to your pool.

➤ There are two main pieces to the pump: the motor and the hair & lint pot; the hair & lint pot contains a basket, sometimes called a pump basket. It is the last line of defense to protect the moving parts of the pump.

➤ All pieces of equipment we’ve talked about thus far—the skimmer, the main drain, and the plumbing right up to the pump—are considered the suction side of the system. Water is being sucked into the pump.

➤ Leaks on this side of the pump tend to be air leaks, preventing the pump from sucking enough water through the system.

➤ Everything past the pump is considered pressure side; water is being pushed through the rest of the system and into the pool.

➤ Leaks on this side of the pump tend to be water leaks, because water is being pushed through the system and will take the path of least resistance, like through a bad gasket.

FLOW OF WATER

➤ The filter is the other major component of a good equipment system; this is where small debris is captured and filtered out.

➤ Exact filter operation varies depending on the type of filter.

➤ There are three main filter types: sand, cartridge, and diatomaceous earth (DE).

➤ For many pools, this can be the last item before water returns to the pool.

FLOW OF WATER

➤ Some pools are equipped with a pool heater that helps heat the water.

➤ In addition to extending the pool season, warmer water can help chemicals dissolve better; however, warmer water is also more prone to algae growth and clouding, and sanitizer tends to be consumed faster.

➤ There are a variety of heater types—propane, natural gas, solar, electric—but all are plumbed after the filter to prevent debris from getting caught in them.

FLOW OF WATER

➤ Water returns to the pool through inlets, or return jets, located in the pool. All pools have at least one, but the more return jets, the better.

➤ Return jets should face 45° downward to provide circulation to the bottom of the pool.

➤ If your pool has more than one return jet, adjust all jets to point either slightly left or right to create a “whirlpool” effect at the bottom.

➤ Some pools may also have ports at the bottom of the pool that function as return jets.

FLOW OF WATER

➤ Many pools are equipped with sanitation systems of some kind; these are almost always the last item plumbed in line and should be several feet from the heater. If placed anywhere else in line, the highly sanitized water can cause damage to other equipment.

➤ Some pools are equipped with a chlorinator or chlorine feeder; this is a large tube that is filled up with chlorine tablets and can be adjusted to change the amount of water flowing into it.

➤ Some pools use an electrolytic cell, also called a chlorine generator, to turn salt into chlorine.

➤ Commercial operations will generally have a liquid feeding system, equipped with probes, that automatically feed chlorine and/or acid into the system.

A FINAL NOTE

➤ This only covers the most basic layout of pools; there are plenty of other options—attached spas, fountains, waterfalls, automatic vacuums, to name a few—that can complicate the flow of water.

➤ Some systems may lack a component, like the skimmer or the heater.

➤ No matter what, there will always be a pump to pull and push water and a filter to pull debris out of the water.

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