Posted by Chuck Beavers on December 19, 2009 at 5:15pm
Fellow Pool Professionals,How many times have you said to your customer,"OK I turned the water on, whatever you do don't shut the water off until the water gets to the tile line or it will leave a line." Then you leave and come back tomorrow expecting the homeowner to watch the water. I have filled hundreds of pools this way and not until recently ever thought a thing about it.One day, talking to a fellow pool industry colleague, he mentioned that a competing company had just finished a pool/spa that was part of a house refurbish. They finished plastering the pool and spa and started the spa water. The next day they returned to find the water overflowing the spa and running down a set of stairs and filling the newly finished basement.Hearing this prompted me to post this blog about the way that I have been filling pools for the past 2 years. I use an autofill devise that I came up with. It works off a sprinkler valve, wired to a transformer, wired to a float switch (liquid level switch). The float switch hangs off the side of the pool or in the skimmer at the desired water level(middle of the tile line). The device sits on the deck where you plug it into a receptacle , then the hose goes into one side of the sprinkler valve and another hose with a rag on the end goes into the bottom of the pool. When the device is plugged in and the water turned on, your done. Come back tomorrow or next week and the pool is filled to the right level. I have used this device about 20 times and it works every time.For those of you who work on the Vinyl liner pools I came up with a relay that interrupts the vacuum so that the water and vac will shut off to install the steps/light.The device is not new, just about every dishwasher uses this technology, I just adapted it for the pool industry.The sprinkler valve can be purchased at Home Depot or Lowes, as can the plug in transformer (both in the sprinkler section of the plumbing isle). The liquid level switch can be purchased at Grainger as can the relay. Part no.2A554 around $12.00 for the float. The transformer and sprinkler valve are both around $14.00 each. Then you'll need some spare wire , some 3/4" pipe fittings to connect the sprinkler valve to the garden hoses and if you so choose a box to put it all in.So for under $100 you can fill it and forget it.
When working on new construction sites without power I have used a simple toilet plunger valve mounted on plywood on the deck with the plunger hanging over the edge to stop the water flow when it reached the level to shut off the water, simple and it works. Mark
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