What can be better then taking a dip in your swimming pool or spa after a long day’s work? Taking a dip in a nice warm swimming pool or spa! Heating your water features isn’t a thing of the past. Heaters are available for all types of pools and spas and use almost any kind of fuel imaginable. Propane,natural gas,oil and even electric heaters are commonplace around the country and around the world. There are also heat pumps which work well in the warmer climates.

Pool heaters heat the clean water,which has circulated through the pool pump and pool filter,by using a fossil fuel or electricity to generate heat and boil the water. Heating a spa or very small body of water is quick and usually can bring up the temperature a few degrees per hour,where as a swimming pool will take much longer to warm up at only one degree per hour.

Heat pumps,which in some respects are like an air conditioner,only removes the heat from the air and transfers it to the pool or spa water. Heat pumps work well in warmer climates where the air temperature does not fall below 70 degrees for any length of time,as heat pumps do not heat water as quickly as a gas or oil heater,but rather maintain the current temperature.

Multiport,push/pull valve,and diverter are all commonly used names for the little “thingy” with a handle that sits on top of or hangs off the side of most filters. Their function is to direct the flow of water inside,or outside,of the pool filter.
To normally filter the water in the pool,and keep it clean and clear,select “filter” – which will allow the water to pass through the multiport,into the filter elements,clean the water,and travel back into the swimming pool.

When the pool filter is dirty,and it’s time to clean it,you can “backwash” the filter. This stirs up the water inside the filter and sends out dirt and debris from the backwash line After backwashing,you should always “rinse” the filter.

Another option is “waste” which takes the water and sends it through the multiport and out the backwash line,completely by-passing the filter tank. This is used when the pool is extremely dirty and you don’t want to send the water back into the pool while vacuuming.
It is very important that you turn your pump off before you turn the multiport handle or move the push-pull valve. Forgetting to turn the pool pump off will result in serious damage to the multiport or push-pull valve.