I plan to close my IGP myself for the first time this year, after watching the pros do it the last couple years. I plan to hook my rather large Craftsman air compressor up to the drain hole on the pump, and push the water out the returns and skimmers, then blow air through the main drain and airlock. I've already done a "practice run" and got air bubbles through the MD.

My question is this: when blowing through the skimmers (I have two), how do I stop the blown out water from running back into the skimmer? The hole in the skimmer is at the bottom, and its 10 inches deep or so. When I blow air from the pump and out the skimmer, it seems a lot of water will be left in the skimmer, and just run right back in. It seems the pros just let this happen, then added antifreeze. I'd rather blow it dry.

I was thinking of some sort of "hose" which would screw into the bottom of the skimmer, and blow the water out through that. Do they make anything like this -- it would need the same threads as a gizmo.

I use a large gizmo that has a hole and plug on the top.

Install the gizmo. This should get the hole on top of the gizmo above the water line. Then blow the lines. The water will blow out the top hole on the gizmo. Then I add some antifreeze back in the hole just in case and install the plug in the hole.

This is how my pool builder does it and he was kind enough to walk me through it.

I screw a pvc pipe into the skimmer with a shutoff and air hose fitting. I can shut the air off to change valve(s) positions.

Sounds to me like your using a "gizzmo, or skimmer tube" without a hole in the top of it. We do not let the water just rush back into the skimmer! What your going to have to do is get a buddy, or wife, or someone with 2 hands to help you. Keep the water level in the pool about an inch lower then the middle of the skimmer. Unless you have a mesh pool cover then id drop it about an inch below the skimmer. Hookup your blower and blow out the skimmer line. Let it blow for a good, i dont know.. 10-15 seconds and while its blowing.. you, or your helper can then screw the gizzmo into the skimmer. depending on how you have your blower setup, once you plug the skimmer another pipe will start to blow out.. might be the other skimmer, or could be one of the return lines... let that one blow for same amount of time and then plug it... you do this until all the lines are blown out and plugged.

We blow out skimmers when the water is below the skimmer and blow from skimmer to pump letting water drain from the pump via drain plugs

My skimmer looks like a whale breaching when I blow with a vacuum from the pump end. Water goes everywhere, with very little returning to the skimmer.

Thanks for the replies. I don't want to blow from the skimmer to the pump -- I want to blow from the pump to the skimmer. I think I have a solution -- I tried using one section of Kreepy Krauly hose, and it fits pretty well into the hole in the bottom of the skimmer. I'll put in a piece of this hose and direct the other end into the pool. With the water level below the skimmer, this should blow all water out of the skimmer line.

I must be missing something. Don't you have to lower the water to below the returns? That means lower than the skimmer so water going back in should be a non issue, no?

No, you dont need to do that. It's one of those things that you think you know, but its not really true. Once you have air blowing through the pipe and the water is bubbling, the pipe is mostly full of air. You can screw in the plug while the air is blowing and the water is bubbling and that will work just as well. It's the same with the skimmer. You can plug it with the gizmo while the water is bubbling and it works the same way.

I stick a shopvac hose into the skimmer with the shopvac running. Then the water that blows out of the skimmer and falls back gets vacuumed up. However, the idea of the Gizmo with the hole/plug in the top is intriguing, and I need a new Gizmo this year anyway (my old one cracked and it didn't have a hole in the top).