Skimmer basket question about main drain

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M

mgoblue

0
Aug 14, 2012
130
Gilbert, AZ
Help - Need to Slam, want to make sure I understand everything - Page 7

Pic in link above.

My skimmer basket has 2 holes, one has a screwed in thing blocking it.

My drain does not have separate PVC at my pump/filter, so this leads me to believe that this plug would go to the main drains. If so, what would I need to install to let me get some flow through the main drains as well as the skimmer? Wanting to understand how this works, and that would help my circulation as well.
 
You have two lines that are the inputs to your pump (from a different post that included a pic of your equipment). Do you have 2 skimmers in your pool? If not, one line is from your main drain. If you have two skimmers, one line is likely joined with the main drain. Turn the black valve feeding the pump and isolate each line to see where they are drawing water from the pool.
 
jmhjgh said:
You have two lines that are the inputs to your pump (from a different post that included a pic of your equipment). Do you have 2 skimmers in your pool? If not, one line is from your main drain. If you have two skimmers, one line is likely joined with the main drain. Turn the black valve feeding the pump and isolate each line to see where they are drawing water from the pool.
Click to expand...

One is the side cleaner suction port, the other is the skimmer. When I move that valve all the way to the cleaner then it sucks through my Baracuda. Otherwise it gets nothing (like when my Baracuda lost prime during a partial drain and it wasn't pulling from the drain at all).

I haven't ever felt water coming through the drain, so that leads me to believe it may be that plugged hole.
 
Your MD is plumbed to your skimmer (the one that is blocked with the plug) and then the skimmer is plumbed back to your equipment pad. My pool built in 1978 was plumbed this way and probably many are still plumbed this way today.

Is this pool/home relatively new to you? There is a reason the MD is plugged...perhaps it leaks? This is, unfortunately, not uncommon.

Normally, you'd also have what is called a float valve in there. It has a moving 'plunger' contained within the body with a flapper/blocking piece on the bottom that you adjust to control the flow rate of your skimmer and MD.
 
Agent99 said:
Your MD is plumbed to your skimmer (the one that is blocked with the plug) and then the skimmer is plumbed back to your equipment pad. My pool built in 1978 was plumbed this way and probably many are still plumbed this way today.

Is this pool/home relatively new to you? There is a reason the MD is plugged...perhaps it leaks? This is, unfortunately, not uncommon.

Normally, you'd also have what is called a float valve in there. It has a moving 'plunger' contained within the body with a flapper/blocking piece on the bottom that you adjust to control the flow rate of your skimmer and MD.
Click to expand...

We got the house 3 years ago, so we don't know any more than what i've figured out. I think this is the last main mystery for me.

In theory I could get a float valve, unscrew that plug, and then it'd allow me to adjust it to 50/50 (or more skimmer, if I need) flow between both?

Good point that there could be a leak or something, but I'd probably have to learn that the hard way....

would one of these work, in theory? Amazon.com : Hayward SP1070FV Float Valve Assembly : Swimming Pool Safety Products : Patio, Lawn Garden
 
You'd need to (probably) get a float valve that is designed specifically for your brand of skimmer. I'm not sure if any old float valve will work.

The float valve has two purposes:

(1) To adjust the flow between the skimmer and main drain and
(2) To prevent water starvation to your pump should the pool level fall below the skimmer level or the skimmer gets severely clogged or some phenomenon that has zero water flow into the skimmer. The MD will take over and still provide water flow to the pump.
 
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