Safety question about water intake

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D

ddas

0
May 21, 2013
131
Los Angeles, CA
I've made a diagram of my pool's equipment, which is vital to understanding my question:

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Take a look at the two green arrows. I have two lines coming in from the pool (bringing water into the pump), and there is a valve at the top which allows me to close either one, or use both.

I'm not sure exactly where the left one sucks water from the pool. Presumably the skimmer.

But I just discovered that if I open the right side one, one of the jets/nozzles in my pool's wall sucks water too. It looks like a usual small nozzle. But here's the safety issue: I put my hand in front of it, and I experienced a LOT of instant suction -- so much that it actually hurt my hand, as my hand was drawn towards its suction.

This concerns me greatly, since I've got kids swimming in the pool. If a kid puts their hand on that, it could be strong enough to injure them.

Is it safe for me to set the valve so that that line is fully closed? Should I leave it slightly open so that there's a bit of water flow? Is there any downside to that?

I don't fully understand the physics and construction of it all, so please advise me like a complete newbie. :)

Secondary question: at the bottom of the deep end of the pool is that circular thing (don't know what the name is). Is it possible/likely that the right line is also sucking from there? Or the left one? How would I know? (I'm sure you understand my concern of diving down to the deep end and getting too close to a strong vacuum.)
 
Sounds like it is actually a dedicated suction line for a suction cleaner. When I had my pool replastered, they put an eyeball in it too before I realized what the line was actually for.

I would certainly leave the line closed. You could also add the little flapper adapter for a cleaner that would screw in instead of the eyeball that would be closed and not allow suction if the valve got opened.
OR
I was looking into finding a spa suction cover that I would screw into the wall fitting so that I could keep both suction lines open, but the cover would make it safer. Although I now use a suction cleaner so i never ran the cover to bed.

The thing on the floor is a floor drain. Since you only have 2 suction lines at the pump, if you look under your skimmer basket you will either see 2 holes or you will see a float diverter. If you have the diverter, you can remove it and see the 2 holes. One hole is from the floor and the other is the line to the pump. In order to get any suction from the floor, you need the float diverter installed to force the suction to the floor. There is a little slide flap that adjusts the amount of suction from the floor.

Note, you should not really be able to ever feel the suction at the floor to avoid the entrapment issue. Ideally there are 2 drains on the floor, but at minimum the cover should be designed to lower the entrapment possibility.
 
Re: the eyeball and flapper adapter, great, thank you. I might go looking for one, just as a safety precaution. But meanwhile I'll leave that line closed.

Interesting theory that it might be for a suction cleaner. That would make sense. The vacuum is certainly strong enough. I didn't take a close enough look at the eyeball to see if it can be unscrewed and used to plug-in a suction cleaner (or a flapper for safety).

Under my skimmer basket, I see two holes. The right one goes to the pump. (I know, because this is where I plug in my vacuum hose.) The left one doesn't have any suction, and to my eye, actually looks closed/blocked.)

I've been down in the deep end near my floor drain and have never felt any suction there, however, I'm just trying to be extra careful, since I just discovered that valve that's producing high pressure suction in one of the eyeballs on the side of the pool. Don't want to make a mistake with something like that!

@YippeeSkippy, not sure which drain you're asking about. The first issue (the valve opening a strong vacuum) goes to an "eyeball" in the side/wall of my pool. I've got about 4, but only 1 shows this strong vacuum that I mentioned. The others are return jets pushing water out into the pool.

@YippeeSkippy -- saw your link in your sig -- love your pool!

So, to conclude: no harm in closing the line that's leading to the (presumed) suction cleaner eyeball, and I'll go looking for a safety flap to put on it if I can find such a thing. Correct?
 
Correct. I would investigate the 2nd hole further to see if is it truly blocked or if it is open to the floor. And if open, get a float diverter.

Google: "pool vacuum safety wall fitting"
 
Took a swim today and found this:

The "eyeball" jets into the pool all look like eyeballs, are fixed, and have nothing I can attach anything to. All of these shoot water back into the pool.

But the one in question, the one I was concerned about, it has threading on it -- indicating it absolutely was designed for something to be plugged into it.

OK. I will want to find a safety cover for this.
 
s-l300.jpg.cf.jpg


Should look like this
 
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