Need Help! Opening pool

[chrispool]

Hi everybody, I recently bought a hud house with an IG pool. I had to replace the liner and did saturday, everything went well and now its time to start filtering. I noticed that the pump , sand filtere, and skimmer had has signs that it had been winterized Plugs were out of the pump and filter and the skimmer had a gizmo in it. My problem I think lies in the skimmer. The skimmer has to pipes one had the gizmo and the other looks llike it has a plug( something like a T- Handle tool would be needed to remove it).
After removing the gizmo i noticed i wasnt getting any water sucked down the drain. then i stuck a fish tape down the drain and it gets stopped within a foot from the top. What is going on. Im an electrian and use a fish tape alot it feels like the pipe has a dead end on it like a cap i dont know. maybe i its the other pipe i need. All i know is i need your guyes help!!

 

[woodyp]

That "other" plug in the skimmer is quite possibly an expandable rubber plug that gets fatter as it is tightened.

 

[JasonLion]

Many skimmers have two holes and often only one of them is actually connected to anything. Normally the hole with the gizmo would be the one that is connected to the pump, but you never know.

 

[chrispool]

How are the skimmers made. Have you ever seen the other pipe with a short piece of pvc and then dead end. I hope i dont have to start digging!

 

[JasonLion]

Yes, I have seen a short pipe stub and cap, the hole left open to the ground and plugged with a winterizing plug, pipe stub buried in concrete, all kinds of things.

Many skimmers are made with two holes just in case, and it is common to plumb only one of them to the pump and seal the other one way or another. Sometimes the second hole is connected to an equalizer port, or to the main drain.

 

[FinsUp]

Chris...not sure what area of the country you're in, but I'm in Michigan. My skimmer has 2 holes in-line with the water flowing into the skimmer.
It sort of looks like this: O O <-------Water flowing into skimmer. The first one (on the left) is plumbed to the equipment, the other one is plugged with a recessed plug that looks like you'd use a socket wrench without the socket to remove it. I'm guessing you have a similar set-up and my opinion would be to replace the plug (make sure you get it in the right hole) and move forward with your opening.