So close, yet so far.....

[Kelleyaynn]

I've been trying for several weeks to close my pool. I've done it steps at a time (the safety cover has been on the most of the time, once the pool was cleaned and water treated). The water level is finally low, so all I have to do is blow out the lines. Therein lies my problem. I can't figure out how to do it. I've read lots of posts, etc., and I still can't get the job done. I managed to blow out the skimmer (from the skimmer back to the pad, using a shop vac). Poured some antifreeze down the tube, tried to blow a bit more and saw red, so I know I'm okay there. My skimmer has two holes, so I figured the other hole was to the main drain. Blew into that, and nothing. Nada. When I took the shop vac hose out of that hole, red liquid came up - the antifreeze. So that hole seems to be connected to the other hole in the skimmer, but not the main drain. I know I can disconnect some pipes at the pad, but can't figure out which one, or how to make it work. None of the piping seems moveable enough to get a shop vac hose near a pipe opening. I also don't know if I need to change the setting on the multiport valve. When I blew out the skimmer, it was set on "waste". Should it be changed to blow out any of the other lines? At this point I've already removed the plugs in the pump.

Here are pictures of my pipe set up, so you can see what I'm dealing with: (note: the booster pump for a vacuum is no longer connected to the system)

Can anyone offer any advice? I'm ready to hire a pool company just to finish blowing out the lines. This is SO frustrating for something I know shouldn't be that hard.

Thanks,

Kelley

 

[JohnT]

You'll not be able to blow out your drain using a shop vac. You have the weight of the pool water pushing the water in the pipe to the same level as the pool surface. I made a cap for my drain line with a schrader valve so I can use a compressor to blow it out.

 

[jblizzle]

Also, you only have the 1 suction line to the pool going into the pump ... so the floor must be plumbed to the skimmer.
Usually the floor is attached to one hole in the skimmer and the pump is attache to the other hole.
There is a chance I guess that these 2 lines may also be Teed together underground ... but not sure why that would be done as you loose control of where you have suction from.

 

[Bama Rambler]

Kelley, remind us where you're located.
Also, can you post a pic of the bottom of the skimmer?

You may not need to blow the main drain. Depending on where you're located you may be able to just slowly pour some antifreeze in the main drain line in the skimmer. It will displace the water enough to prevent the MD line from freezing.

 

[Kelleyaynn]

I live in Wilmington, DE. I won't be able to post a picture of the main drain until tonight or tomorrow.

If I don't have to blow out the main drain, then the only thing that's left is to blow out the returns. How to do that?

Thanks!

Kelley

 

[Bama Rambler]

I don't know how deep it freezes in DE so I can't say if just adding antifreeze is enough but I suspect that it would be.

For blowing the returns, it looks like the easiest way to do it would be to put the multiport valve in recirc, open the pump basket, seal off the suction line, seal the blower hose into the top of the pump basket and blow them that way.

Be sure that whatever you seal the skimmer line with won't go into the line. A rubber plug would probably be the best bet.

 

[Kelleyaynn]

The ground will freeze to 30 inches here. Do I need to blow out the main drain?

Thanks.

 

[Bama Rambler]

I would be confident in just using antifreeze. Pour it slowly into the main drain line in the bottom of the skimmer until you see it come out of the drain in the pool.