Is there a difference between Australian and US plumbing codes regarding the connection of the main drain to pump suction line? The only thing connected to my suction line is the skimmer
Thanks Bama. I realised after a bit more investigation that my main drain IS connected to my skimmer. I often wondered what that dirt clogged hole in the front of the skimmer was for.
When we bought the house, the skimmer did not have a weir door on it. After reading on TFP what purpose they serve, I recently installed one. I suppose the low velocity in the skimmer without the weir door led to the main drain pipe blockage.
With a bit of effort with the garden hose and some operations of the weir door I've managed to clear the pipe. There is no valve on this pipe (at least not at the skimmer end), but there now seems to be a reasonable balance of flow between the skimmer and the drain. The drain pipe looks like a smaller diameter (1" or 1.25") than the suction line (1.5"), which I assume is to provide the flow balance.
I assume with the drain pipe blocked, the pool was not turning over as it should be, with dead spots at the bottom?
With the pipe blocked for god knows how long, I imagine there is a pretty disgusting bio-film/algae layer on the pipe walls - do I need to clean this (how?) or will it clear itself up during a shock treatment?
I would suggest you either raise the FC to shock level for a couple of days, or take a length of pipe and pour some bleach directly into the main drain. If you do the pipe thing, set your pump on low and shut it off before all the bleach is pulled from the line.
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