Skimmer has no flow on start up, could it be this valve?

[stkidsdoc]

Hello TFP,
Love this forum, as it has kept me away from the pool store! Had a broken light though, so needed them to fix it, and while here they "opened" my pool without me asking. Unsuccessfully. Filter had a bad air release, so they put it on recirculate and left me a note... Not even a phone call, but don't get me started... (I've left four messages over the past month and still no call back and the new light trips the breaker too!) plus we have a leak that we can't find and were down 6000 gallons over the winter. I had water delivered anyways... Gotta get this started, and it looks slow.

Point question: I replaced the air release and my filter is running, but I have no flow from the skimmer, and I need to backwash and add DE. I've never touched the valve you see here: could this be a diverter for my main drain vs. skimmer? I don't recall it's position from last year. Have not tried anything with it, as I thought I'd check here first.

Many thanks.

 

[stkidsdoc]

Here's the picture of the valve:

 

[Bama Rambler]

That's on the suction side of the pump so yes, it is most likely the one that selects between skimmer and main drain.

I'd first turn the handle over the center pipe and see what that does. If you start getting flow at the skimmer then switch it opposite of what it is now and that should be full flow from the skimmer and none from the MD. The ideal setting is somewhere in the middle.

 

[stkidsdoc]

So if I put the "close" facing to the right (handle head pointing to the pump), theoretically I should have flow from both the skimmer and main drain to my pump? I just don't want to blow the pump by having it suck against nothing...

THanks!!

 

[Bama Rambler]

Correct, you'll have flow from both directions. The reason i suggested doing it that way first, is the safety aspect of leaving flow from both ways.

 

[stkidsdoc]

Is there a safety issue with having it flow from both? I thought that was usual? Although I guess I never paid attention to where it was before.
Also, is this an all or nothing type thing or can I turn it midway if I want relatively more flow from one vs the other?
I thought I understood, but clearly need to clarify... Thank you!

(I did what you said in the first place, though and got skimmer flow- have left it at that...)

 

[Bama Rambler]

It's not a safety issue having flow from both. It's more of a safety issue having 100% flow through the main drain.

It's not all or nothing. You can adjust the valve to any position you need to in order to get as much or as little flow from either the MD or the skimmer.