Skimmer Line Clogged - Need Help1

[CancerX]

Hi there,

When opening my pool I realized that the skimmer to my pool was not sucking - we are talking 0 suction, nada. I assumed I had a clogged line. I confirmed this by closing off the valve to the main drain so it was not pulling water, and sure enough there was no water being pulled into the pump through the skimmer line. I went and purchased a drain bladder and inserted it into the skimmer line through the pump to try to flush the clogged material out. At this point water was observed bubbling up into the skimmer and I could feel the water flow out when I put my hand in the skimmer hole. However, there was no observable debris that was pushed out. When I restarted the pump I did get suction from the skimmer. The pump primes fine when the valve is set to main drain only, or main drain and skimmer, but when I set it to skimmer only there is now some water flow into the pump (before I used the drain bladder there was none) but the pump won't hold its prime.

I need help. Is there still a partial blockage (remember no debris was observed washing back up) or is it more likely that my pipes froze and cracked over the winter when we had some cold weather???

Edit: My pool is not losing any water when I operate the pump

 

[frustratedpoolmom]

Do you know if the pipes are the flexible kind? Wondering if it collapsed.

 

[Richard320]

Good call, Mom! It could be a collapsed flex line.

It could also be a rock or something that fell into the line and now it's just been shifted a little. How about stuffing the hose in without the bladder and sealing it up with a rag now that there is some flow? The drain cleaners work good to build pressure against a solid blockage, but they don't flow a lot of water. An unrestricted hose might force enough water through now, although at lower pressure, to move things.

 

[CancerX]

Do you know if the pipes are the flexible kind? Wondering if it collapsed.

It is just a pvc pipe.

 

[marty]

I just had same problem. There was a small stick/twig that hit the elbow and over time leaves built up. Try putting the drain bladder in the pump forcing the water the reverse direction. If that dosent work try some wire, you just have to make it push through that first elbow coming in from the ground to pump. This didn't work for me I had to cut pipe as the leaves were so packed in there too tight. If you have a jandy 3way valve try unscrewing and look in there first. Good luck.::