Skimmer - “Stuff” in Second Hole?

Lawtyger

Well-known member
Mar 11, 2016
121
Tampa, Florida
Hello,

There seems to be some buildup clogging the “from pool main drain” in the skimmer. The “to pump suction” pipe is clear and sucking.

I honestly don’t know if that to main drain pipe has always been closed with this stuff or is supposed to be closed. My neighbor has a gray plug screwed into that hole which, like mine, has threads. In mine, it feel like there is a build up of something and I was able to use a long screw driver to break through the first couple inches of the “stuff.“ it almost felt like old stabilizer that hardened because it gave off the milkish cloud when scraping it. It was not smooth, and one side was built up a little higher (at first I thought maybe the pool builder filled that hole with concrete or something 7 years ago when the pool was built). But, I also found what looked like rock and sediment after scraping down a but.

(1) Any idea what may be going on where; and
(2) Should that from pool to main drain be capped like my neighbor’s is (Btw I have a dedicated vacuum line elsewhere in the pool if that matters).

Oh, and I discovered this when inspecting the skimmer for leaks after losing 1 and 1/2 inches of water in 18 hours while doing the bucket test.

See pics below:

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Quick follow up to my own post - I believe I have a dedicated main drain going back to the equipment. If so, should I just clean that “stuff“ out and get a gray screw in plug to fill that hole like my neighbor has? Staring to think that is where the leak is happening.

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That look like gunite/concrete. You need to plug that. And yes, it would leak if not properly plugged.
 
I was going to say after reading your first post that I do not see a pipe attached to that hole.

Plug it.
 
That side should have been left plugged. It is sold plugged and IF the main drain is connected to it, the installer is to knock out the plug.
 
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