1 return not working

[Rodex]

The return nearest my skimmer doesn’t function, not sure if it ever has (bought the house 6 months ago). Read around on here, and I checked a few things:

• Plugged up the 3 working returns, nothing happened
• There is no vacuum valve, just the skimmer/drain valve
• Ran a hose up the length of the pipe. Some air came out but not much, and only a bit of dirt, nothing large. It’s about 10 feet long, which doesn’t seem like the builders just capped off the one line.

Anything else I can check?

 

[jblizzle]

Is it below the skimmer? Could be equalizer line. Or a possible auto fill?

 

[Jimrahbe]

Rod,

"Most" pools that have a valve to select between the skimmer and main drain, would normally have either a vacuum port in the side wall of the pool or a pressure side cleaner.

How many "open" holes in the bottom of your skimmer?

Does the unknown pipe have a standard 1.5" eyeball?

When you plugged up the three operating returns, did the pump continue to run?

Thanks,

Jim R.

 

[Rodex]

Is it below the skimmer? Could be equalizer line. Or a possible auto fill?

Not directly below the skimmer, no.

 

[Rodex]

Rod,

"Most" pools that have a valve to select between the skimmer and main drain, would normally have either a vacuum port in the side wall of the pool or a pressure side cleaner.

How many "open" holes in the bottom of your skimmer?

Does the unknown pipe have a standard 1.5" eyeball?

When you plugged up the three operating returns, did the pump continue to run?

Thanks,

Jim R.

Not sure what you mean by open holes, there’s just the one hole in the bottom of the skimmer, where I put the vacuum hose in (or at least, that’s what I use it for!).

Yep, standard eyeball.

Yes the pump continued to run, although not like I could get out and go check the pressure since it was just us manually plugging up the holes.

It doesn’t suck or blow when I move the valve to either side, so how would it be a vacuum or provide pressure without some sort of a valve?

We do have a waterfall, but tried the same stuff and a pool guy told me that it was only connected to the drain, not the returns.

 

[Jimrahbe]

Rod,

I was just throwing out some ideas..

A lot of older pools have the main drain plumbed into the bottom of the skimmer.. If it were a vacuum port, it would not have an eyeball unless someone was trying to hide it..

If the pump continues to run when in the "main drain" position, and there is no suction at the unknown pipe, then the valve has to be connected to the main drain as you said..

Maybe the previous owner replumbed the equipment pad and abandoned the unknown line by capping it off underground???

I'm out of ideas...

Thanks,

Jim R.

 

[Rodex]

Rod,

I was just throwing out some ideas..

A lot of older pools have the main drain plumbed into the bottom of the skimmer.. If it were a vacuum port, it would not have an eyeball unless someone was trying to hide it..

If the pump continues to run when in the "main drain" position, and there is no suction at the unknown pipe, then the valve has to be connected to the main drain as you said..

Maybe the previous owner replumbed the equipment pad and abandoned the unknown line by capping it off underground???

I'm out of ideas...

Thanks,

Jim R.

Thanks for your help, might just have to chalk this one up to a mystery and go along my merry way. It’s going to bug me ?