I close two pools; my own and one that I am looking for guidance on my latest pool. It is tiled, independent Polaris and pump, and a cartridge filter. Current owner, my friend, knows very little about his pool. So, I need to get smart to help him out. We close pools around her in later October/early November.
Hello from Maryland
- Thread starter DeniseEG
- Start date
- May 3, 2014
- 59,128
- Pool Size
- 6000
- Surface
- Fiberglass
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Pentair Intellichlor IC-40
Get pics of the pool and several of the equipment pad (different angles) and we will have a good idea on how to start.
- May 30, 2020
- 227
- Pool Size
- 21000
- Surface
- Vinyl
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- CircuPool RJ-60 Plus
Hi. Would appreciate some expertise on the pool that I am closing which is new to me. It is as follows:
This is a tiled pool which has a cartridge filter. The pool holds about 20,000 gallons of water, and a solid cover is used on it. There are 2 skimmers, a Main Drain, and a Polaris pool cleaner line with its own dedicated pump. The Main drain is left closed all summer so as to provided suction pressure for the Polaris. This is partly what I am not familiar with.
It has not been backwashed all year. I have a Cyclone which I intend to use and have used before.
Is the below, an acceptable process for closing this pool?
- Clean pool and balance water.
- Lower pool level to below the skimmers. Leave water above returns because solid pool cover requires this level to support it. Use the filter in waste position to drain the water from the pool. (I’d prefer to lower below the returns but I heard that the solid cover requires me not to do that so as to support it. Is that correct?)
- Blow out the suction lines. This is where it gets confusing for me since the Main Drain has been closed all summer. Does it still need to be blown out separately? This would mean that I need to open it for the first time this year. Or, do I leave the main drain closed, as is, and instead blow out the Polaris line only and both skimmer lines? In what order should this be done.
- Blow out the returns.
- Drain water from all of the equipment. (Filter, main pump, Polaris pump)
- From the picture, can someone tell me where I set the waterflow to drain from the filter and when draining the pool to lower it? I am used to a Multiport valve which this is not.
- What is the grey round basket for? The labels are all faded. I know that the other round basket in front of the white/beige pump is a chlorinator (that is unused).
- The black pump on the far left is the dedicated Polaris cleaner pump.
- When I drain the filter, do I rely on the filter drain plug ?
- This setup is confusing to me so please provide guidance if you are able to.
Last edited by a moderator:
Probably, depending on the manufacturers recs. Bungee plugs are blow through for the returns. Or you can cap them under pressure nearest to furthest if shared on one leg.
Order doesn't usually matter but you want to open the drain line, blow it until bubbles spew, then close it under pressure to air lock it.
The valve nearest the blue hose is a 3 way valve. Away from the handle is the closed part. Set out the hose and turn the handle so it points up.
I believe it's an old mineral / frog type cartridge holder. Hang tight for confirmation.
Yup. If there's an air valve, opening it will help.
I think you have the bulk of it. All of the black valves are labeled with 'close' if you look across from the handle. Imagine a little door there that blocks the pipe in that direction. Set them to only blow one at a time, and cycle through them. The red ball valve it closed when the handle is perpendicular and open when it's parallel to the pipe.
Having a helper to hold the cyclone in the skimmer while you work the pad is a big help.
Thanks for the replies. On the question of the Main drain. Please run that by me one more time. Do I have 4 suction lines to blow out or 3? If four lines then I am assuming to blow out:
Skimmer 1, Skimmer 2, Main Drain, Polaris line.
If three lines only to blow out then I assume it would be
Skimmer 1, Skimmer 2, Polaris line.
Which is correct?
Skimmer 1, Skimmer 2, Main Drain, Polaris line.
If three lines only to blow out then I assume it would be
Skimmer 1, Skimmer 2, Polaris line.
Which is correct?
The booster pump says the Polaris is a pressure cleaner on the return side, so it should be skim 1, skim 2 and drain.
In looking at the pics again, you should be able to close the waste valve (with the blue hose) to effectively link the skimmer to the drain for blowing. Close one of the skimmers and seal the waste valve. Air lock the drain valve under pressure then open the 2nd skimmer to blow skimmer to skimmer. Then open the waste valve back to normal to blow the returns.
In looking at the pics again, you should be able to close the waste valve (with the blue hose) to effectively link the skimmer to the drain for blowing. Close one of the skimmers and seal the waste valve. Air lock the drain valve under pressure then open the 2nd skimmer to blow skimmer to skimmer. Then open the waste valve back to normal to blow the returns.
The red line (handle pointing down) locks the suction sides together.
Blow the blue first and the yellow second. Or whichever of the 3 makes it work because we don't know which pipe is which.
Blow the blue first and the yellow second. Or whichever of the 3 makes it work because we don't know which pipe is which.
Hi, another question. This pool has 4 pipes going into the BOTTEM of the pool. Two of them are the 2 main drains. But the other two, I believe, are returns. How do I winterize these returns? I am guessing that I blow them out and that they are one way only and will not let water back into them since they are returns? Thank you
They get blown and airlocked (hopefully they have a valve) just like the drains.
Hi, there again. I winterized this pool today and had success with everything except the floor returns that I mention directly above. They do not have valves that I can shut. I can blow the water and create a bloom of water for one of the two floor returns. However, the second return, in the deep end, never blows. I hold the cyclone blower for quite awhile and that first one shoots out water and I think I am holding long enough for the 2nd to start but it never does. Any suggestions? Thank you!
It's most likely 2 ports on one T. Air escapes the first stop and doesn't go the rest. Being deep returns they are below the frost line. Your main goal is to lower the water in the pipe at the pad side to below the frost line, which you likely accomplished.
How did you plug the line ? Without a valve to close under pressure the pipe fills back up in a second or two.
How did you plug the line ? Without a valve to close under pressure the pipe fills back up in a second or two.
Forgot to mention that when I turn off the blower, a geyser of water spits back out at me where I have been holding the blower. In this picture, it is the valve directly to the back right of the filter that I close and then am blowing down that return line towards the pool.
See 2 posts up. I responded as you were typing this. The geyser is the pipe full again.
Try this. Close the blow plug and turn yellow circle valve so that handle points up. Blow at blue circle cleanout plug (bottom part) Turn red circle valve to airlock line.
Doing it this way would blow the air through the filter and back out to the returns, correct? I've already drained and depressurized the filter so I dont think that will work very well unless I seal everything up tight again. How about if I blow from the filter return line, to the left of the yellow circle? I have to see if I can get that open.
Thanks again! I'm going to give this a try.The filter should come off easy and then that would work great.
I tried this, and still could not get the second in-floor return pipe to blow water. The method you described above was perfect and the first of the two in-floor returns blew a geyser of water very well. But I never could get the second one to blow. Any suggestions?