Why do I have a bad feeling about this?

restoman

Well-known member
Dec 24, 2010
211
Murrieta, CA
I just went out to check on my vacuum (once in a while the hose will get tangled) and found this (see pictures)!

I'm not sure what it's called (drain?) but I have three of them and on one, the "lid" has broken off! It was actually stuck to the bottom of the vacuum and I had to pull it up to remove it. The pictures show the "drains" (?) and the top part of the "lid" and the bottom part of the "lid".

Is this repairable? And if so, what's it called so I can order another one. And do I need to drain the pool to repair it?

Any help would be appreciated.

Thanks
Ed
 

Attachments

  • Drain.jpg
    Drain.jpg
    151.2 KB · Views: 36
  • Lid-1.jpg
    Lid-1.jpg
    118.4 KB · Views: 37
  • Lid-2.jpg
    Lid-2.jpg
    105 KB · Views: 37
I just went out to check on my vacuum (once in a while the hose will get tangled) and found this (see pictures)!

I'm not sure what it's called (drain?) but I have three of them and on one, the "lid" has broken off! It was actually stuck to the bottom of the vacuum and I had to pull it up to remove it. The pictures show the "drains" (?) and the top part of the "lid" and the bottom part of the "lid".

Is this repairable? And if so, what's it called so I can order another one. And do I need to drain the pool to repair it?

Any help would be appreciated.

Thanks
Ed
That one drain on the bottom of the picture is odd that it looks like just a pipe is sticking up under it.
 
That's because the cover came off. I'm watching some youtube videos now about how to replace them and it doesn't look too difficult. Now I just need to find replacements.

Ed
There’s usually a large drain sump under there . Not usually just a pipe.
 
It was built in 2005 so does that make it old? I found out the cover is a Color Match Pool Fitting P/N 8-AV but the color is difficult to make out. It may be white but it looks like it's light gray or maybe bone.

The problem is that I can find them online but they're like $50 bucks each plus shipping! So my NEW question is can I wait a little while to save up some money (I'M poor) or is this something that has to be fixed now? And is there a cheaper generic type of replacement I can use?

Ed
 

Attachments

  • Drain cover.jpg
    Drain cover.jpg
    69.8 KB · Views: 4
You need those covers installed before anyone SWIMS. Without one there is an entrapment hazard. It is not worth the 50$ to risk someone's life.

The VGB in your attachment means Virginia Graham Baker. They made a law (VGB Act) requiring all public and commercial pools be VBGA compliant.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, drowning is the leading cause of accidental death for children ages 1–4, the second leading cause for children under 14, and remains in the top five causes of accidental death up to age 55.

It is now illegal to manufacture, import or sell NON-VGB compliant covers...public, commercial or otherwise. Get the cover and don't look back.



 
I found some on ebay for $25 each so I got two. (one for a spare). Now I have to get a diving mask and snorkel and then screw up my courage to dive into 65-70 degree water! And it's getting colder each day!
  1. Make sure the pump breaker is OFF.
  2. Make sure the pump is OFF.
  3. Make sure, if you have one, the service disconnect for the pump is OFF.
  4. If you have valves for the main drain, ensure they are off.
  5. Make sure you have a rescue swimmer available on site that can supervise. Do not swim alone.
  6. Sometimes using a small 5-10lb dumbbell can help anchor you. Do not attach the dumbbell or weights to your person. REPEAT: Do not attach the dumbbell or weights to your person. Only use it to hold onto with one hand while you are tightening the screw with the other...after you get the screw started with two hands. Tie a rope around any weights to retrieve when you are done, don't fight to swim the dumbbell/weights out of the pool.
STAY SAFE!
 

Enjoying this content?

Support TFP with a donation.

Give Support
It was built in 2005 so does that make it old? I found out the cover is a Color Match Pool Fitting P/N 8-AV but the color is difficult to make out. It may be white but it looks like it's light gray or maybe bone.

The problem is that I can find them online but they're like $50 bucks each plus shipping! So my NEW question is can I wait a little while to save up some money (I'M poor) or is this something that has to be fixed now? And is there a cheaper generic type of replacement I can use?

Ed
You also don’t want the pump running without the cover for very long as stuff can get sucked in their pipe and plug it up. I had to fish out 2 chipmunks this morning that apparently went scuba diving without a tank and those would be a mess.
 
You also don’t want the pump running without the cover for very long as stuff can get sucked in their pipe and plug it up. I had to fish out 2 chipmunks this morning that apparently went scuba diving without a tank and those would be a mess.
Note that I did have a cover on my drain so there were not chipmunks inside the drain itself, yet. But they might’ve got there eventually.
 
Note that I did have a cover on my drain so there were not chipmunks inside the drain itself, yet. But they might’ve got there eventually.
The biggest thing that you need to know is if the 2 screws holding the cover down are still in there or are rotted out/broken off. If they are then you would have to be like those natives that dive for pearls!
 
  • Like
Reactions: Newdude
Thread Status
Hello , This thread has been inactive for over 60 days. New postings here are unlikely to be seen or responded to by other members. For better visibility, consider Starting A New Thread.