Closing issues

[TN94z]

I'm having some issues getting my pool closed this year for some reason. The way my pool was installed all of the returns are on one line except one. One of the returns has it's own line so that I can close a shutoff valve and apply more water pressure to it and that's where I plug up my polaris. Now, please bear with me....

Scenario 1
So what I am doing is attaching my air chuck to the farthest return on my steps. The next return starts bubbling and I plug it. Then the next return starts bubbling and I plug it. Then the return that is on it's own line starts bubbling and I plug it. But the skimmers never start bubbling after this...nor the mains.

Scenario 2
I started thinking and ended up starting over. I attach the air chuck into the return by the steps. The next jet bubbles and I plug. The next jet bubbles and I plug. Then I go close this line down with the cutoff valve. I then remove the air chuck and plug that return. I move the air chuck to the return with it's own line and start the air. The first skimmer bubbles and I install my gizmo. The farthest skimmer never starts to bubble. And after trying a third time, if I allow the first skimmer to bubble for a minute, it will just stop. The same goes in scenario 1 with the return that has it's own line. If I allow it to bubble for a minute or so, it will just stop and blow a bubble every few seconds. Shouldn't they continue to bubble hard as long as the air pressure is still being applied?


I had this issue the last two years but I eventually got everything bubbling and capped, etc...I don't know if I'm just impatient or what but I'm getting tired of messing with it but hate to pay someone to do something I have done in the past.

Any opinions?

 

[jblizzle]

I thought is was normal to apply the air at the equipment pad and plug everything in the pool when they are bubbling?

Adding air into a return jet would not cause the skimmer or floor to bubble unless you are able to get the air to travel backward through the filter and then through the pump and then all the way to the floor or skimmer.

 

[TN94z]

I thought is was normal to apply the air at the equipment pad and plug everything in the pool when they are bubbling?

Adding air into a return jet would not cause the skimmer or floor to bubble unless you are able to get the air to travel backward through the filter and then through the pump and then all the way to the floor or skimmer.

My local pool store sold me a screw in attachment for my air compressor and told me to attach it to the farthest return from the pump. This is obviously done with the pump in recirculate or bypass

I am up for trying whatever I need to or whatever the preferred method is to get it closed. This worked fine last year. It took forever, but it worked.

 

[pooladdict]

That's doing things backwards, but in theory it would work, I just wouldn't trust it. Can you not access a ball valve or union from the filter side?

 

[TN94z]

That's doing things backwards, but in theory it would work, I just wouldn't trust it. Can you not access a ball valve or union from the filter side?

I can remove the pump which has screw on fittings and have access. Other than that, no

 

[jblizzle]

That should be fine. Blow out the returns through the filter and then blow out the suctions lines.

 

[TN94z]

So remove the pump and use a shop vac to blow both directions?

Here is my next question. There is no cutoff for the return that has it's own line. After I blow the lines, will turning the filter to winterized air lock that portion?

 

[pooladdict]

You will only have to blow from the pad side. Work your way around til all lines are free of water.

 

[TN94z]

You will only have to blow from the pad side. Work your way around til all lines are free of water.

I guess I'm confused as to what you are calling the pad? And working my way around?

My biggest question now is there is no cutoff for the return that has it's own line. After I blow the lines, will turning the filter to winterized air lock that portion?

 

[pwrstrk]

I guess I'm confused as to what you are calling the pad? And working my way around?

My biggest question now is there is no cutoff for the return that has it's own line. After I blow the lines, will turning the filter to winterized air lock that portion?

I believe what pooladdict is referring to is the equipment pad. ?

 

[TN94z]

I believe what pooladdict is referring to is the equipment pad. ��

That's what I thought but wanted to make sure.


Okay, I removed the pipe that runs from the pump to the filter and hooked a shop vac to it. All of the returns bubbled about twice and then that was it. They didn't bubble at all like when I had the air chuck hooked to it, so the shop vac doesn't seem to have enough pressure. Other than that, I don't know any way to connect my air hose going this route.

 

[jblizzle]

Sounds like your shop vac is not powerful enough. This is why many people buy a better air pump ... like the cyclone I think.

 

[TN94z]

Sounds like your shop vac is not powerful enough. This is why many people buy a better air pump ... like the cyclone I think.

Yeah I was just asking about the cyclone. Where can I get one? And how do you guys make the connection? Just butt together and duck tape?

 

[pooladdict]

I have plumbed unions of all kinds to spa flex, I can just hook it up to any clients weird fittings and go about my business while the cyclone does its job.

Sorry about the pad lol

 

[TN94z]

Okay, I found a thread talking about the cyclone and all that. I'll put together that setup next year. I just had a local guy come close it for me this time since I needed to go ahead and get it closed. Thanks as usual guys. I've had the chemical process down this year. Even helped someone get their pool straight. And I "thought" closing wasn't an issue since it's been successful the last couple of times....but I should be good to go next year.

 

[adrob2]

I just bought a Cyclone from poolsuppyworld.com. It was $329 and is supposed to arrive in a week.

 

[Griswald]

Here's a way to connect your air pump to the lines that I'd bet nobody but me has done.

I am a home winemaker, and used a 6 gallon carboy airlock bung, it is big enough around to fit in the return and suction lines and has a small enough hole in it for my air compressors blow-gun fits right into it. The bung is a hard silicone rubber, so it stays put even with a pretty good pressure behind it.

Works like a champ!

 

[pooladdict]

WOW...great idea!!!!

 

[TN94z]

Okay, so I had a guy come out yesterday to close the pool down because I had it ready and didn't want to wait or spend the money right now on a cyclone. He comes out, takes my air chuck attachment, puts it in the return that was closest to the pad (completely opposite of the instructions the pool store told me), turns the filter to filter instead of bypass, and everything bubbled very well and pretty quickly. And he used a much smaller air compressor that what I had. These instructions I got are junk!

Frustrating. That was about the only thing I had not tried and it cost me 100.00. At least now I know how to go about it next time, but it sounds like I don't need the cyclone after all.

 

[pooladdict]

You can easily winterize a pool with a shop vac, its what most pool companies use anyways. Glad you got it all closed up. $100 isn't bad at all. As long as you are confident all water was removed from returns lines and skimmer you should be fine.