New pool owner here. (Pool itself is about 20 years old.. just got it replastered a couple months ago). Anyways, my skimmer has 2 holes. I assume one of the holes is attached to the main drain at bottom of pool (there’s 2 down there). Doesn’t this mean then that the skimmer pulls main drain water vertically through the main drain hole into the skimmer which then sucks that water into the pump? If so shouldn’t I feel water coming up out of the main drain hole? I don’t feel anything when I put my hand over it so I’m concerned the main drain plumbing might be blocked or is this normal? My pool equipment has total of 2 jandy valves on suction side.. one for the spa drain and the other one is for pool vacuum cleaner/main drain/skimmer combination. Thank you!
I don’t feel water coming up from main drain skimmer hole
- Thread starter Kmaese909
- Start date
909,
Not how it works.. To pull water from the skimmer, the pump creates a suction.. This suction has no way to get to the main drain pipe.... Unless there is a floating diverter below the skimmer basket.. I have had zero luck with getting floating diverters to work for more than a few minutes.. Mostly, not at all.
The good news is that most old pools do not have a working main drain and most pools owners never even know it..
A main drain is not needed in most cases..
Why do you think you need one??? When problem will having a main drain solve??
Thanks,
Jim R.
Not how it works.. To pull water from the skimmer, the pump creates a suction.. This suction has no way to get to the main drain pipe.... Unless there is a floating diverter below the skimmer basket.. I have had zero luck with getting floating diverters to work for more than a few minutes.. Mostly, not at all.
The good news is that most old pools do not have a working main drain and most pools owners never even know it..
A main drain is not needed in most cases..
Why do you think you need one??? When problem will having a main drain solve??
Thanks,
Jim R.
Ok interesting. I figured having a functioning main drain will help keep the bottom deep end area clean but and increase filtration rate and the benefits that come along with it. But nonetheless my chemical balance is almost always close to perfect so I can see why main drain may not be that important after all.
909,
Even when a main drain is working perfectly, you can't even feel any water flow right at the drain area.. It will not help keep the deep end clean at all.
They might have a slight effect on the filtration, but not enough that anyone could see it, or measure it..
Until recently I had two rent house pools for over 12 years, and neither of them had a working main drain... No way could anyone tell that the main drains were not working...
Thanks,
Jim R.
Even when a main drain is working perfectly, you can't even feel any water flow right at the drain area.. It will not help keep the deep end clean at all.
They might have a slight effect on the filtration, but not enough that anyone could see it, or measure it..
Until recently I had two rent house pools for over 12 years, and neither of them had a working main drain... No way could anyone tell that the main drains were not working...
Thanks,
Jim R.