Hard Pipe Drains - Pump, Filter & Heater - NEED ADVICE

[flyboyusa]

Anyone here ever hard-piped the winterizing drain spigots from your pump, filter or heater?
This will be the first winter that I've had to winterize and drain down all of my equipment.
My equipment is all located in a pool shed that's sitting on top of 6" of crushed limestone rock. I could possibly stretch a hose or tubing to all of my equipment and drain out the front door using that, but I figured it would be much cleaner and better looking if I could hard-pipe the drain outlets directly through the floor and into the gravel bed below the shed floor.
This way, I could install a manual ball valve or shutoff valve in each, and when I'm ready to drain the water out of each for the winter, it'd just be a matter of opening the valve and letting gravity do the rest.
Any suggestions? Anyone done this before?

Thanks,
Dave

 

[cowboycasey]

it may be easier just to do a floor drain of some type but I like the way you think

 

[kenmacboston]

I also like your idea, I am sure gravity will do its thing if you open the system to allow free flow.
What about your pipes to/from the shed, they need to be blown out as well. Here is what I do:
1. I use a "large" (60 gal) compressor to blow out all the pipes.
2. I made a threaded pipe connection with an air connection and shutoff that connects to the skimmer pipe to the filter.
3. I drain the pool 12" below the skimmer level (and below the return pipe to the pool on the wall).
4. Blow air out thru the filter pump (remove the cover). It splashes everywhere! (Another good reason for a floor drain in your shed)
5. Using the main drain/skimmer valve at the pump I also then blow air thru the pipe to the bottom pool drain (you know you're done when the air blows out of the main drain).
6. When complete, I remove the freeze plug on my heater and filter just to make sure all is gone.
7. I also pour a gallon of antifreeze into the skimmer pipe to be safe.
8. In the skimmer, pit in a quart size plastic container with a few rocks in it. When the water goes up on the pool itself (and starts to go back into the skimmer), the container will keep some space in the skimmer for ice buildup and the container will "collapse" to compensate for the increase of water volume due to its freezing. Otherwise the plastic on the skimmer will crack due to the ice.
9. A smaller compressor will not have enough air volume to do the job properly. In the Boston area, companies charge $250-300 to winterize, I bought the compressor and it paid for itself in 1 year!
10. Opening is pretty easy, you can do it yourself.
11. Do you have a pool cover?

I trust all of this helps and is probably more than you were looking for.

 

[flyboyusa]

I also like your idea, I am sure gravity will do its thing if you open the system to allow free flow.
What about your pipes to/from the shed, they need to be blown out as well. Here is what I do:
1. I use a "large" (60 gal) compressor to blow out all the pipes.
2. I made a threaded pipe connection with an air connection and shutoff that connects to the skimmer pipe to the filter.
3. I drain the pool 12" below the skimmer level (and below the return pipe to the pool on the wall).
4. Blow air out thru the filter pump (remove the cover). It splashes everywhere! (Another good reason for a floor drain in your shed)
5. Using the main drain/skimmer valve at the pump I also then blow air thru the pipe to the bottom pool drain (you know you're done when the air blows out of the main drain).
6. When complete, I remove the freeze plug on my heater and filter just to make sure all is gone.
7. I also pour a gallon of antifreeze into the skimmer pipe to be safe.
8. In the skimmer, pit in a quart size plastic container with a few rocks in it. When the water goes up on the pool itself (and starts to go back into the skimmer), the container will keep some space in the skimmer for ice buildup and the container will "collapse" to compensate for the increase of water volume due to its freezing. Otherwise the plastic on the skimmer will crack due to the ice.
9. A smaller compressor will not have enough air volume to do the job properly. In the Boston area, companies charge $250-300 to winterize, I bought the compressor and it paid for itself in 1 year!
10. Opening is pretty easy, you can do it yourself.
11. Do you have a pool cover?

I trust all of this helps and is probably more than you were looking for.

That's very helpful Ken, appreciate it!


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