Closing/Winterizing "Main Drains" Help Please!

[Buggyjdav]

I have a 20,000 gal. inground gunnite pool, DE filter. There is one skimmer, a waterfall and a Polaris cleaner (so 2 pumps). I set out to winterize the pool and ran into a problem/question I am hoping someone can help with. From the equipment pad I did the following:

Lowered water until skimmer would not pull any more (right at the bottom of the skimmer opening)
Took apart all connections, removed all drain plugs
Took apart filter and thouroughly cleaned

There are only 4 lines that go into the ground at the equipment pad:
Polaris (water to the pool cleaner)
Waterfall
Returns (2 returns on wall of shallow end)
Skimmer (water from skimmer to pump)

I was able to successfully blow water from all 4 lines, cap the returns and the polaris opening.

Here is the issue - I believe I have 2 drains in the bottom of the deep end. They look like drains anyway, plastic circular. My system does not have a valve to adjust flow between skimmer and floor drains (if that is what they are) so I cannot figure out how to winterize the drains. There are two openings in the side walls of the pool opposite from each other. I have read that they may be some form of equitation system for the skimmer?

There are two openings in the bottom of my skimmer, one I have a gizzmo in and was able to blow that out from the equipment pad, the other I have no idea where it goes to (maybe the drains?) Can anyone tell me what to try in order to winterize the "main drains" if that is what they are? Only thing I can think of is to lower the water further so there is none in the skimmer then blow out that second opening in the skimmer?

Any help greatly appreciated!

 

[Catanzaro]

What equipment did you use to blow out the returns, etc? Compressor, Shop Vac, or something else? If you have an extra line, the equalizer line, then you probably will be successful blowing out the extra line from the skimmer. Is the extra line threaded? If so, will another Gizmo work? If not, a black rubber plug is fine. You should try to blow air through the skimmer to see if the main drain starts bubbling. If so, allow the bubbling effect to last for at least 1 minute and you quickly should plug the skimmer hole. Maybe having 2 people there would be best.

There are two openings in the side walls of the pool opposite from each other. I have read that they may be some form of equitation system for the skimmer?

Are these 2 openings closed? If the main drains are connected to the skimmer and water is being pulled from the skimmer, I do not understand how the 2 openings on the side walls are tied into the skimmer. Please advise.

 

[Buggyjdav]

What equipment did you use to blow out the returns, etc? Compressor, Shop Vac, or something else? If you have an extra line, the equalizer line, then you probably will be successful blowing out the extra line from the skimmer. Is the extra line threaded? If so, will another Gizmo work? If not, a black rubber plug is fine. You should try to blow air through the skimmer to see if the main drain starts bubbling. If so, allow the bubbling effect to last for at least 1 minute and you quickly should plug the skimmer hole. Maybe having 2 people there would be best.



Are these 2 openings closed? If the main drains are connected to the skimmer and water is being pulled from the skimmer, I do not understand how the 2 openings on the side walls are tied into the skimmer. Please advise.

Thank you for the reply. I will try blowing out the skimmer line again to see if I get bubbles in the drains and if so will cap the opening in the skimmer. The openings in the pool walls are just openings, no threads or plastic recipticle, just openings in the gunnite. No water comes out of these when the pool is in operation, not sure what they are for other than what I read about them being there to help feed water if the water goes below skimmer opening. Any ideas?


Thank

 

[Catanzaro]

No water comes out of these when the pool is in operation, not sure what they are for other than what I read about them being there to help feed water if the water goes below skimmer opening. Any ideas?

Unless they are tied into the skimmer somehow. I always recommend going back to the PB (If you know who built the pool) and trying to figure out what they are. Is Pennsauken in NJ? Try pool companies within a 30-45 minute radius. Even if there were 20 pool companies, you should be able to locate them pretty easily.