- Nov 5, 2008
- 2,598
After we bought this house over a year ago, we found out that the pool overflow was a fake. We want to connect 2" PVC to the overflow pipe that goes nowhere and extend it to the street out front.
I have a few questions;
1) should there be anything added that would keep critters from taking up residence in that overflow pipe? I'd expect that frogs, snakes, or rats might like that long pipe.
2) is there some way that I can partially plug the overflow in order to raise the pool level just a bit? I don't want to impair flow in case of a hurricane but I find that the difference between the overflow grate and the pool level at which the skimmers suck air is pretty close. I am wondering if we can simply use silicone caulk and a bit of acylic or something to dam the overflow inside the grate cover. Even a 1/2" dam would help the water level.
3) if the overflow pipe is simply evenly sloped from the pool to the street it seems to be that we would have created a large reservoir of water connected to the pool that rarely gets chlorinated and would tend to hold algae. Is there a trap of some sort that should be put in to keep the water held there to a minimum?
Some details; The grate in the pool attaches to a pipe that runs about 2 feet then attaches to a corrugated pipe that leads UP into landscaping. So, when the pool is high with rainwater it will slowly seep out at the connection between those pipes, leaking into the dirt surrounding the pool shell. Or if there is enough rain, like 6" or 8" depending on the starting level of the pool, the pool overflows at the edge. When it overflows, it does flow first at the left side, away from the house. However, the difference between the height at the left and the height facing the back doors is so small, maybe 1/8", that in a storm debris could easily clog the left side and water could rush towards the house. The pool seems to be slightly above the threshold of the back door so this worries me. If we are home and have power, we can use the hose bib attached to the filter piping to draw water off the pool. But that is slow, and if we get a hurricane you can't plan on being around and with electricity when that is necessary.
Anyhow, the fellow who will be doing this work does irrigation and drainage, not pool work. He will know how to work with PVC and get the slope correct, but if there are any things specific to pool drains I doubt that he will know it. So, what do I need to know about this?
I have a few questions;
1) should there be anything added that would keep critters from taking up residence in that overflow pipe? I'd expect that frogs, snakes, or rats might like that long pipe.
2) is there some way that I can partially plug the overflow in order to raise the pool level just a bit? I don't want to impair flow in case of a hurricane but I find that the difference between the overflow grate and the pool level at which the skimmers suck air is pretty close. I am wondering if we can simply use silicone caulk and a bit of acylic or something to dam the overflow inside the grate cover. Even a 1/2" dam would help the water level.
3) if the overflow pipe is simply evenly sloped from the pool to the street it seems to be that we would have created a large reservoir of water connected to the pool that rarely gets chlorinated and would tend to hold algae. Is there a trap of some sort that should be put in to keep the water held there to a minimum?
Some details; The grate in the pool attaches to a pipe that runs about 2 feet then attaches to a corrugated pipe that leads UP into landscaping. So, when the pool is high with rainwater it will slowly seep out at the connection between those pipes, leaking into the dirt surrounding the pool shell. Or if there is enough rain, like 6" or 8" depending on the starting level of the pool, the pool overflows at the edge. When it overflows, it does flow first at the left side, away from the house. However, the difference between the height at the left and the height facing the back doors is so small, maybe 1/8", that in a storm debris could easily clog the left side and water could rush towards the house. The pool seems to be slightly above the threshold of the back door so this worries me. If we are home and have power, we can use the hose bib attached to the filter piping to draw water off the pool. But that is slow, and if we get a hurricane you can't plan on being around and with electricity when that is necessary.
Anyhow, the fellow who will be doing this work does irrigation and drainage, not pool work. He will know how to work with PVC and get the slope correct, but if there are any things specific to pool drains I doubt that he will know it. So, what do I need to know about this?