Ok newbie here....I am going to hire someone to install my 27' Tahitian AGP. One of the installers said I needed main drains because of the size of the pool and the other installer only recommended it. I know they help circulate water better but is it worth the risk of putting another hole in the liner (not to mention the extra $$$)? Thanks in advance.
Do I need Main Drains for my AGP???
- Thread starter veesmack323
- Start date
Years ago, I had a 24' AGP and had the center drain added. Make sure they valve it with a high quality valve. Make sure they hard pipe. Flex can and will collapse or kink eventually.
Scott
Scott
I love my main drain - for a pool your size yes, I'd say go for it, follow Scott's tips too...
Is there a guide or howto anywhere on how a maindrain should be installed on a agp? I've seen a lot of people talk about having one but nothing on how to DIY it.
I have my install guide from the pool install years ago...its a one page install sheet, I could scan it and pm it if anyone is interested.
Dale are you thinking for an 18' intex? I don't think it would be worth it.
Dale are you thinking for an 18' intex? I don't think it would be worth it.
FPM, if you could, would you pm it to me? My pool came with one, but I'm undecided on whether or not to use it. I'm still a little ways off from putting the pool up, but if I decide to put the MD in, it would be helpful.
Sure - it came with one but they didn't give you install instructions? That's odd...
I'm intrested in the main drain for when I get my "real" agp later in the year, I totally agree it would a bit of a waste of time for a smaller intex. If you could pm me the info I would greatly appreciated it, I just can't picture how you get it in, at the right hight, and somehow have it not leak
imho...if you plan on using a robot, it is not needed. If not and you will be vacuming manually, the yes it is worth it...it will cut down on your vacum time
Thanks to the VGB act, remember that dual drains, 3' apart, are required when doing this. They should be tied together.
When digging the trench for the line and the drain pots, watch your height. The top of the drain pot will be meeting the liner (remember the gaskets!). Use sand, wetting it every 4-6" of depth to backfill and fill any voids. Attach the return bulkhead and skimmer to the wall.
Set the liner, apply a vac to suck out the air and begin filling. When there is 2" of water covering the drain pots, attach the ring (gasket again) to lock/seal the liner to the drains, cut in the drain with a single edge razor (carefully) and attach the drain covers. Fill to near the return, attach the face plate and gasket to it and the skimmer. Attach the plumbing. Cut in the return and skimmer.
Scott
When digging the trench for the line and the drain pots, watch your height. The top of the drain pot will be meeting the liner (remember the gaskets!). Use sand, wetting it every 4-6" of depth to backfill and fill any voids. Attach the return bulkhead and skimmer to the wall.
Set the liner, apply a vac to suck out the air and begin filling. When there is 2" of water covering the drain pots, attach the ring (gasket again) to lock/seal the liner to the drains, cut in the drain with a single edge razor (carefully) and attach the drain covers. Fill to near the return, attach the face plate and gasket to it and the skimmer. Attach the plumbing. Cut in the return and skimmer.
Scott
IDK but mine's going on 9 years...I'll send you the info. 
What I like about it since the pool is round - the kids can make a whirlpool, I get out the pole brush, we have a fun time making a current while I brush the crud/dust towards the center, and the kids try to swim against the current. With the pump on high and the bottom drain on full, all the crud gets sucked right down.
Most of the season I rarely if ever have to vacume - just swimming stirs the water up enough that the 50/50 setting picks up most everything.
I have to vacume now, I wish the water were warm enough that we could just get in and get her swirling
What I like about it since the pool is round - the kids can make a whirlpool, I get out the pole brush, we have a fun time making a current while I brush the crud/dust towards the center, and the kids try to swim against the current. With the pump on high and the bottom drain on full, all the crud gets sucked right down.
Most of the season I rarely if ever have to vacume - just swimming stirs the water up enough that the 50/50 setting picks up most everything.
I have to vacume now, I wish the water were warm enough that we could just get in and get her swirling
I have a main drain on my ABG as well. I won't ever install a pool without one in the future. I only have one skimmer so without the MD it would take forever to clear the pool of cloudiness or algae or what not. I sometimes go main drain full and it works very fast. Or, if I have lots of debris on the surface, I can go skimmer full or any combination thereof.
My plumbing is set up that I have valves off the pump where I can determine percentage of pull from either skimmer or MD. Then, for reasons I don't know I have another main drain shut off valve just where the pipe would come out from under the ground. I assume it's in case of drain failure between the drain and pool's edge. We don't usually shut it off for winterization or any other reason, but it's there just the same.
My plumbing is set up that I have valves off the pump where I can determine percentage of pull from either skimmer or MD. Then, for reasons I don't know I have another main drain shut off valve just where the pipe would come out from under the ground. I assume it's in case of drain failure between the drain and pool's edge. We don't usually shut it off for winterization or any other reason, but it's there just the same.
frustratedpoolmom said:
I got it used. The original owner had all docs except the install paperwork. I know what you sent won't be exact, but it will help me out.
Thanks a lot, I appreciate it!
Thanks for the info, now i understand how it works! i was thinking about it wrong, now i get it... defiantly somthing ill look at doing when i get the new pool! thanks!
Our used ABG came with one too & I'm glad to say we decided to go with the main drain. We did end up replacing the cover on the drain to bring it up to code as the used one was before the more recent change.
I find that if I set the pool on the main drain, it pulls most of the floor leaves & things to the center where I can then easily get it with the vacuum.... Love it! & I'm not worried about the extra hole in my liner... We installed it as instructed and know how to care for it in the winter, so good to go.
I find that if I set the pool on the main drain, it pulls most of the floor leaves & things to the center where I can then easily get it with the vacuum.... Love it! & I'm not worried about the extra hole in my liner... We installed it as instructed and know how to care for it in the winter, so good to go.
I feel the same way i would never go without one again. The leaves/debris all go to the middle of my dish bottom AGP and i can brush it right in or if its leaves just get out the leaf vac. This has been the easiest method of cleaning so far, I have the polaris 165 and don't need it now. It takes me 15 minutes to clean the pool, and i have only had to do it after large storms from high winds blowing leaves and dirt in. I was thinking on a robot, But with the amt of work it takes me now its not needed.
- Apr 8, 2007
- 1,616
- Pool Size
- 17450
- Surface
- Vinyl
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Hayward Aqua Rite (T-15)
We decided against a MD due to our high water table (18") and frost line my DH was concerned that the plumbing would suffer damage unless we went below the frost line (4.5') - too much work.
Going below the frost line is not needed for a main drain. You use anifreeze in the lines at wintertime.
Pretty easy to do at winter closings.
Pretty easy to do at winter closings.
Ditto to what Pool-creetin said... the antifreeze works great. Plus... if you're worried about the antifreeze getting into your pool, ours didn't. Hubby opened the main drain valve and let the antifreeze run out of that pipe and onto the ground before we filled the pool back up and ran the pump.... you can easily see the antifreeze because it's pink