Blowing Lines and adding Antifreeze

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Gimpyguy

0
Sep 12, 2010
14
Hi to All,

Great site, lots of super info

questions about closing a vinyl IGP with Hayward Pump and Sand Filter, 2 skimmers and 2 returns in the NE. Skimmers and returns are no more than 8 in or so from the top of the pool

1) From what I can see I need to connect my air compressor ( via some adapter) to the drain of the Hayward pump which will force water out of the 2 skimmers and returns, or is there another way to blow the lines. At this time the water level is just at the bottom of the thru-wall skimmer , the returns and other skimmer inlet are still submerged approx 3"

Following what I read once the air starts blowing out the thru-wall skimmer I screw in my Gizzmo, then the expansion cap on the other skimmer port. finally the 2 rummer stops into the returns

Does that sound correct ?

2) After I do step 1, how do I add the antifreeze to the lines ? There would still be pool water in the skimmer housing at the level I have it now

I am going on the premise that since the pool is vinyl that I cannot just drain the water to below to below the lowest skimmer or return line ( 8" from the top"

Thanks for all your help
 
What kind of compressor do you have? Tank size, motor size? You need a 1/4 inch nipple to screw into the drain plug on your pump. Then, screw on a male air adapter that fits onto the female end of the air hose. Throw the multiport to Recirculate, set the regulator on the compresssor to about 15 pounds, and start the air. The return closest to the pad will blow first. Let it bubble for 30 seconds or so then cap it off with a plug. After you cap it, the next one will blow. What order the returns and skimmer will blow depends on the distance from the pad.
Once everythng is plugged, put the mulitport on rinse to blow the water out of the filter. Remove the site glass, the plug at the bottom of the filter and pressure gauge. Put the mulitport on Winter and you should be good to go.

Again, give us what typer of compressor you have. If you blow from the pump side, a 6 gallon 150 psi compressor should work.
 
Welcome to TFP!!

Depending on your topography, you may want to not take the water down any lower than just under the skimmer mouth, we certainly don't want the liner floating! If there's a chance that the water table or surface water might try and float the liner in the spring, I'd plug the equalizer lines on the skimmers, then take the water just under the skimmer mouth. I'd then suck out the water in the equalizer lines with a wet/ dry vac, add antifreeze and plug the skimmer side port of them. Then I'd blow the rest of the system as per the previously posted info.

If you need any clarification on what's been said - simply ask :cool: . I realize this is your first post and we may have gone a little fast for you :(
 
woodyp said:
Yes.....you CAN drain it down 8" from the top.
Click to expand...

I would have to rent a pump to get that much water out as it would be below the skimmer

I have a safety cover

I thought I read someplace that the vinyl sides needed to remain supported or was that only for an empty pool ?
 
I think that compressor may be a bit small. You need one with a big enough tank to keep enough air in it to keep up. The pressure in the tank at any one time should be more than whats on the regulator. In other words, if you have 15 pounds on the regulator, you need about 30 pounds sustained pressure in the tank for reserve. The motor on a small compressor is not big enough to generate enough air without some reserve capacity in the tank. You really need at least a 6 gallon tank.
 
Hi BK,

I could always rent a bigger one for 1/2 day, it does sound like the Husky is to small

Hi Waste,

The skimmer equalizer port is the lowest of all the inlet/outlets to get the water level below that would be approx 8" below top

If I blow that back towards the pump how would I add Antifreeze

also not sure what "plug the skimmer side port of them" means ?
 
Gimpydude :wink:

I strongly doubt that anything other than the skimmer 'pot' connects the equalizer port to the line from the skimmer to the pump. Therefore, plug the wall fitting on the skimmers before draining the water. Once the water is lowered below the mouth of the skimmer, use a shop-vac to remove any water left in that line and add antifreeze and plug it. Once you've done that to both skimmers - blow the other lines. If you don't plug the in-pool ports, they'll just keep letting water into the skimmer, which will defeat any attempts you make to blow the skimmers :(
 

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I understand that all 4 in-pool lines have to be plugged, I have these plugs ready, not sure how to get the water out of the lines , plug them , then add anti-freeze to them

My skimmer has only 1 line, (no equalizer in the skimmer basket housing) there is another port on another side of the pool that sucks water in to the filter but that is just round and has a VGB safety cover, i thought that was the equalizer

It sounds like I have to

1) Plug the suction port that has the VGB cover, unscrew that and screw in a threaded o-ring plug

2) Then go and vacuum out any water with shop vac through the skimmer basket housing port ( means I have to lower pool level to slightly below mouth of skimmer basket housing)

3) Pour anti-freeze into skimmer basket port then screw in winter gizmo freezer guard into skimmer basket. The anti-freeze would only then be in the line with the skimmer basket, the other line ( that had the VGB cover) would not have any anti-freeze in it (correct ?)

that would take care of the 2 suction ends of the lines

The returns then get drained how and filled with anti-freeze how ?
 
If you blow the returns while they are still underwater or wet, you really cant add anitfreeze. If you want to add antifreeze, you would need to drain below the returns. Unless someone has a way to add antifreeze to "wet", blown out returns I dont know about. As I said before, you really dont need it. Here's why.

The returns on your pool are 12 inches or so below the top of the pool, correct? But, that doesnt mean the pipes are only 12 inches below the ground. The pipes that go back to the pad from the returns are deepr than that. Usually, the pipe comes out of the return and turns 90 degrees and runs straight down the back of the pool wall to bottom of the excavation. Not sure what your shallow end is, but I assume 3.5 feet? That means the lowest point of you return lines, or suction lines for that matter, are at least 3.5 feet and probably more like 4 feet (i'll add the caveat/disclaimer here that maybe some pools are not plumbed this way and the lines could be more shallow). When they plumb a pool, the plumbing isnt run right underneath the ground. So even if you dont get all the water out of the lines, the water thats left will seek the lowest point in your system which would be 3.5 - 4 feet. Unless you live in the extreme northern parts of MN, ND, or Maine, etc, you wont get a freeze deeper than 3 to 3.5 feet. I've attached a ground freeze chart to look at. Really, the reason to blow out the lines is to protect the equipment such as the pump, heater, etc. It's not so much the lines. As long as the majority of the water is out of the lines, freeze up in most cases would not be an issue.

frost.jpg
 
Thanks Bk

Not sure that the lowpoint of my my lines are 3.5 or 4 underground, they run along the side of the pool to the equipment. In other words the equipment is on the same side as the skimmer approx 12 ft away, the returns and the other skimmer are on the next side approx 18 ft away from the equipment

Last year the pool closing company charged us for 6 gallons of AF which is where I got the AF idea from
 
I'll get the equip specs when I get home

18x36 IG vinyl , deep end is approx 8 ft, Hayward sand filter and Hayward pump

I was not there last year I am going by last years receipts on what was done

The pool was close to full when it was opened in spring, but that could have been from water through the cover
 
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