Fix Main drain or leave plugged

[dcoffey48]

I have a 30 year old pool (age approximate) 20 x 40 in ground. The pool is on a sloped grade so that the water level at the shallow in is at ground level and the water level at the deep end of the pool water level is about 3 feet above ground level. (lots of concrete) The main drain at the bottom of the deep end has been plugged for at least the ten years we have owned the pool. It looks like the deep end settled at one time and the previous owners fixed the pool but not the main drain. We have to vacuum the pool a lot. Anything the settles to the bottom stays there. I am wondering about replacing the main drain. What are my options?


Dave.

 

[JasonLion]

Welcome to TFP!

It all depends on why it was plugged in the first place. The most common reason to plug a main drain is because it leaks. Significant ground settling would tend to break the pipe and cause a leak. Fixing a leaking main drain is a huge project, quite expensive in most cases. It requires tunneling underneath the pool from the side to expose the leak, which risks the deck around the pool.

If it was plugged because it was clogged, that is a much simpler thing to fix. It is also remotely possible it was plugged to winterize and no one ever took the plug out, but that is the least likely possibility.