Hey all -- I've been doing a lot of studying here, and have already gotten rid of my chlorine tablet floater and have switched to liquid choline instead of using weekly doses of Chlor-Brite to chlorinate my pool.
I just have a few questions that you guys can probably help me with.
(Pics are coming --- the wife left me alone with both kids today, so I gotta do this in bits-and-pieces)
Pool is in-ground, white plaster, with a Sand filter.
#1: My pool has a main drain, that is de-activated because we have a dedicated vacuum line with a Hayward pool-vac. The problem is, the drain has a very 'open style' drain cover that you can see thru the grates easily... dirt/leaves/debris tends to get caught a few inches down. Also, whenever I start to get a touch of algae, the area just under the cover is first to start growing it. I tried using a screwdriver to take the cover off so I could clean around, but it feels like I'm gonna strip the screws... they just don't budge. Are there any drain covers available, if I'm ever able to get the screws out, that would completely cover it (no water in/out)?
#2: I'm pretty sure I have an air leak somewhere. I'm constantly bleeding air out of the system, but I can always hear the air bubbles at/around the jets. How much of an emergency is this? The pool is getting re-surfaced during the off-season, so I'd like to wait till then and do it all at the same time (if I can't find it in any of the easy to find places)
In this above pic, the red handle on the RIGHT opens up an aerator that sprays water across the pool. The red handle on the LEFT is still a mystery to me. Could this be something for the main drain? Not pictured, but the waterfall valve is actually way over by the waterfall itself.
I just have a few questions that you guys can probably help me with.
(Pics are coming --- the wife left me alone with both kids today, so I gotta do this in bits-and-pieces)
Pool is in-ground, white plaster, with a Sand filter.
#1: My pool has a main drain, that is de-activated because we have a dedicated vacuum line with a Hayward pool-vac. The problem is, the drain has a very 'open style' drain cover that you can see thru the grates easily... dirt/leaves/debris tends to get caught a few inches down. Also, whenever I start to get a touch of algae, the area just under the cover is first to start growing it. I tried using a screwdriver to take the cover off so I could clean around, but it feels like I'm gonna strip the screws... they just don't budge. Are there any drain covers available, if I'm ever able to get the screws out, that would completely cover it (no water in/out)?
#2: I'm pretty sure I have an air leak somewhere. I'm constantly bleeding air out of the system, but I can always hear the air bubbles at/around the jets. How much of an emergency is this? The pool is getting re-surfaced during the off-season, so I'd like to wait till then and do it all at the same time (if I can't find it in any of the easy to find places)
In this above pic, the red handle on the RIGHT opens up an aerator that sprays water across the pool. The red handle on the LEFT is still a mystery to me. Could this be something for the main drain? Not pictured, but the waterfall valve is actually way over by the waterfall itself.