Understanding my pool system. Close suction from drain pipe.

[alex00]

What is this gate valve for. I'm trying to close/eliminate drain suction and only have suction from the skimmer. I don't want suction from the drain. I though this gate valve controls the percentage between skimmer and drain. I'm not the original owner of the pool, so i'm trying to understand how this works. The drain is deep in the pool so i can't tell if it has suction or not, but i thought but turning the gate valve either way i can check if the skimmer suction gets turned off, but nothing seem to be affected.

 

[waste]

Re: Understanding my pool system. Close suction from drain p

Welcome to TFP!!

Thanks for the pic!

Your drain must be plumbed through the second port in the skimmer. Do you have a diverter valve in the skimmer? If not, your drain "ain't pullin' much"

Closing the valve you show will only starve the pump and result in problems with the pump, if it runs too long.

Let me know about the diverter valve

 

[alex00]

Re: Understanding my pool system. Close suction from drain p

Yes i have 2 pipes in the skimmer. One taking the suction and the other is not. Over the skimmer pipe i have something that looks like this which i think is called float assembly valve.

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Then over that i have the skimmer basket. Is this the diverter valve you are talking about. What does this mean. Is the drain only getting a small suction. What is the purpose of the gate valve as shown in the picture. Thanks

 

[alex00]

Re: Understanding my pool system. Close suction from drain p

bump

 

[JamesW]

Re: Understanding my pool system. Close suction from drain p

Is this a concrete pool?

Is there a 1.5-inch or 2-inch hole directly below the skimmer mouth (about 2 to 3 feet below the skimmer, on the wall)?

I'm thinking that the brass gate valve probably closes the main drain and that the skimmer is the other pipe with no valve.

If there is a hole on the wall below the skimmer, then that goes to the second hole in the skimmer and is called an equalizer.

The plastic diverter valve shown in the picture is a float valve. Its purpose is to close off the skimmer if the water level falls too low to prevent the skimmer from sucking in air. When the float falls, then the pump will pull from the skimmer equalizer line.

 

[alex00]

Re: Understanding my pool system. Close suction from drain p

Thanks, The pool is plaster.
There is no hole directly below skimmer, but there is one about 8 feet away from it and is located about 1 feet below the skimmer level. It's like a 90 degrees joint with about a 1/2 inch hole.
If the gate valve is indeed for the drain and i closed it, does that means the second pipe in the skimmer will no longer have the use of suppling water to the pump in case water level is not reaching the skimmer.
If the drain valve is all the way open, i still have suction in the skimmer. Does that mean it's doing 50/50 for both drain/skimmer.

 

[JamesW]

Re: Understanding my pool system. Close suction from drain p

If you have one main drain and one skimmer, and you have two pipes coming up in front of the pump, then I would think that one of the pipes comes from the skimmer and one of the pipes comes from the main drain.

Normally, each pipe has its own valve so that you can turn either off, or on, independently. Only one of the pipes has a valve. I am guessing that the one with the valve is the main drain.

If you look into the second hole in the skimmer, can you see how deep it goes? Is it plugged? I suppose that it could go to the main drain, but then what are the two lines coming up in front of the pump?

Since you have the float valve, then I would think that there has to be a second source of water, either an equalizer or main drain. Perhaps the second hole "T"s into the main drain line and the main drain also goes directly to the pump.

I don't know what the 1/2 inch hole is, it might be a fill line, drain line or equalizer?

Can you feel if there is suction on the main drain when the valve is open or closed? (Don't try to do this is you're not sure that it can be done safely.)

How many returns are there?

Can you post a picture of the pool?

 

[loop_pea]

Re: Understanding my pool system. Close suction from drain p

I have a system with two pipes coming up next to the pump, a gate valve on one (definitely the main drain) and no valve on the other (skimmers). I've got equaliser pipes in my skimmers, but they appear to be plugged and there is no float valve, so I guess that they are non-functional. Never knew what they were for until I read this thread, so thank you!