how do I use just the main drain? the skimmer has 2 holes in it. is one the main drain? can i connect a u shaped tube to it to just suction from the main drain?
Main drain question
- Thread starter squirreltech
- Start date
Easier to just buy a diverter.
There's a flapper on the bottom that slides that lets you regulate drain vs skimmer, so you can get both going at once.
There's a flapper on the bottom that slides that lets you regulate drain vs skimmer, so you can get both going at once.
I have one of these diverters under my skimmer and I've never moved the flapper on it. It is partially covering the hole on the bottom of the diverter. I seem to remember reading that when covering the hole completely with the flapper, the suction is all main drain, and when the hole is completely uncovered the suction is all skimmer. Is this true?
Thanks,
Greg
Thanks,
Greg
Yes. But if the float inside stops floating for whatever reason, it goes all main drain.rhythm said:
I have a skimmer that has 2 holes in it with no diverter. are diverters all the same and where can I get one locally?
I just measured the inside of the skimmer to get the diameter and went to the local pool store. Told the guy what I wanted, he picked one off the shelf, and that was that. I'm not even sure if they come in different sizes. It was only about ten bucks.nismostate said:
there is another design that looks like a Twinkie which is oval. Looking at the bottom of the skimmer you should be able to tell if you need the round UFO or the oval Twinkie.
Posted from my Droid with Tapatalk ... sorry if my response is short
Posted from my Droid with Tapatalk ... sorry if my response is short
Brand new to pools but my pool people told me there was little advantage to these and they easily break. So are they worth it?
- Dec 13, 2009
- 116
- Pool Size
- 32000
- Surface
- Plaster
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Pentair Intellichlor IC-40
We called them Turtles back in the day. The diverter on the bottom can break, but they are pretty tough and I recall them lasting for a couple of seasons. Our primary use for them was to avoid pulling from the skimmers when the water level was low or highly variable for some reason. When the level in the skimmer box is low, the float falls to seal off the skimmer intake (or at least mostly block it, reducing the flow). It was cheap insurance for that purpose.
I like having it.bchance1 said:
It guarantees bottom circulation for starters. I also don't have the temperature stratification I've felt in many pools - it's the same at the top as at the bottom. If there's only a few pieces of debris on the bottom, I've gotten pretty good at brushing them towards the drain and away they go. No messing with the vacuum.
I have never had a diverter break ... Although I have only had them for about 5 years. I would think they would only get weak if you were putting tablets in the skimmer.
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So to get half the suction from the main drain and half the suction from the skimmer, you have to have the bottom flapper on the diverter 1/2 open?
that is the basic idea. Open it more to have more skimmer. I actually leave my flap open all the way to maximize skimming while running my pump on low speed ... based on the leaves on the bottom drain occasionally, I must still be getting a little suction through the bottom.
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Little advantage to them? I don't know what that means, but you won't get any suction from the main drain without one.bchance1 said:
They simply said there was no advantage to having them over just leaving the skimmer as the main suction. So I guess the real question is do you NEED suction from the bottom drains? Also any suggestions where to pick one of these up online?
- Dec 13, 2009
- 116
- Pool Size
- 32000
- Surface
- Plaster
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Pentair Intellichlor IC-40
You absolutely want to have suction from the main drains, in combination with skimmers. Not only can it help level out the temperature (as someone mentioned above), but it ensures that water toward the bottom is pulled in and filtered, avoiding dead zones. Additionally, when you sweep the pool bottom, you can push toward the main drains and know that at least some of that "goodness" will make it right to the filter. Pools are intended to be thought of as a three-dimensional system. Pulling only from the skimmers can - depending on the location of your inlets - lead to circulating only the top couple feet of water. If the pool is being used often and the water chopped up, perhaps not a big deal. But for my pool, which is used primarily on weekends, I would hate to have the bottom third of water sitting there.
That said, ever pool is different and tuning each system takes some plain old trial and error. You may not need or want to pull from the mains all the time, or at the same rate, depending on circumstances. But it can be a very helpful thing!
That said, ever pool is different and tuning each system takes some plain old trial and error. You may not need or want to pull from the mains all the time, or at the same rate, depending on circumstances. But it can be a very helpful thing!
- Jun 14, 2012
- 2,668
- Pool Size
- 13500
- Surface
- Vinyl
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- CircuPool Edge-40
Sure ya can. If they're plumbed together, though, you need a diverter gizmo to get suction from both. I probably wasn't clear in my first response.UnderWaterVanya said:
- Jun 14, 2012
- 2,668
- Pool Size
- 13500
- Surface
- Vinyl
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- CircuPool Edge-40
CUTiger78 said:
It's my relative lack of knowledge more than your post that was the cause here I suspect.
Thanks for the clarification - I just don't know enough to know if I know or if I only think I know on some of these questions. :blah:
