Skimmer, vacuum, and main drain.

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poolnooob

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Dec 28, 2012
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Hi, I was just wondering if I can remove the pvc plug under the skimmer basket in order to run both the skimmer and the "great White" vacuum cleaner at the same time. I have two valves coming into the pump. They are labeled SK and MD. Skimmer and main drain i assume. Is it safe to run the main drain, skimmer, and the great white at the same time?

Thanks.

This is an IG, with a cartridge filter, and Im not sure on the pump specs or water volume.
 
If you see two outlets below the skimmer basket and one is plugged, leave it alone. That second port is not vacuum; it is typically used to go to the main drain with a diverter valve on top to balance the flow. Removing the plug will: 1) probably be next to impossible, because I'd bet they glued it in, and 2) cause a leak.

Diverters can look like these:
lovingHDTV-SkimmerDiverter.jpg

joenj-SkimmerDrainDiverter.jpg
 
Thanks! You just saved me a huge headache. My brother (who is also a pool noob) tells me he uses some kind of splitter in his skimmer to run both accessories. I imagine sharing one vacuum source isnt the beast fix, but it may be my only choice. Short of replumbing...

The biggest problem I have is that the great white gets stuck on the main drain. When i unplug it to run the skimmer, the debri just floats right pass the skimmer trap. It does next to nothing.

I do not have the flapping door thing in the skimmer. House didnt come with it.

Any suggestions how i can improve these things?
 
Skimmer won't function very well unless it is actively removing surface water, so installation of a collar or weir flap (whichever yours is designed for) should be a priority. Turning down the main drains throughput should allow the hoover to pass over without getting stuck, it's usually best to have around 10%-30% of your water entering the filter from the bottom, with around 70-90% entering from the top of the pool water as the majority of dirt etc is on the top 10% layer of water in your pool.
 
Stuamurr said:
Skimmer won't function very well unless it is actively removing surface water, so installation of a collar or weir flap (whichever yours is designed for) should be a priority. Turning down the main drains throughput should allow the hoover to pass over without getting stuck, it's usually best to have around 10%-30% of your water entering the filter from the bottom, with around 70-90% entering from the top of the pool water as the majority of dirt etc is on the top 10% layer of water in your pool.
Click to expand...


Thanks, I will look into installing a collar or weir.

Both valves for main drain and skimmer were wide open. I slightly closed the main drain valve and that seems to give the rover more umph.

How can I estimate how many gallons of water are in my pool? I just got a K-1004 test kit and need to figure my volume.
 
Adding Chemicals.

Using some calculator I found online, I think I have about 16000 gallons of water.

I had to add water to the pool this week, and have yet to treat the water. Using the taylor test kit, it looks like the ph is high, about 8.2, and the chlorine is in the 1-2 range.

It took 2 drops, in the acid demand, test to lower the ph level 7.8. Using the index card that came with the kit, I THINK I should be adding 1.72 pints of acid.

I dont understand the chlorine dosage chart. It reads in %, and increments of oz and pints. I thought I should be adding gallons, not ounces.


Where can I learn more about adding chemicals?
 
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