Bottom drain cover

[keep-it-simple]

So how difficult should this be to manage?
I guess Kreepy Krawly knocked the cover off the bottom drain.

Pardon graininess. Cell phone shot from third story

 

[Richard320]

I think the hardest part will be holding your breath long enough to find the right size threads for the screws. Use stainless steel screws.

 

[keep-it-simple]

So if I retrieve the cover with the leaf rake and determine screw fit, it's just a matter of finding someone able to dive down? My ears can't handle the water pressure, but maybe the college age kid across the street could help.
We run the top skimmer / Kreepy Krawly about 96% of the time and the pool occupants are ages 6 and under with arm floaties 92% of the time so I'm not immediately concerned about anyone getting stuck under water.

 

[Richard320]

So if I retrieve the cover with the leaf rake and determine screw fit, it's just a matter of finding someone able to dive down? My ears can't handle the water pressure, but maybe the college age kid across the street could help.
We run the top skimmer / Kreepy Krawly about 96% of the time and the pool occupants are ages 6 and under with arm floaties 92% of the time so I'm not immediately concerned about anyone getting stuck under water.

If it's like mine, the threaded part is in the ground, the cover just has clearance holes. So first someone has to dive to figure out what size you need, then you need to find then in stainless steel, and then someone gets to dive again to screw the thing down.

 

[keep-it-simple]

Thanks for the heads up!
Tedious but not complicated. No pool service company needed. I think we can handle that.

 

[rtkane]

You can help your ears out when you dive down to get rid of the painful pressure on them. It's a basic skill taught to scuba divers called the Valsalva Maneuver:

http://divebetter.wordpress.com/2007/09 ... -maneuver/

Good luck with the drain.

 

[keep-it-simple]

the Valsalva Maneuver:

wow. Thanks.

The plastic casing that holds the threads for the screws is what cracked/broke down inside the main drain. Both sides (two screw locations) were cracked and one side broke completely off.
The cover itself is fine. It's the housing down inside the pool is where the cracks are.
This pool is 30-some years old. I assume the drain cover was updated for the newer requirements to prevent people from getting stuck, but I honestly don't know.

I think maybe possibly if I get longer screws I can secure the cover down by getting the screws in lower than the cracks in the housing.

If not - what's the consequence of having no main drain cover?
Safety wise we simply won't run the bottom drain when swimmers are in the pool.
Aesthetics wise, the plastic is old and yellowed so a cover would be much preferable.
Pool function wise, what are we facing?