Blowing lines - where to connect blower

[genegoff]

Newbie here, and new pool owner, but I'm mechanically inclined and learn quickly. I'd like to close the pool myself and watched the pool company do it last year.

I can't figure out where to disconnect on the intake end to blow out the intake lines. I have two intake lines, pool and spa, connected rigidly to a selector valve and then connected rigidly to the pump. Can I disconnect further up between the pump and the filter and then blow air backwards (in the opposite direction in which it pumps water) through the pump and out the intake lines? Pictures attached.

Also, I have a 6.5 peak HP Shop Vac with a 2" blower port - will this develop enough pressure & volume to blow out the lines? I'll have to improvise to adapt the Shop Vac port to the pool PVC - so will the adapter need to be air-tight, or just a friction-fit adapter from the home store is good enough? My pump is about 6' higher in elevation from the pool. Thanks!

 

[X-PertPool]

Basically if you are getting bubbles you should be getting enough pressure.
You want to try to get the fitting of the hose as air tight as possible to maximize the amount of force you are blowing.
you can blow your skimmer line 3 ways based on your pictures. You can undo the union from the top of the motor and the other union near the filter and remove that section of pipe and blow down into the intake lines.
you can also simply remove the lid and stick the hose in the side the pump into the intake of the motor and blow that way.
you can also undo the black valve completely by removing the 3 unions on that valve which hold it together. with the valve out of the way you can blow directly into each line. When it comes to main drains I have a personal preference of not trusting valves to be air tight and I would remove that valve at the unions and blow the main drain and cap it with a rubber plug quickly and also secure that plug from popping out with electrical tape etc.

 

[Guest]

We just literally had our pool closed this morning. The only place they blew from was the skimmer for all the returns (4) and the waterfall.

Here is my thread:
pool-closing-in-toronto-review-please-t70738.html