To any that help out with this, thanks in advance.
On my third year in running the pool at the house we bought, and continuing to have problems with the setup. I have air getting into my inlet side somewhere depriming the pump when not running, I'm currently losing 2-3 inches of water per day (evaporation in 70/80 degree weather in Seattle of that magnitude seems off) but I'm needing help understanding the setup of the skimmer, as I think I'm missing parts / plugs.
In the skimmer setup, I have two drain openings with no plug or float. When we purchased the house, the owner had a small suction driven cleaner installed in one. I cannot remember if the second valve was plugged or open. Since then, I had tried to install a newer, Kreepy Krauly last year, but with limited success (never enough suction to keep it moving). I cannot remember if I pulled the second plug then or not. Also, no skimmer basket in the skimmer itself, only the pump filter basket is in line prior to the pool filter itself.
Tonight, after having the pump off since last weekend, we ran water into the pool to at least get the pump running and chlorine into the pool to help get it back to clean. The water was just barely up into the skimmer basket, but I had planned to shut the ball valve for the skimmer off and just pull from the main drain.
The pump itself sits a full story above the waterline and some distance away. Ball valves exist for both the skimmer line and main drain. We use a drain blaster to push water via the skimmer up the pump, plus have had a water inlet installed prior to the pump to help get water into the system. We got the pump primed (air bubbles in the pump but primed) closed the ball valve for the skimmer, then turned off hose & drain blaster. At this point, the skimmer still was pulling water even though I had shut the ball valve for the skimmer line off. So now I'm lost as to what the plumbing for the skimmer even is.
Ultimately, I'm trying to understand:
1. Do I need to have one of the two lines plugged? Does it need a float in one to switch over to the main line for pumping?
2. Is there something in the overall setup that I should consider for checking why it was still pulling from the skimmer basket with the skimmer line plugged?
3. Should I install a skimmer filter basket?
Bonus questions
1. Any idea why my pool could be losing 2-3 inches per day w/o the pump & heater running? It can be at the mid-point on the skimmer face plate one day, bottom of skimmer opening the next day, below the skimmer face plate day 3, at the return eye the 4th.
2. In the deck of the pool, I have two round plastic covers with a pvc pipe in the middle, cement around them, and zero clue what they do. Any ideas of what it can be would help.
View attachment 31357View attachment 31356
Thanks everyone truly appreciate it.
On my third year in running the pool at the house we bought, and continuing to have problems with the setup. I have air getting into my inlet side somewhere depriming the pump when not running, I'm currently losing 2-3 inches of water per day (evaporation in 70/80 degree weather in Seattle of that magnitude seems off) but I'm needing help understanding the setup of the skimmer, as I think I'm missing parts / plugs.
In the skimmer setup, I have two drain openings with no plug or float. When we purchased the house, the owner had a small suction driven cleaner installed in one. I cannot remember if the second valve was plugged or open. Since then, I had tried to install a newer, Kreepy Krauly last year, but with limited success (never enough suction to keep it moving). I cannot remember if I pulled the second plug then or not. Also, no skimmer basket in the skimmer itself, only the pump filter basket is in line prior to the pool filter itself.
Tonight, after having the pump off since last weekend, we ran water into the pool to at least get the pump running and chlorine into the pool to help get it back to clean. The water was just barely up into the skimmer basket, but I had planned to shut the ball valve for the skimmer off and just pull from the main drain.
The pump itself sits a full story above the waterline and some distance away. Ball valves exist for both the skimmer line and main drain. We use a drain blaster to push water via the skimmer up the pump, plus have had a water inlet installed prior to the pump to help get water into the system. We got the pump primed (air bubbles in the pump but primed) closed the ball valve for the skimmer, then turned off hose & drain blaster. At this point, the skimmer still was pulling water even though I had shut the ball valve for the skimmer line off. So now I'm lost as to what the plumbing for the skimmer even is.
Ultimately, I'm trying to understand:
1. Do I need to have one of the two lines plugged? Does it need a float in one to switch over to the main line for pumping?
2. Is there something in the overall setup that I should consider for checking why it was still pulling from the skimmer basket with the skimmer line plugged?
3. Should I install a skimmer filter basket?
Bonus questions
1. Any idea why my pool could be losing 2-3 inches per day w/o the pump & heater running? It can be at the mid-point on the skimmer face plate one day, bottom of skimmer opening the next day, below the skimmer face plate day 3, at the return eye the 4th.
2. In the deck of the pool, I have two round plastic covers with a pvc pipe in the middle, cement around them, and zero clue what they do. Any ideas of what it can be would help.
View attachment 31357View attachment 31356
Thanks everyone truly appreciate it.