First time Closing Inground Pool

[RafaelS]

So I finally got to closing my pool today and run into some trouble. I am closing it for the first time alone so it took me a lot longer then expected and I did get a bit puzzled with my spa setup and wasn't sure how to blow it out properly. I am still uncertain and I wanted to see if anyone can give me some insight. I will include pics to help my words. So I connected the cyclone vac/blower that I just purchased to shallow end skimmer and started blowing the system one by one. When I was all done I still had two holes in my spa main drain unplugged and had really no idea how to blow them as no matter what setting I put my valves in nothing came out. Same with return jets to the Spa but I was able to blow that with my blower and I plugged them and blower. I then realized I have another pump and a valve on it that I have a manual switch for when I use the spa and blower. So I turned that on and it seemed that it started taking water from the two holes I was confused with but it had nowhere to go and blew out my blower into the sky . good that it is connected with wires or I might have had to search through my neighbor's yards for it. So I figured out where the water goes from those drains and tomorrow I will attempt to clear that again. However, from what I can see this pump and lines/return jets are not in any way connected to my filter system or rest of the pool lines. There are three returns in the spa that I blew out and were coming back from my filter though. I was unsuccessful blowing them out using the skimmer so can I just plug my cyclone to one of the return jets (it has the right size of thread) and blow it from there? I feel that this will just circulate the water back and forth. I think I will have to unplug all the return jets again and start plugging them one at a time until there is only the drains left? Then I would need to plug the drains as air is coming out but there will be some water on the bottom of the spa. Is there some easier way to do is? I was ok with clearing the water from return jets and blower but there was still water in the pump and I assume the lines going to it.

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[RafaelS]

I thought about another way. Plug the two drains on the bottom and then turn on the pump, it will ideally pull the water out of the drain lines and back into the spa via return jets..... I am just not sure if would do that considering there would be no air following behind it.... probably not a good idea? or perhaps leave the valve of the pump on open, then turn on the blower and it will push the water back out the returns jets. Since the pump and the pool installed blower shoot water out the return jets once I plug them all in, the blower would push the water back out the main drains? There is no really easy way to seal of the returns vs drains here as there is only one valve and I am afraid that once I close the returns some water can get back in them while pushing towards the drain?

 

[RafaelS]

Well I got no help here so had to figure it out myself. I Was finally able to clear the last line by going directly from inside the pump in both directions. I have no idea why but I could now blow anything using the blower or even going from jets back to the pump. Only way was to open the basket inside the pump and then insert the cyclone hose in both directions.