This is the input piping in front of the pump. I assume that 'Main' means input from the main drain. Is 'Cleaning' coming from the Skimmer or from a dedicated cleaning port? I don't see a 'Skimmer' label anywhere in the system.
Well, it would be easier for you to tell where the water is being drawn from than for us to guess.
Do you have flow from the skimmer with the valve like in the picture?
Where is there suction when you turn the valve 90 degrees CCW?
The main could be to the skimmer with a float diverter under the basket to force suction from the floor. And the cleaning could be a dedicated port for a suction cleaner. All speculation ....
When I turned the valve CCW, the pressure started dropping and went to zero so I quickly turned it back.
I do have suction from the skimmer when it is in the current position. However, there is no flow diverter under the basket. Is that something I need to get?
There are two 'hose-sized' holes on either side of the pool deck. Neither has a cover. One is bone dry and full of dirt/debris. The other is full of stagnant water.
There is also a larger hole on the opposite side of the pool from the skimmer that is also full of stagnant water.
I'm wondering if I can use a wet/dry vac to clean these out, but I have no idea how deep the debris/water goes.
You sure you turned the valve CCW? So the handle was pointing toward the pump? That should open the cleaner pipe.
Are there 2 holes in the bottom of the skimmer that look open? If so, I would guess that one goes to the floor and the other to the pump, so a float diverter could help force suction from the floor if so desired.
The 2 smaller holes in the deck are likely for a volleyball net or umbrellas.
The larger one could be for an auto-fill device. Is there a hole in the pool wall next to the larger hole in the deck?
Yes, I was turning it slowly and the pressure on the filter dropped all the way to zero and water stopped flowing the closer I got to turning off the 'main' input. I'm guessing that the cleaner pipe is blocked somewhere.
Yes, there are 2 holes in the bottom of the skimmer. The one furthest from the pool goes to the pump while the other I assume goes to the floor.
The larger hole in the picture above is separate from the auto-fill and has no hole in the pool wall below it.
I feel dumb, but I discovered why the cleaning line was 'clogged'.
There is a dedicated underwater cleaning port that is covered by a spring-loaded cap. I held it open and turned the valve and immediately had suction! So I just need to attach the hose before turning the valve and I should be all set.
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