opening pool for first time...skimmer plug / booster pump ?s, pics

[GuinnessPhish]

Cover is off, pool plugs are out, turned pump on....


water is coming out of a hole on the booster pump.

There doesn't seem to be any suction in the skimmer. There are two holes in the skimmer. Out of one of them, I took the regular plug.

In the other hole, there is a circular plug with an inverted female square. Is this supposed to come out?

Picture below.

 

[pooldv]

That is only open if your skimmer was originally plumbed into your main drain or an equalizer pipe to the pool wall. There should be a little wing plug to screw into the booster pump. Is there a valve to switch water flow from main drain to skimmer?

 

[GuinnessPhish]

So, the booster pump drain plug was missing, which is why I was getting no suction from the skimmer. Apparently, when the pool service closed the pool, the booster pump drain plug broke, and they just threw the broken drain plug by the filter, which is where I found it.

So now, I need to get that piece, pentair LA385...


is this something Leslie's would carry, or do I have to order this online and wait?

I've got the pool cover off, and the last thing I want to do is have to wait a week for this part!

ARGH!

 

[pooldv]

What a pain! If they had told you then you had all winter to get another one. Idjits. I would think Leslies would carry that, seems like a part that might need to be replaced occasionally. It seems like there shouldn't be too many different sizes of drain plugs. Lowes might even something that fits.

 

[one_knight4u]

I agree with Pooldv :"idjits". There is no excuse for not notifying you of this broken part when it happened. They probably figured that the part would magically repair itself over the winter. Pooldv, I'm going to add...... "morons" to your list.....

 

[pooldv]

Or as the kids would say, beanbags.

 

[GuinnessPhish]

Yeah, I'm definitely not happy with the situation...


however, this pool service has been opening and closing the pool since it was put in by the previous owner 10 years ago, so I'm guessing they just figured they'd replace the drain plug when they opened the pool this year.

Only, I decided to give opening the pool a try this year instead.

I called them and they said they're going to drop it off to me sometime today. Not soon enough.

 

[GuinnessPhish]

Pool service came by and gave me the piece for free....

pool is clearing up nicely, already gone through seven 64 oz bottles of 8.25%.


Will TA read high with FC at shock level?

 

[Richard320]

Pool service came by and gave me the piece for free....

pool is clearing up nicely, already gone through seven 64 oz bottles of 8.25%.


Will TA read high with FC at shock level?

No. But the colors may go blue to yellow instead of green to pink.

 

[GuinnessPhish]

TA is 80

CYA 40

FC just read at 19

pool is crystal clear.

 

[GuinnessPhish]

So regarding the drain plugs on the main water pump, as well as the two plugs in my heater....

I noticed one or two of them have a blue sealant around them, from previous years. Do I need to use this sealant? What is this stuff?

Another question....

my in line chlorinator has a hairline crack in it, underneath. I think this happened a couple of years ago when I tightened the lid. I've tried sealing it with magic lube, but it doesn't seem to hold. I'm going to have to replace the whole piece, arent I?

ugh