Last year, I blew out a 170,000L pool (10' deep at main drain) using the exhaust of a Ridgid 6HP shop vac. I wasn't totally confident in it, especially since I re-used old duck plugs, a type of plug I'm not fond of to begin with, but luckily no issues seem to have come of it, there was no notable water loss this year. Regardless, it's not a risk I want to repeat, so I'm looking for a better (low-cost) option.
Last year, I sucked the skimmers out one at a time using the main pump, then blew them out with the shop vac for surety (which, aside from sending a lid 6' in the air because I forgot to pull one off, sent a massive additional spray out of the skimmer). Each skimmer line got 3L of anti-freeze, with the last litre in the skimmer itself after the plug went in (to mix with any water that might get in through the winter).
I blew out the main drain until mass air was coming through, then air-locked it by closing the valve.
Pool was filled to about 6" below the skimmers.
This year the pool is drained down below the returns, going to blow out and use threaded plugs (and an expansion plug on one return where the threads are pooched), then fill back up.
Besides the shop vac, my alternative available equipment is
- A small 4-gallon air compressor (not enough continuous CFM) with a 20-gallon pig tank (not enough reserve air?).
- A 2700cfm carpet fan that I could adapt the outflow on.
- An extracted furnace blower that I could adapt.
Are any of these a better idea than the shop vac?
Last year, I sucked the skimmers out one at a time using the main pump, then blew them out with the shop vac for surety (which, aside from sending a lid 6' in the air because I forgot to pull one off, sent a massive additional spray out of the skimmer). Each skimmer line got 3L of anti-freeze, with the last litre in the skimmer itself after the plug went in (to mix with any water that might get in through the winter).
I blew out the main drain until mass air was coming through, then air-locked it by closing the valve.
Pool was filled to about 6" below the skimmers.
This year the pool is drained down below the returns, going to blow out and use threaded plugs (and an expansion plug on one return where the threads are pooched), then fill back up.
Besides the shop vac, my alternative available equipment is
- A small 4-gallon air compressor (not enough continuous CFM) with a 20-gallon pig tank (not enough reserve air?).
- A 2700cfm carpet fan that I could adapt the outflow on.
- An extracted furnace blower that I could adapt.
Are any of these a better idea than the shop vac?
