De-winterize plugs

[Drones]

I had a pool company close and install the new mesh cover on my pool last fall. I uncovered it today and the water is actually clear enough to see the bottom of the deep end. The questions I have are:
There were 4 plugs and site glass in the strainer basket. Large one for the bottom of the sand filter.
Then 3 identical smaller ones. I found where 2 of them go.
Bottom of the lint basket and the side of the filter housing below the impeller. I cannot for the life of me figure out where the 3rd one goes.

Also in the skimmer there are two drain holes. There is a plug in one of them. I do not recall if that was there last season or if it needs to be moved to the other hole.
One more thing, there were no plugs in the returns(4) in the side of the pool walls. Is that normal?

I want to be sure all is correct before powering it up.

 

[Richard320]

If you have a heater, that will account for the last plug.

As for the rest, I'm not the guy to ask. We don't winterize where I live. We don't even get winter, really.

 

[Steve_in_C]

Since you llve in the Raleigh area, you might consider not closing your pool. Do you have a VS pump. If so, you can leave it on all the time. I have a single speed pump and leave it on when temps are <30 degrees. I do not officially close. Starting Feb 15 or so, I take my pool to shock levels of FC on Sundays only. Just once a week. I started chlorinating daily (bleach injection pump) on 4/24. This keeps me from having problems with freezing/bursting. My CYA goes to zero. I just start adding it back in Feb by adding it in a sock hung from the return. I keep the cover on until warm enough to use (still on). Just adjusted my chemistries to perfect this past week. I have a heater and will likely fully open and remove cover in the next 2 weeks.

 

[Drones]

I'm actually in the Charlotte area. So it's even a little bit better. I just decided I didn't want to run the pool all winter long that's why we went with the cover and winterizing. By the way I found the third plug it was for an auto chlorinator at the bottom. So I got it up and running now the water actually just looks cloudy not bad I'm going to get started with the chlorine it's at zero right now pH little bit low.

 

[Steve_in_C]

Sorry. I was thinking of Morrisville

 

[Pool_Medic]

If you have a main drain and don’t have two returns coming back to your pad, the back hole is the one that leads to your pump. If you don’t have two return lines to pad and a main drain, the front hole goes to that.