The bottom of my 17-year-old inground gunite/white plaster pool has 2 round plastic drain covers, each with 2 screws holding them in. This winter for the first time ever, one of them came unscrewed - I assume from the pool vacuum, which often pauses on top of them when it's on. One screw was lost but I was able to fish the cover out with the other screw and I bought a new matching screw. Now I wonder - how will I put it back on? Wait until the water is warm in several weeks and do it myself? The other thing I'm wondering is, will the screws stay this time or have the threads been stripped? I have no idea what they're screwed into - or if there is something additional I need to do so they don't come out again. Has this happened to anyone else? Advice? Thanks!
Drain cover came off
- Thread starter BB_Sacramento
- Start date
- Jun 7, 2017
- 9,159
- Pool Size
- 29000
- Surface
- Plaster
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Jandy Aquapure 1400
Yeah you'll be holding your breath a lot and probably making 100+ trips to the bottom. It's not hard, but time consuming. All you can do is put the screws back in and see if they bite. Chances are nothing is wrong with the threads.
- Jul 21, 2013
- 53,268
- Pool Size
- 35000
- Surface
- Plaster
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Pentair Intellichlor IC-60
The screw threads may have broken off or rotted out. You have to dive down and see the situation.
This may help with a repair if you lost the screw holes...
www.leaktools.com
This may help with a repair if you lost the screw holes...
Main Drain Adapter
Check out the deal on Main Drain Adapter at Anderson Manufacturing Company, Inc.
Last time somebody had a similar issue i found this. For $127 I'd get it just for the cool factor. And its refillable for free with a compressor (or 400 pumps with a bike pump, YIKES).
*obligatory follow all shallow diving protocols, use extreme caution, have backup watching, etc.
*obligatory follow all shallow diving protocols, use extreme caution, have backup watching, etc.
UGH I'm not looking forward to those 100+ trips! Last year I had another similar issue and I could dive down and hold my breath but my body floats up! It's hard to STAY down there....We were holding a pole for the diver to hold onto to keep at the bottom until they wanted to come up for air. There's probably a better solution than the pole method.