Draining below skimmer with push/pull valve

[MichaelT20]

Hi all - I’m about a month away from closing here in PA (mid oct) and my PB is doing the first close. They requested I drain my water below the skimmer before they come out. Wanted to ask a few questions in advance so im ready to do it next month.

I’ve got a push pull valve so no waste setting on it. Can I just backwash down below the skimmer line by closing my ports to the skimmer so it only pulls from my main drains ? Is that safe to do?

I’m assuming I Don’t really want to run my filter at all after that. Should I dump some chlorine in the pool after the drain?

Anything else I should do or watch out for come closing time?

Thank you in advance

 

[ajw22]

Raise your FC to around half SLAM level before draining.

Shut off the breaker to your pump before you begin draining.

Drain your pool using a submersible pump and not your pool pump....

Submersible Pumps - Further Reading

www.troublefreepool.com

 

[MichaelT20]

Gotcha thank you! Is it a terrible idea to drain using my pool pump?

Or phrased another way - is the submersible just better/faster/more convenient than the backwash approach or would using the backwash process be harmful?

 

[ajw22]

Is it a terrible idea to drain using my pool pump?

Yes.

Or phrased another way - is the submersible just better/faster/more convenient than the backwash approach or would using the backwash process be harmful?

You risk running your expensive pool pump dry and damaging it.

Are you sure your main drain alone can provide the water flow your pump needs?

 

[MichaelT20]

Are you sure your main drain alone can provide the water flow your pump needs?

I am not sure . Thanks I’ll go this route then. Appreciate the help as always!

 

[duraleigh]

If you monitor it CLOSELY, I see no reason to not run your pump to drain the pool to desired level. Ifyou already have a sump pump, then use it but I would not buy one if I could monitor the process. It will not take long.

Your psi will likely be a little lower than you are used to but that's fine.

 

[MichaelT20]

Cool thank you! I already pulled the trigger on a stand-alone pump. It was pretty cheap

 

[wireform]

As long as your main drain is a direct run to the equipment pad then as @duraleigh