Help with broken main drain...replace with sidewall suction??

[laura_england]

Hi there! Looking for some advice as we know next to nothing about pools!!!

We've inherited a pool which we think was built in the 1970's - some kind of concrete, ancient 45kw heater, pretty old filter and pump. We opened the pool late this year as we suspected a leak - water level was hard to maintain at end of last year, and settled about 2ft down over winter.

So we left it until we had some time to start investigating (got pretty green in the meantime), then started to go through the process of shocking it in order to see what was wrong. Dumped a load of chlorine it, but when running the pump you could see air bubbles inside the pump, and when we turned the pump off ready to backwash, a huge jet of air/water was released into the pool. Apparently something didn't enjoy the force that came with that jet of water, as the pool then emptied out over the course of about two weeks - about a foot of water now left in the bottom of the pool.

Strongly suspect an issue with the main drain, or the pipework leading from it, given that the pool is now basically empty. We will get it pressure tested prior to starting any work, but want that pressure testing to be done by same person who will be fixing it, so we don't have to pay twice (no one wants to assume the other guys diagnostics were correct!)

So on the assumption that the main drain / main drain pipework has gone we've had a few people over to look at fixing it, and we're getting a variety of solutions - I'd love some advice on which suggestions are the best?!

• Option 1: Install a pool liner and channel out the concrete for a new main drain. Don't like this option as also have to replace all the skimmers and a lot of plumbing, so costs were escalating rapidly. Someone estimated about £40k for liner+plumbing+fitting.
• Option 2: Abandon the main drain, cap it off and fill it in as too expensive to dig it out. Just use the skimmers instead. But concerned that we won't get enough circulation without a main drain, and pool will have to be cleaned more often. And given that the pool levelled off 2ft below the skimmers over winter, if that happened again we'd then have a dry pump - not ideal as we're likely to replace the ancient pump at same time at getting this fixed.
• Option 3: Abandon the main drain - cap it off and fill it in as too expensive to dig it out. Instead install 2 low level sidewall suction points.
• Option 4: Abandon the main drain - cap it off and fill it in as too expensive to dig it out. Instead install 1 low level sidewall suction point. Not sure this is legal...(suggested by a different person to previous option)

We're leaning towards option 3, but there's a lot of negative views on sidewall suction valves, and we don't want to be conned into something which costs quite a lot to install, but won't add much benefit. Thoughts???
Should I be concerned that no one proposed to actually fix the main drain / plumbing or is it genuinely an impossible thing to fix?

Any advice welcomed!!!

Laura

 

[Texas Splash]

Welcome to TFP! Options 3 & 4 are certainly an option if money isn't an option, but Option 2 will work fine as well. Skimmer only suction is perfectly fine for a pool, so it's really up to you.

Post back as much as you like and enjoy the forum.

Also see ----> Pool Care Basics

 

[Bperry]

Hi there! Looking for some advice as we know next to nothing about pools!!!

We've inherited a pool which we think was built in the 1970's - some kind of concrete, ancient 45kw heater, pretty old filter and pump. We opened the pool late this year as we suspected a leak - water level was hard to maintain at end of last year, and settled about 2ft down over winter.

So we left it until we had some time to start investigating (got pretty green in the meantime), then started to go through the process of shocking it in order to see what was wrong. Dumped a load of chlorine it, but when running the pump you could see air bubbles inside the pump, and when we turned the pump off ready to backwash, a huge jet of air/water was released into the pool. Apparently something didn't enjoy the force that came with that jet of water, as the pool then emptied out over the course of about two weeks - about a foot of water now left in the bottom of the pool.

Strongly suspect an issue with the main drain, or the pipework leading from it, given that the pool is now basically empty. We will get it pressure tested prior to starting any work, but want that pressure testing to be done by same person who will be fixing it, so we don't have to pay twice (no one wants to assume the other guys diagnostics were correct!)

So on the assumption that the main drain / main drain pipework has gone we've had a few people over to look at fixing it, and we're getting a variety of solutions - I'd love some advice on which suggestions are the best?!

• Option 1: Install a pool liner and channel out the concrete for a new main drain. Don't like this option as also have to replace all the skimmers and a lot of plumbing, so costs were escalating rapidly. Someone estimated about £40k for liner+plumbing+fitting.
• Option 2: Abandon the main drain, cap it off and fill it in as too expensive to dig it out. Just use the skimmers instead. But concerned that we won't get enough circulation without a main drain, and pool will have to be cleaned more often. And given that the pool levelled off 2ft below the skimmers over winter, if that happened again we'd then have a dry pump - not ideal as we're likely to replace the ancient pump at same time at getting this fixed.
• Option 3: Abandon the main drain - cap it off and fill it in as too expensive to dig it out. Instead install 2 low level sidewall suction points.
• Option 4: Abandon the main drain - cap it off and fill it in as too expensive to dig it out. Instead install 1 low level sidewall suction point. Not sure this is legal...(suggested by a different person to previous option)

We're leaning towards option 3, but there's a lot of negative views on sidewall suction valves, and we don't want to be conned into something which costs quite a lot to install, but won't add much benefit. Thoughts???
Should I be concerned that no one proposed to actually fix the main drain / plumbing or is it genuinely an impossible thing to fix?

Any advice welcomed!!!

Laura

Make sure the side wall suction (if you do it) includes some kind of anti-entrapment features so someone’s hair doesn’t get caught in it and prevent them from getting their head above water. There are main drain covers that do that, but not sure how that would look like on a side wall.

Plenty of pools these days don’t have a main drain so it’s not required.

 

[Rancho Cost-a-Lotta]

A main drain is nice to have, but I wouldn't spend a quid to install it after the pool was built. It's just not worth it. My pool works just fine with the skimmer alone.