How to blow out returns without draining below them.

[JamesR]

I’m thinking ahead for closing the pool. Each year I drop the water level down low enough so it’s below the returns. I always lower the water, blow them out, add pool antifreeze at the equipment pad and blow that through as well. Then plug them. The issue is that it’s about 16” of water as opposed to the 4” I need to get below the skimmers. Seems like such a waste. Is there a good way to thoroughly blow out the returns while they are still under water? They are non threaded so a duck plug/bungee plug will not work.

 

[ajw22]

It is really a two person job.

Use a blower to blow all the water out of the return lines from the equipment pad side.

While the blower is running slap a plug in the return line.

 

[Newdude]

add pool antifreeze at the equipment pad and blow that through as well

If you add a gallon per pipe on the high side, it will find the low point in the plumbing on its own. Blowing it risks being counterproductive if you lose any.

Do you use a solid cover or a mesh ? We get about 3 ft of off season rain and melted snow, so you need to drain occasionally either way. If using a mesh cover, you might as well start low to buy more time, then drain again just before the big freeze.

 

[JamesR]

Yes… two people would help. But it’s just me. I use the orange cyclone blower.
It would be a one person job if I installed a pressure relief valve in the hose I use for blowing. Then when I plugged the line, the blower pressure would come out of the relief valve but I don’t want to complicate this process. The reason I blow out the antifreeze is just to be sure I see pink come out the other end. I do pour additional in the lines after that as well.
As far as the cover, it’s a mesh safety cover.
I do end up pumping some out from the fall rains and winter snow melt.

 

[Newdude]

I do end up pumping some out from the fall rains and winter snow melt.

So you're really not saving anything by closing with a higher pool level. You might as well drain below the returns and it'll start filling again the next day(s).

 

[JoyfulNoise]

You can run the cyclone when the opening is plugged. It’s a high flow, low pressure blower so it will simply stop pushing air once the line is plugged. The motor on it is thermally protected so that even if you somehow took too long to turn it off, it would switch off on its own if it got too hot. So there’s no need to have a pressure relief valve …

 

[JamesR]

I’d also like it higher initially because the mesh cover is huge and heavy. It’s a fairly large pool. The pool has a raised beam in the deep end for a sheer descent water feature. So I’m pulling the cover up about 3’ on the deep end to the deck. See pic below. Imagine the water about 16” further below that existing water level. I think this year I’ll put the cover on first while the water is at normal level, attach it to most of the anchors but leave access to the skimmers and returns. Then drop the level?

 

[Newdude]

I think this year I’ll put the cover on first while the water is at normal level, attach it to most of the anchors but leave access to the skimmers and returns. Then drop the level?

That'll sure help hold the weight of the cover across the wide area.

 

[Bill1974]

I connect the exhaust of my shop-vac to the return line after my filter. I blow them out when the returns are underwater. With the shop-vac blowing, I install the plugs. I get a little wet but it's not that bad. Also helps is the weather is nice and the water isn't to cold. I glued some PVC fitting to half a threaded union that I make it easy to connect the a union in the pool plumbing and the over end I use a rubber coupling to join the PVC pipe to the shop-vac hose. Once the lines are plugged I just pour antifreeze in the lines.

I have see ads for these plugs, Bungee-Plug - Winterize Your Pool been wondering if they are worth it.

Amazon link