How to get my bottom drain, working!

[uscrugbyno1]

Since I purchased my house, I have never figured out how to get bottom drain to work. I am looking for help based off of this picture.





Image two won't upload. Here is the link

Dropbox - 2.jpg

 

[Jimrahbe]

u,

Tell us more.. Do you have one or two skimmers? Do you have a Vacuum port in the side wall of your pool?

If you only have one skimmer, do you have two "open" holes in the bottom of the skimmer or is one of them plugged?

Thanks,

Jim R.

 

[jimmythegreek]

in the pic that wont show here, loosed the thumb screw on the valve that is nearest the camera, and rotate the handle so the handle is pointed at the pipe behind it, away from the camera. leave it inline w the white pipe that is between that valve and the valve behind it. looks like you have 2 lines feeding pump, most likely the one open now is the skimmer and the one closed is the main drain. chances are the main drain leaks or has issues and thats why its closed off. be aware of that possibility

 

[uscrugbyno1]

u,

Tell us more.. Do you have one or two skimmers? Do you have a Vacuum port in the side wall of your pool?

If you only have one skimmer, do you have two "open" holes in the bottom of the skimmer or is one of them plugged?

Thanks,

Jim R.

I have one skimmer.

I have a vacuum port on side of pool.

I have two open holes in bottom of skimmer. Both open.

 

[uscrugbyno1]

So, I did as instructed and didn't notice any diff in the pump. I tried to push some dirt into the return at the bottom and didn't see any action. Will have to get in to see what's up.

Dropbox - 3.jpg

 

[Jimrahbe]

u,

Are there three inputs to your pump??? Is one of them capped off?

Keep in mind that most main drains have very little, if any, visible suction...

If both holes in the bottom of the skimmer are really open, one goes to the pump (suction) and the other, on older pools, almost always goes to the main drain. Put a garden hose or use a drain king and stick water into the skimmer hole that is the closest to the water, and see if it comes out of the main drain.

Thanks,

Jim R.

 

[jimmythegreek]

Prob a plug in the main drain under the cover. U don't rly need a main drain many ppl don't have them or have abandoned them

 

[PoolGate]

Some posting help...

 

[uscrugbyno1]

u,

Are there three inputs to your pump??? Is one of them capped off?

Keep in mind that most main drains have very little, if any, visible suction...

If both holes in the bottom of the skimmer are really open, one goes to the pump (suction) and the other, on older pools, almost always goes to the main drain. Put a garden hose or use a drain king and stick water into the skimmer hole that is the closest to the water, and see if it comes out of the main drain.

Thanks,

Jim R.

Thank you for your great input! I don't believe any of the inputs to the pump are capped. I believe they are all open.

Can you tell me more about the "main drain?" I thought all water would go through the sand filter once leaving the pool.

I don't know how putting water in that hole would help me determine this. Would food coloring be better option?

- - - Updated - - -

Prob a plug in the main drain under the cover. U don't rly need a main drain many ppl don't have them or have abandoned them

By main drain, do you mean the drain I have in the deep end that's not being used?

 

[Jimrahbe]

U,

I am not sure that we are all taking about the same thing. In the deep end of your pool. on the floor will be one or two drain covers.. Normally called the "Main Drain"..

I am assuming that when you say "How to get my bottom drain, working?" that you are talking about what we all call the Main Drain... But maybe not, what is it that you are tying to get to work?

Thanks,

Jim R.

 

[uscrugbyno1]

U,

I am not sure that we are all taking about the same thing. In the deep end of your pool. on the floor will be one or two drain covers.. Normally called the "Main Drain"..

I am assuming that when you say "How to get my bottom drain, working?" that you are talking about what we all call the Main Drain... But maybe not, what is it that you are tying to get to work?

Thanks,

Jim R.

Yes, we are talking about the same thing. Sorry, first time I've dealt with this. Yes, the main drain is at the bottom of the deep end. Isn't that drain important to remove debris from the bottom of the pool?

 

[jimmythegreek]

its not that important. if its there and works you use it. most people have the suction from the main drain very low we all want skimmer action mainly to keep the pool clean. when brushing manually you can move the valve to have it suck more to sweep to the drain and get dirt out from the floor. if you have a robot cleaner then it doesnt matter. if your pool is deep and you wanna help mix the water it helps to have the drain. some ppl even have a valve to make the drain put water into the pool instead of suck to add heated water down deep. with pools theres not much that cant be done, most of the stuff ppl have plumbing wise is the old standard way of doing things, recently ppl started caring more about pump sizes, pipe sizes, etc. in the search for effeciency and lower energy consumption.

in the second pic that doesnt show here it almost looks like the right side pipe down by gravel is cut off and capped. can you move some gravel and check to see its going somewhere?

 

[Jimrahbe]

u,

I have the same question as Jimmy... in the Drop box 3 pic, at the bottom right side of your valves, it looks as if the pipe is capped off. It could just be a 'T' and the pipe continues into the ground but we can't tell.

Assuming that all the pipes are working, you have three inputs to your pump... Most likely, from the Skimmer, Vacuum, and Main Drain.. In your pic, all three are open... Unfortunately, no one here can tell you for sure which pipe goes where.. You just need to experiment with each one.. Set the valves so that only one pipe is open at a time and see if you can tell where the water is coming from... It should be very easy to do this with the skimmer and the VAC line... That means that the other pipe is most likely going to the main drain...

Play with it and see what you get... Just make sure to keep an eye on the pump.. If the VAC line is not open in the pool end or the main drain has been capped off, then the pump will very quickly run out of water.. Do not let it run that way for more than 10 seconds or so..

Thanks for posting,

Jim R.

 

[uscrugbyno1]

u,

I have the same question as Jimmy... in the Drop box 3 pic, at the bottom right side of your valves, it looks as if the pipe is capped off. It could just be a 'T' and the pipe continues into the ground but we can't tell.

Assuming that all the pipes are working, you have three inputs to your pump... Most likely, from the Skimmer, Vacuum, and Main Drain.. In your pic, all three are open... Unfortunately, no one here can tell you for sure which pipe goes where.. You just need to experiment with each one.. Set the valves so that only one pipe is open at a time and see if you can tell where the water is coming from... It should be very easy to do this with the skimmer and the VAC line... That means that the other pipe is most likely going to the main drain...

Play with it and see what you get... Just make sure to keep an eye on the pump.. If the VAC line is not open in the pool end or the main drain has been capped off, then the pump will very quickly run out of water.. Do not let it run that way for more than 10 seconds or so..

Thanks for posting,

Jim R.

In picture 3. That line is capped facing the screw, BUT it does go into the ground. It's like someone put that just encase they ever wanted to run more piping? It does go through the ground at the bottom.

 

[Jimrahbe]

u,

Ok, that is good news... Now it is up to you to see which pipe goes where... Please let us know what you find...

Thanks,


Jim R.

 

[uscrugbyno1]

So, I went swimming last night and put my hand over the main drain. I also motioned some sand into and around the main drain, nothing happened and no suction. Any other suggestions?

 

[Jimrahbe]

U,

Did you determine which valve controls what???

You need to decide how much effort you want to put into this... You really don't need a main drain...

I have two pool that have no operating main drain and they work just fine... But, both of them have robot cleaners.

Jim R.

 

[blakeusa]

How do you know the drain is NOT working.

Many main drains are plumbed to a skimmer and it only uses gravity to move water from the bottom of the pool to the skimmer. You will never feel a suction.
Even with a skimmer directly plumbed to the pump you will often not feel suction as it is getting suction shared by the skimmers. Also if you have two main drains
as with newer pools for safety code you will never feel suction as it is pulling from both drains.

If you really wanted to see if its moving water try squirting some dye at the drain and see if it disappears.

 

[PoolguyinCT]

I’m betting some of those cold things I like to drink, that stub served to reverse flow to floor drain & was chopped out.

Pool built by a&s perhaps?