Hydrostatic Conundrum

[dieterhansi]

HI all. Have emptied (old, 50+ years, Anthony Pool) in Northern NJ. As far as i can tell there is no hydostatic value in the bottom of the drain. I felt around down there and it simply feels like rough concrete. However there are two other things that look like big screws, one each in the shallow end and one in the middle of the pool (more or less).
I have no idea where to begin with these (image attached. it is about 2 inches in diameter).

I have guys (not pool guys, masons) coming tomorrow to demo the coping and tile, and then they will replace it. The pool guy i am working with is not returning my calls.

If i had to guess, my pool is not going to rise out of the ground. but i dont' want to guess. i want to know. Any help appreciated.

 

[YippeeSkippy]

I'm gonna holler for out NJ pro to chime in....... YoooooHoooo! @jimmythegreek

 

[jimmythegreek]

Take the main drain cover off and take a pic. I cant tell what that is in the pic you posted. If anything clean those up amd carefully remove the screws. Does the drain work or when you say you feel concrete was it filled in? Anthony pools always have main drains unless somebody played with it

 

[WhiteWine]

Looks to me like if could be a hydro static relief plug.

Hydrostatic Relief Plugs

Hydrostatic Relief Plugs - can be manual or automatic and they perform a very unique and important function of letting underground water pressure (hydro-static pressure) into the pool, instead of pressing up on the pool and cracking or lifting the pool.

blog.intheswim.com

 

[jimmythegreek]

Could be but I thought he said it was in shallow end. Anthony built some nice pools they all have hydrostatic in deep end. Deepest pool I ever saw residential is wife friends pool it's an Anthony from 80s its 11ft deep freeform. Plaster guys said they never worked on one so deep before

 

[dieterhansi]

Thank you. Yes, whatever they are are in the shallow end, and about the middle of the pool. I suspect they are the plugs.

One pool guy that saw the value/plug/whatever it is said to just leave it. We are carrying on and doing the work without releasing it. Not ideal but that is the decision i made, and I can't find anyone that seems able to do anything about it. The pool has been empty for three days now, and we hope to be filling it back up w/in a week.

Also: JImmy: The main drain had been plugged, but when i removed the drain cover the plug had fallen out. What likely happened is that at some point when the pool was opened/closed, the lines were blown out and the crew did not realize that the main drain had been plugged. This is not bad news though, because we plugged it in the first place because we thought we had a leak in the main drain line but it turned out that we did not.

below is a pic of the new coping.

 

[jimmythegreek]

If somebody went thru the trouble to plug the main drain it probably leaks. Usually the hydrostatic valve is right in the main drain did you look well? What was it plugged with

 

[dieterhansi]

Jimmy, Thank you. Well I was the one that was responsible for plugging the main drain, on the theory that i was leaking. But in the end, i don't think it was leaking. It was plugged with a rubber plug, similar to what is used to plug our returns.

We have now done the tile and coping, and are refilling the pool. Unfortunately i could not find anyone to acid wash it, and didnt want to take that on myself. But i power washed it and it looks better.

I am 100% sure there was no value in the main drain. There were four values that look just like the one in the image at the top of the thread, running from the shallow end down to near the drain. I surmised these must have been the release valves. We lived on the edge and never tried to release them.

And here is another question: I'm basically opening the pool myself this year. There are two plastic screws that were in the basket that is attached to our (Hayward) pump. Clearly they were left there over the winter intentionally. Also in the basket was the "cap" that screws on to the base of the filter (upside down).

i can't figure out where i am supposed to put these screws. I found an image online of them that suggests they belong with a Hayward Chlorinator, but we don't have that. Does anyone have any idea?

 

[WhiteWine]

Look at the base of the pool pump where the basket goes (from the outside). There are normally a couple ports that these could have come from.

 

[dieterhansi]

Thank you WhiteWine. Will do.

 

[jimmythegreek]

Those are either the plugs under the pump basket or the plugs for the heater if you have one. That's where we all put them they never get lost

 

[dieterhansi]

Jimmy,

Thank you again. I finally found both plugs, not sure why i could not do it at first. I tried not to tighten them too much.

With the
1. skimmer 'plug' removed-- the sort of empty plastic bottle that screws into the area where the pool skimmer basket goes
2. the cap replaced on the base of the filter
3. the plug removed from the inside of the filter pump (that kept water from entering the pump during the winter)
4. the plug removed from the return to the pool
5. the two filter drain plugs replaced

....it seems like I will be ready (once the water level in the pool is above the skimmer intake line) to turn the filter pump on, making sure that there is sufficient water in the pump before doing so.

Is there any thing else i need to do? thanks again for your help.

 

[jimmythegreek]

You just have to make sure line is free. If water level in pool is lower than skimmer pull lid amd fill basket with hose it should drain into pool. If so fill pool and then the pump amd quickly close lid and prime her up. Hard to say that's it without being there or seeing pad but thats the basics

If ita carteidge filter crack the bleeder on top til its primed and clear dome. Good idea to use pool lube on all the plugs amd lid Orings

 

[dieterhansi]

Thank you JImmy. In the meantime i also found a pool opening video which walked through everything. Feeling ready, just waiting for the water level to get there. I'm also going to order pool lube.