In-floor cleaning system inlet is clogging up

[KurtinTUS]

Swimming around in the deep end the other day, I put my hand over the inlet grate for the in-floor cleaner and noticed it had virtually no suction. Donned some goggles and went down for a closer look. There appears to be quite a bit of DG rock accumulated down there (and who knows what else). The pool is about 9 months old and the inlet sits under seven feet of water. I'm not sure if this is a one-off from the initial wave of construction and landscaping that has gone in since the beginning of the year, or if it may be a routine thing for our pool/backyard setup.

I'm asking, of course, because this is gonna be a pain in the rear to clean out! The grate is held in place by ten screws. I suppose I could partially drain the pool to improve access, or try to kluge up a long snorkel...or even get my diving cert & a rig if I'm going to have to go through this twice a year.

Any other ideas or similar experiences?

 

[kadavis]

Maybe a picture of the equipment valve setup and which suction drain was installed

 

[KurtinTUS]

Okay, here's a photo of the return. There's some distortion in the photo, obviously, but the inlet is roughly 6" by maybe 28."



Next is the normal valve configuration I have been using:



Lastly is a photo of the return during construction.



Best I have been able to tell, the grate is secured with ten fasteners that seem to be similar to a Torx pattern, but have a raised center which does not allow a standard Torx wrench to engage. Wish I could send a close-up photo, but my phone isn't water-proof. Surely there is some way to get that grate off for cleaning?

I will also contact my PB this week and see what they think about it.

 

[PoolguyinCT]

The driver is called “security driver.” They are used in many applications & easy to source.
Torx with a dimple, a regular torx will strip heads quickly.

 

[KurtinTUS]

That's good info. Thanks!

 

[PoolguyinCT]

Your welcome..
take a deep breathe!

 

[KurtinTUS]

LOL! Yes, I think a series of MANY free-dives will be what it takes to get the job done.

 

[kadavis]

This is a A&A system, it looks like you have several suction lines operating at the same time. I can't make out the labels but you might try closing everything except the bottom drain. Usually these systems utilize a venturi style skimmer which works off pressure so you can usually close this off during normal circulation. If there is blockage with just the drain on then you will have to open it up