Main drain and skimmer valves

[smicale]

I am curious what is the recommended position to have your main drain and skimmer valves after pool is fully running. Is the skimmer valves all the way open, half way? Same on the main drain?

 

[mknauss]

You want 90+% of your flow into the skimmers. So I would restrict the main drain valve so that it is barely cracked open, and the skimmer valves fully open. The skimmers do something -- help skim the debris off the surface of the pool. The main drain does nothing.