Main drain does nothing…is this a problem?

[funrunner]

New pool owner here. noticed that my pool pump just pulls water from the single skimmer in my pool and nothing is pulled from the two drains at the bottom. Is this a problem? Is my pool skimmer missing a piece in order to pull water from the bottom as well, because I do see the port for it inside my skimmer?

Also my skimmer doesn’t have a closing flap. Is this a big deal? Easy fix?

And is it normal for the pump/filter assembly to accumulate air over time if I run my pump 24/7. Seems like air is leaking in since i think it should be a closed loop system. But maybe if it’s just a small leak where air is pulled it’s not a big deal?

Leo

 

[Texas Splash]

Your skimmer needs to have a weir door (flap) to help the opening pull water in more efficiently. There are aftermarket weir doors you can install. A small amount of air might accumulate under the pump basket clear lid. As long as it's not excessive or you lose prime to the pump you should be okay. But check the lid O-ring to ensure it has a generous amount of pool silicone lube applied to prevent and air suction leak.

As for the drain, many pools do just fine pulling water from the skimmer only. To know why it's not pulling water from the drains we'd need to know more about the pool. Perhaps post a pic or two of your equipment pad. Keep in mind pools are plumbed differently, so the drains may have a separate line, or perhaps they leaked at one point and where plugged. But we'll look for some pics to see.