One skimmer port appears sealed

[lvthomascrown123]

Hi everyone, new to the forum. I have an in-ground pool that i just inherited. Approx. 30k gallons, 35 years old. Most of the equipment is probably 10-20 years old. At the equipment, I have three suction valves. One for skimmer (shallow end at least, which will make more sense if you keep reading), one for spa, and one (presumably) for my main drain. In the pool i have two skimmers (one in the shallow end and one in the deep end) and one drain located at the bottom of the deep end. The skimmer in the shallow end (closer to the pump) has great suction. The spa has good suction. The main drain I'm not so sure about but I believe its working properly from futzing around with the suction valves and watching the air pressure on the filter (D.E.) at the same time. In other words, if I close the skimmer and spa valves but open the third valve, water is still being drawn through the pump to the filter.

Anyway, the skimmer in the deep end of the pool is the problem. It has virtually no suction, no matter what I do with the suction valves. There are two holes in the bottom of each skimmer btw. I live in Las Vegas where it doesn't freeze all that often so I have some hesitancy to think the skimmer in the deep end was closed for winter, but I suppose its possible. Is it possible to "open" (i.e. unseal) the skimmer hole in the deep end skimmer (the one that appears to be intentionally closed at the skimmer itself) so that I can utilize this skimmer instead of only one? Feel free with any questions, I explained it as best I could but I'm sure I missed some info that would be helpful. My previous pool guy told me that the circulation is better with just one skimmer open, along with the main drain". Not sure if he was correct or if he was too lazy to figure out and fix the issue with the nonfunctioning skimmer.

Thoughts? Thanks everyone.

 

[PoolGate]

Skimmers have 2 holes in the bottom. One of the holes typically goes back to your equipment pad and the other one typically goes to the main drain. That is, if they used that 2nd hole for the main drain. It isn't used all that often and is left plugged. When that is the case, the main drain is plumbed directly back to the equipment pad bypassing the skimmer 2nd hole. Mine is plumbed in this fashion. Can you post pics of your equipment pad and the skimmers? You can cut and paste them directly into the reply window without uploading them anywhere.

 

[Jimrahbe]

12,

When the main drain is plumbed back to the equipment pad, the hole in the skimmer, closest to to the pool water, is normally capped off..

Thanks,

Jim R.

 

[Jimrahbe]

12,

That said, I am surprised that a 35 year only pool has the main drain plumbed to the equipment pad.

Show us some pics of your equipment pad and maybe we can help you run a couple of tests to see what you have.

Thanks,

Jim R.

 

[lvthomascrown123]

Thanks fellas. I will upload some pictures when I get home in a few hours. Appreciate it!

 

[lvthomascrown123]

12,

That said, I am surprised that a 35 year only pool has the main drain plumbed to the equipment pad.

Show us some pics of your equipment pad and maybe we can help you run a couple of tests to see what you have.

Thanks,

Jim R.

Just out of curiosity, why does that surprise you?

 

[Jimrahbe]

12,

Most older pools have the main drain plumbed into the skimmer and only one line back to the equipment pad.. Plus the spa of course...

Most all newer pools have the main drains plumbed to the equipment pad.

But... there is no absolute standard way to plumb a pool, so there are as many variations as there are pool builders..

Thanks,

Jim R.

 

[Rancho Cost-a-Lotta]

If the two skimmers are tied together, you may be missing the float / diverter valve out of the first skimmer or it may just need to be adjusted to provide the second skimmer with more suction.

 

[lvthomascrown123]

Found some pictures on my phone. As you can see, there are three lines coming into the pump. I've confirmed that one is for the spa, one controls the skimmer that is working properly (and maybe the other one too?), and one is for the main drain I THINK. The other photo shows the return lines. One goes to the pool and the other goes to the spa. DOes that help at all?

 

[lvthomascrown123]

I can confirm that I don't have a diverter valve in either skimmer, although it looks like there is a small piece of what may have once belonged to such a valve screwed to one of the holes in the skimmer that is non-operational. I can't say for sure that the piece I'm referring to came from a diverter valve that may have once been there but it appears possible.

 

[Jimrahbe]

12,

You know in your pic of the pump input, you have one valve completely closed and the other two almost closed..

You certainly don't have the normal Spa/Pool valve set up..

Do you have a spillover spa??

Thanks,

Jim R.

 

[lvthomascrown123]

it's an old photo so don't pay any attention to the positioning of the valves, sorry about that, it's the only photo I could find since I'm not home.
Yes as far as a spillover spa.

 

[lvthomascrown123]

Normally I keep the skimmer valve nearly fully open, the spa valve just barely open and the main drain valve (or what I believe is the main drain) somewhere in between those two. Oh, and there are two drains in my spa, for safety purposes from what I know. Curious why there is only one drain in the pool though.

 

[Rancho Cost-a-Lotta]

although it looks like there is a small piece of what may have once belonged to such a valve screwed to one of the holes in the skimmer

You may just be missing a flap that closes over the front hole. If the skimmers are tied together, the more you cover that hole, the more section you should get from the second skimmer.

 

[Jimrahbe]

Curious why there is only one drain in the pool though.

12,

Because it is 35 years old...

When you are in the pool mode, the spa drain valve should be fully off..

Let's see of we can get some input on how pools with two skimmer that both don't got back to the equipment pad would work... Calling @JamesW

Thanks,

Jim R.

 

[lvthomascrown123]

When you are in the pool mode, the spa drain valve should be fully off..

Why is that?

 

[JamesW]

Get a garden hose and push water into each hole in the bottom of each skimmer to see where the water comes out.

Watch the main drain to see if water comes out.

It seems like you would not be able to see anything but you usually can see some movement or some debris or a change in water temp changes the look.

See if the water goes into the pump.

Put a garden hose into the front hole of the pump and open one valve at a time to see where each line goes by seeing where the water comes out.

 

[lvthomascrown123]

Put a garden hose into the front hole of the pump and open one valve at a time to see where each line goes by seeing where the water comes out.

Thanks James. Are you talking about the suction lines or the return lines? And by hole, you mean opening up the lid to the pump basket and pumping the garden hose in there, right? Or do you mean something else? Sorry for all the questions, I'm still learning

 

[JamesW]

Are you talking about the suction lines or the return lines?

Suction.

And by hole, you mean opening up the lid to the pump basket and pumping the garden hose in there, right?

Yes.

Basically, just use a garden hose to push water into each line to figure out where it goes.

 

[Jimrahbe]

@JamesW

Do you have any idea how two skimmer can be used together when they are not both tied back to the equipment pad? Are they in series or parallel? I have no idea how you could get good suction from both of them at the same time??

Thanks,

Jim R.