I received this text from my bro in law. I noticed his water looked bad and I opened up the closed po drain valve. He was told to keep it closed since he has a cleaner. Is this true? I've never closed off my skimmers or drain when my polaris runs. I posted my setup, my bro in law's is similar.
Open or close main drain
- Thread starter txhorns16
- Start date
- Jul 21, 2013
- 55,445
- Pool Size
- 35000
- Surface
- Plaster
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Pentair Intellichlor IC-60
Main drain has no suction you can feel when it is on. Pool cleaners do get hung up on the drain cap and not because of the suction.
A bit of flow through the main drain helps flow in the pool if you have a deep end.
A bit of flow through the main drain helps flow in the pool if you have a deep end.
16,
The main drain being opened or closed has nothing to do with your brother's pool water quality issues.
What does "water looks bad" mean???
How does your brother chlorinate his water?
What do his test results look like for the following?
FC
CC
pH
TA
CH
CYA
Salt (if a saltwater pool)
Thanks,
Jim R.
The main drain being opened or closed has nothing to do with your brother's pool water quality issues.
What does "water looks bad" mean???
How does your brother chlorinate his water?
What do his test results look like for the following?
FC
CC
pH
TA
CH
CYA
Salt (if a saltwater pool)
Thanks,
Jim R.
Jim
He plays someone to come out once a week and shock. I noticed no circulation. Oak trees in Texas are blowing up.
He plays someone to come out once a week and shock. I noticed no circulation. Oak trees in Texas are blowing up.
16,
What does your BIL do, if anything, to the pool? Has anyone checked the skimmer baskets?
Jim R.
What does your BIL do, if anything, to the pool? Has anyone checked the skimmer baskets?
Jim R.
Sadly he does nothing Jim. Somebody comes out weekly to shock and clean out the leaves. Are skimmers sufficient enough to turn over the water from a 10k pool? I rec to leave the drain open.
16,
Operating Main drains are not "needed" in most pools.. Running with just skimmers works just fine.
The idea that you must "turnover" x amount of water per day is an old myth and just not true. Chemicals keep your pool clear and sanitized, not the number of times water passes through the filters. Pool filters are there to capture all the junk that falls into your pool and floats. Once your filters start capturing algae it is way too late. The key is to not let algae start at all by keeping your FC and CYA levels where then should be per this chart.. FC/CYA Levels
There is nothing "wrong" with leaving the main drain open, but doing so just means the skimmers do less and in the big picture the main drains don't really do much anyway. Many think that algae starts due to lack of circulation, but that is not true. It is true that algae will form first where there is less circulation, but it starts because of low free chlorine levels, not because of any circulation issue.
As far as your BIL is concerned, sadly, you can't help someone that is unwilling to help themselves.
Thanks,
Jim R.
Operating Main drains are not "needed" in most pools.. Running with just skimmers works just fine.
The idea that you must "turnover" x amount of water per day is an old myth and just not true. Chemicals keep your pool clear and sanitized, not the number of times water passes through the filters. Pool filters are there to capture all the junk that falls into your pool and floats. Once your filters start capturing algae it is way too late. The key is to not let algae start at all by keeping your FC and CYA levels where then should be per this chart.. FC/CYA Levels
There is nothing "wrong" with leaving the main drain open, but doing so just means the skimmers do less and in the big picture the main drains don't really do much anyway. Many think that algae starts due to lack of circulation, but that is not true. It is true that algae will form first where there is less circulation, but it starts because of low free chlorine levels, not because of any circulation issue.
As far as your BIL is concerned, sadly, you can't help someone that is unwilling to help themselves.
Thanks,
Jim R.
Oly
Gold Supporter
If you ever want to swim in your BIL's pool then try to correct his sanitation method, if not then ooh-well. 
My main drain has been closed for 6 years, no issues. I did remove the riser under my cap so it sits lower to the pool bottom. I did this when I ran a suction-side sweep, (Pentair Rebel) as it often was stuck on the bottom drain and it helped but have no problem now with the bot.
My main drain has been closed for 6 years, no issues. I did remove the riser under my cap so it sits lower to the pool bottom. I did this when I ran a suction-side sweep, (Pentair Rebel) as it often was stuck on the bottom drain and it helped but have no problem now with the bot.
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