Pleeeaaasseee help me identify my plumbing and valves.

[DeanaR]

Hi all, thank you for the help yesterday, (I still haven’t managed to get into my pump basket ?)

Todays question is, can anyone help me identify which pipes are for what?
I’m pretty certain the one nearest to the camera is for the skimmer as the skimmer stops when I turn it (Could also be wrong)
Once again any help is greatly appreciated and thank you for reading ?

 

[DeanaR]

Hi all, thank you for the help yesterday, (I still haven’t managed to get into my pump basket ?)

Todays question is, can anyone help me identify which pipes are for what?
I’m pretty certain the one nearest to the camera is for the skimmer as the skimmer stops when I turn it (Could also be wrong)
Once again any help is greatly appreciated and thank you for reading ?

 

[ajw22]

You really need to give us more to work with then a picture of a few pipes. Post pics of your complete equipment pad and give us a description of your pool. Skimmers? How many? Main Drain? Water features?

If you turn the valve and the skimmer stops that is pretty good confirmation.

 

[DeanaR]

You really need to give us more to work with then a picture of a few pipes. Post pics of your complete equipment pad and give us a description of your pool. Skimmers? How many? Main Drain? Water features?

If you turn the valve and the skimmer stops that is pretty good confirmation.

Ok sorry for the lack of info. this is my first pool and the previous owners had never used it so I don’t have much to go on. I’m still very much learning the ropes And here in the uk very few people own outdoor pools so I am literally going in blind. I’ll attach pictures of the whole set up including the pool itself. The pool has one outlet and one side skimmer as far as I know. It does have two grids on the bottom that i Would assume to be drainage but I am unsure.
I have a sand filter and a pump, no heater(yet)
the pool lining is vinyl
it’s all in desperate need of some major TLC!
i do have a lid for the pump but I am half way through cleaning it out as we speak Took me two bloody days to get into the thing ?
thanks again, i really appreciate it.

 

[DeanaR]

Ok sorry for the lack of info. this is my first pool and the previous owners had never used it so I don’t have much to go on. I’m still very much learning the ropes And here in the uk very few people own outdoor pools so I am literally going in blind. I’ll attach pictures of the whole set up including the pool itself. The pool has one outlet and one side skimmer as far as I know. It does have two grids on the bottom that i Would assume to be drainage but I am unsure.
I have a sand filter and a pump, no heater(yet)

 

[PoolGate]

The two pipes going into the pump are inputs probably a skimmer and a drain. The pipe underneath goes back to the pool.

 

[ajw22]

Sounds like you have one skimmer and the grates at the bottom of the pool form one main drain. That accounts for the two valves on the suction intake to the pump.

 

[Rancho Cost-a-Lotta]

In your first photo, both valves are open (the handles point to water flow). When you get your pool set up, the priority is skimming action. If you need more suction at the skimmer to remove debris, slowly close the main drain until you get the desired skimming action. All pools are different, so you'll have to play with the valves to fine tune flow.

Good luck and don't hesitate to ask for help. Hopefully you have access to a good test kit to help rid yourself of that mess.

Edit...it look like you have a vacuum hose in the pool. Is that connected to a port on the sidewall?

 

[DeanaR]

In your first photo, both valves are open (the handles point to water flow). When you get your pool set up, the priority is skimming action. If you need more suction at the skimmer to remove debris, slowly close the main drain until you get the desired skimming action. All pools are different, so you'll have to play with the valves to fine tune flow.

Good luck and don't hesitate to ask for help. Hopefully you have access to a good test kit to help rid yourself of that mess.

Edit...it look like you have a vacuum hose in the pool. Is that connected to a port on the sidewall?

Thank you for the advice will definitely be having a play.
in Regards to the vacuum hose no it isn’t attached to a port it attaches to the skimmer but I don’t seem to have any suction at all coming from the port that the hose connects to. I have two holes a front one which is the main skimmer and the back one is the only one that the hose will fit so I’m assuming that’s where its supposed to go for manual vacuuming. Any ideas on why There’s no suction? I thought maybe the hose itself is worn so I have ordered a new one.
I have also ordered Some shock treatment and a test kit From recommendations on here.
i Have a net and vacuum head already.

Everything seems to work well, the sand will need replacing as it’s not been used for a very long time so god knows what’s in there. I can’t seem to get the lid off and it’s testing my patience big time haha. Yesterday the pump lid, today the filter lid, surely it shouldn’t be this hard ?
sorry I went off on one there!
thanks again!

 

[DeanaR]

Sounds like you have one skimmer and the grates at the bottom of the pool form one main drain. That accounts for the two valves on the suction intake to the pump.

Thank you, I only have one main drain and one grate, one was the lid from the other one haha, it’s the first time I’ve fully inspected the pool so had no idea until I stuck the brush down and it moved ?

 

[ajw22]

I have two holes a front one which is the main skimmer and the back one is the only one that the hose will fit so I’m assuming that’s where its supposed to go for manual vacuuming. Any ideas on why There’s no suction?

Post pics of that skimmer and the holes you are describing.