Second Skimmer hole

[Tommygarry1]

Hi all: I have 2 skimmers. Both have 2 holes. In one of them the 2nd hole is capped off from underneath. In the other one, the 2nd hole is capped off with a winterization plug. My question is — is that winterization plug glued in and that pipe goes to main drain? If so is the main drain doing nothing? No suction at all? Just there for code and the pump is only pulling water from the 2 skimmers?

 

[Texas Splash]

If the drain is not plumbed to the pad separately on its own line, then perhaps in the past the drain showed signed of water loss, so they isolated it from water. That would be my guess. Pulling water from skimmers only is perfectly acceptable.

 

[Tommygarry1]

Thanks…and yes…there is no direct line to pump pad from drain.

 

[Tommygarry1]

Assuming it is closed off — is this plug assumed to never come out and the main drain is doing nothing?

 

[Texas Splash]

Assuming it is closed off — is this plug assumed to never come out and the main drain is doing nothing?

That would be a good assumption. If you were ever really curious, one day you could probably shut off the system, plug the returns and hole that goes to the pad, and watch the water level. If the water level drops with the drain line open, that would certainly explain it.

 

[Tommygarry1]

Does that lime. need to be winterized or is the plug left in while opening and closing?

 

[1Sammy]

Does that lime. need to be winterized or is the plug left in while opening and closing?

That's the million dollar question. If it is plugged in the skimmer because of a leak there also needs to be a plug down in the main drain also. If that was the reason then the pipe from the main drain up to the skimmer can be drained and filled with antifreeze as a back up and never touched again. If it was plugged in the skimmer for a winter closing , maybe the plug was just never removed and all is good.
To answer your question, yes, it needs to be winterized unless as i said above the main drain also has a plug and the line is free of water.
How are ya going to know without diving and removing the main drain cover ? Drain pool below skimmer. Blow or suck the water from skimmer to pump. Now you should have no water in the skimmer. Remove plug going down to the main drain. If water rushes in and fills skimmer to the level of the pool water there is no plug down in the main drain. That means all is good . Now winterize it and put the plug back in. If it was winterized correctly there should be foam rope in there and it may have shot out and up over your head when you took the plug out.

 

[Tommygarry1]

Thanks so much. Very helpful. So it sounds like I might as well leave it plugged up. Its either closed up on both sides or perpetually winterized. I have the pool 2 years and the plug has always been in there through 2 opens and 2 closes.

 

[Tommygarry1]

Are skimmers and main drains ever tied to pump with one line?