To drain or not to drain...

[kymom73]

We've always drained our water to just under the return lines. The first year we had our pool the company who put it in closed for us. They didn't drain it down at all. My parents had an inground pool and always drained it under return lines so we did too. I like it because we can see that all the water is out of the lines when we see air coming out instead of water.

We would love to not have to drain it down to save water and also because we have a leaf net this year to keep from having to get tons of leaves out every spring. If we don't drain it then the leaf net will sit level on top of the winter cover. My question is how do you know if you've got all the water out of the lines if the pool is full? Any advice on this is appreciated!!

 

[Newdude]

Use Bungee plugs in the returns and blow through Gizzmos in the skimmers.

Do you have a cyclone ? It really takes any guesswork out of it.

 

[kymom73]

Use Bungee plugs in the returns and blow through Gizzmos in the skimmers.

Do you have a cyclone ? It really takes any guesswork out of it.

No, what is it?

 

[Mdragger88]

Whether you drain or not the leaf net should still rest on the cover. They really don’t need too much securing since they don’t get blown around because they are holey & weigh nothing. If we get a bunch of fall leaves I tend to dump the leaf net before the freeze- it keeps the cover much cleaner since they won’t be sitting there decomposing all winter. takes about 5 minutes to do & put back. I initially thought i might also be able to use it in the early fall by itself but it acts kinda like a tea bag with the leaves and actually makes the pool dirtier than just letting the skimmer do its job. But on top of the solid cover it’s A+

 

[Newdude]

No, what is it?

It is the preferred tool for blowing lines.

Link


what are you using instead ?

 

[kymom73]

It is the preferred tool for blowing lines.

Link


what are you using instead ?

We use a shop vac blower.

 

[Newdude]

We use a shop vac blower.

Try it with the bungee plugs. If the shop vac isn't strong enough to blow through them, remove them and blow the pipes again. Once air is blowing out, you can then install the bungee plugs like traditional threaded plugs.

Many cap their lines under water while blowing.

 

[kymom73]

Try it with the bungee plugs. If the shop vac isn't strong enough to blow through them, remove them and blow the pipes again. Once air is blowing out, you can then install the bungee plugs like traditional threaded plugs.

Many cap their lines under water while blowing.

How can you tell if air is coming out underwater?

What is the difference of bungee plugs and threaded plugs like we have?

 

[Newdude]

How can you tell if air is coming out underwater?

It'll bubble violently.

What is the difference of bungee plugs and threaded plugs like we have?

Bungee plugs blow through them then seal themselves so you don't have to cap them with air shooting out. If the other way worked with threaded plugs, then do that. It's half a dozen or six, and the way you know wins.

 

[TopJimmy]

My question is how do you know if you've got all the water out of the lines if the pool is full?

I don’t know that it is possible to know if water stays out of your lines. I used bungee plugs last winter and blew the lines with my spa air blower, but then just hoped that:
1. The bungee plugs didn’t leak (allowing pool water to fill the lines over time, although granted, with the lines air locked this is a small risk)
2. The bungee plugs weren’t too tight (bc if so, they might crack the plastic fitting. This is a big risk)

For these reasons and also the hassle of closing and opening I am keeping my pool “open” this winter with heater set to 70 deg. We’ll see how pricey it is by springtime!

 

[anthonypool89]

like it because we can see that all the water is out of the lines when we see air coming out instead of water.

Except that unless you have a solid cover that you know keeps the water from getting back in the pool, it could fill up again to where your lines are.

My question is how do you know if you've got all the water out of the lines if the pool is full? A

When blowing the lines out with a cyclone or air compressor (which is what I use), the water will blow out of the lines before the air, so once you see alot of bubbles coming through the lines, you've got most of the water out. Then, plug them and you're done. As an added precaution, I run a gallon of antifreeze into each line once they're plugged.

What did your parents do about the drain line? I blow that out also and then plug it. Once there's a column of air in the lines it won't let the water back in through the drain.