Yeah I'm pretty positive it is suction. I'll look into the cover to put on it if we don't get the pipes fixed before people start using the pool. Those pipes were a temporary fix when they thought the others were leaking. I'm hoping maybe it was just clogged and not broken.
What did I get myself into lol
- Thread starter ClemsonPool
- Start date
Yeah I'm pretty positive it is suction. I'll look into the cover to put on it if we don't get the pipes fixed before people start using the pool. Those pipes were a temporary fix when they thought the others were leaking. I'm hoping maybe it was just clogged and not broken.
- May 3, 2014
- 62,735
- Pool Size
- 6000
- Surface
- Fiberglass
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Pentair Intellichlor IC-40
Check the viability of the skimmer I see in the one picture. If it was the main drain line that had a leak, you can get by without a main drain.
That's a great idea! There are two skimmers on opposite corners of the pool. Hopefully the Pool Gods will look down on me with some sympathy and there's a simple fix for the plumbing.
- May 3, 2014
- 62,735
- Pool Size
- 6000
- Surface
- Fiberglass
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Pentair Intellichlor IC-40
You should be able to pressure test the skimmer lines. I suspect each skimmer has a line run to the equipment pad.
Glad he is learning this life lesson-helping others and doing good things for the creatures of our world! AND he got to work with the "grown up machines" to boot!!! Win for everyone!
He can't wait til he can do a few cannon balls in that refurbished pool, I bet! 
Maddie
Maddie
- May 3, 2014
- 62,735
- Pool Size
- 6000
- Surface
- Fiberglass
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Pentair Intellichlor IC-40
If it runs and you can turn those ball valves, you are in business!
The ball valves do turn! I’m helping my father-in-law finish a hay barn on Thursday and then he’s going to come help hook up the electrical connections to the pool. He’s the one that original ran it all and then disconnected it.
I went by today to take some photos of the equipment to post here. I then decided to trouble shoot the plumbing. Hopefully my photo isn’t confusing. The orange arrows are locations of the returns. The blue arrows are the skimmers and drain in the bottom of the deep end.
Since the pipes were unhooked to use the temporary ones, I turned the ball valves to the returns and skimmers. I put a hose in them and ran the water to clear the lines and also see what happened. The pump is a good 200+ feet from the water head so the pressure wasn’t that great.
I was able to pump water into the skimmers and then they drained back down. I saw some bubbling in the main drain and it looked like water may have been coming out but it’s under water and who knows what else is in that pipe already.
I was able to get water to come out of all four returns. The one I circled in red was having some trouble. It sounded like it was gurgling and some water would come out but not much. There probably wasn’t enough pressure to really diagnose it since it was the furthest away from the hose. The return on the far left next to the skimmer was really flowing. I thought that was odd. I figured it would one of the closer ones but there’s probably wasp nests and knows what else in there.
Since the pipes were unhooked to use the temporary ones, I turned the ball valves to the returns and skimmers. I put a hose in them and ran the water to clear the lines and also see what happened. The pump is a good 200+ feet from the water head so the pressure wasn’t that great.
I was able to pump water into the skimmers and then they drained back down. I saw some bubbling in the main drain and it looked like water may have been coming out but it’s under water and who knows what else is in that pipe already.
I was able to get water to come out of all four returns. The one I circled in red was having some trouble. It sounded like it was gurgling and some water would come out but not much. There probably wasn’t enough pressure to really diagnose it since it was the furthest away from the hose. The return on the far left next to the skimmer was really flowing. I thought that was odd. I figured it would one of the closer ones but there’s probably wasp nests and knows what else in there.
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What needs to happen is a pressure test..............how you do a pressure test I have not real idea of though so will lean on Marty for that one. @mknauss
- May 3, 2014
- 62,735
- Pool Size
- 6000
- Surface
- Fiberglass
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Pentair Intellichlor IC-40
Find some plugs (there are winterization plugs available) to fit the returns and skimmer lines. Then you may have to do some plumbing modifications to install ways to isolate and install connections to get air into the system. As you get further into the process bring it back up.
I’ve finished pressure washing most of the pool. The deep end still needs it though. It’ll be tougher because of all the water that collects there. Progress has been slow because of all the rain we’ve been getting.
I have lost the pool paint battle with my wife. So we will be re-painting next week some time. I just didn’t think it made sense to pay $10k to plaster a pool that doesn’t belong to me.
I think the most labor-intensive parts are behind us. I’m just trying to figure out how to prep it for paint. I’ve been trying to pressure wash off as much of the old stuff as I can but even with my 3.5 GPM 4000PSI unit it’s slow going.
I have lost the pool paint battle with my wife. So we will be re-painting next week some time. I just didn’t think it made sense to pay $10k to plaster a pool that doesn’t belong to me.
I think the most labor-intensive parts are behind us. I’m just trying to figure out how to prep it for paint. I’ve been trying to pressure wash off as much of the old stuff as I can but even with my 3.5 GPM 4000PSI unit it’s slow going.
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Hoping it still runs!
mguzzy
Gold Supporter
looks great! I bet it feels good to watch it fill with water
<fingers crossed for pump>
What's the plan for the stairs?
Maddie
Nothing lol. I didn’t want to wait another 7-14 days for white paint and we ended up not wanting to paint them blue so people could see where to step. I’ll paint them next Spring before opening.
It’s a relief. It took so much time to pressure wash off the old paint and then wash it with TSP. I almost passed out trying to paint it because of the heat. Made me wish I’d started last January instead of May.
mguzzy
Gold Supporter
I lived in a rental with an old pool like this.. We had to paint it every year. The land lord was happy to pay for the water if we were happy to fix it up and use it.. it seemed like an equitable arrangement to us! We were the ones that got to swim in it!