Browse our pool heaters to find the right option for your pool. If you have an above ground pool you will want to blow all of the water out of the skimmers and hoses. Tip. Step 4 Hook up a shop vacuum and insert the hose into the skimmer hole. I have an inground pool, gunite, I have for about three years in the late spring, drained the pool by closing the skimmer line, have the main drain valve open fully, and the return line open fully, had an issue of the pool pump not priming, called out my pool company and they had to replace the pump. Rinse after. Blowing Out The Swimming Pool Plumbing . susan lopez 6/19/2015 1:53:20 PM. Turn on the vac to begin blowing out the water inside of the pump, heater, and filter . ... Our inground pool kits commonly have a dedicated main drain line, running all the way back to the pump, with a 3-way valve to control the flow. Your DE filter could be entirely blameless while its sidekick, the pool pump, causes all the trouble. Unhook the pool pump from the pool plumbing. After draining, D.E. Add winter chemicals to the pool. My 5hp Shop-Vac brand shop-vac won't blow out my main drain but did fine with skimmers and returns. Standard Winter Cover: i. Blowing out the lines is the single most critical step to winterizing the pool in areas that experience hard freezes. Whether you're a new pool owner with a stunning pool design or veteran home pool pro, this guide contains important information for all classes of pool ownership.. Steps to winterize a swimming pool: The method described below whereby pool plumbing pipes are blown out and sealed first was most widely performed in New England and the East coast of … filter grids and cartridge filters should be removed and cleaned thoroughly. I just read about laying a string accross the drain to see movement that I … I read the pool school page on closing above ground pools and I didn't see any mention of blowing out lines, but have seen recommendations to do so elsewhere. Didn't know I could blow out the main drain line until I read here how others were doing it (duh! Host Dan Harrison from PoolAndSpa.com answers common questions about the care of swimming pools and hot tub spas in this E-How episode from Pool And Spa TV Season 7. Since you drained the pool below the skimmer, the water level in the main drain pipe should be lower as well. Hooking up a shop vac to the pool for use in closing involves setting the device to blow air and attaching the vac's hose to the appropriate pool plumbing line. During winter months or periods of non-use, most pool drains do not need to be plugged, but in some cases plugging a main drain is required or recommended. Correction: *bolts, not nuts. What a swimming pool main drain actually does is act as a suction that takes the water out of the pool and sends it back to the filter to be cleaned, so that it can then redistribute it back into the pool. How To Drain An Inground Pool With A Main Drain - In This How-To Video, Dan Harrison goes through the steps necessary to drain a inground pool with a main drain. 5. loose hoses, not clamped tightly to hose adapter, or tiny splits in the suction hose (usually can be heard hissing). Winterizing in ground pool. Pool drains get clogged from time to time, even if you properly care for and maintain your pool. Surprise! Blowing out lines, antifreeze, taking ladders out. Have a bucket close by to empty out the dirt and other matter that got stuck in the trap. You should see water flowing out of the different drain holes on your filter and heater; Turn off the vac once the water stops coming out. You then will want to suck up and blow out all of the water from inside the pump and the filter tank. Does anyone use an air compressor to blow out the lines of their IG pool? And, right before putting the cover on the pool, run the leaf rake (skim net) around the pool to pull out any leaves that have blown into the pool . Is there enough volume? An inground swimming pool's main drain is located in the deep end of the pool. 5.) My Pool: 10k inground fibreglass, Telescopic Cover, ... Is the pool likely to freeze where the main drain is then you would be better pouring antifreeze down the pipe However I think you have it covered so long as you bottom drain has a valve that you can shut when you have blown out most of the water Also make sure you are drained down below your returns and blown out. If the water in the pipe freezes, it will expand up the partially empty line and not out. Hi, my husband and I... Hi, my husband and I closed the pool yesterday and I'm not sure that we blew out the lines properly. While the returns are bubbling, you plug these lines at the pool. Anti-freeze is not necessary if your lines are properly blown out. I rigged up a system to put 25lb psi air from my basement air compressor (5hp w/20 gal. Although the rest of the pool's parts, such as the filter, may seem to be working just fine, the drain is always at risk of getting clogged. CLEAN THE FILTER. I've blown out both skimmer lines fine, but am not sure how to isolate the return and main drain. 3. loose valve lids in front of the pump, skimmer and main drain valves that are old and leaky (inground pools). Follow these steps too prepare: Lower the water level 4-12″ below the skimmer, depending on cover type. How to Winterize & Close an Inground Pool. Blow out the lines. (It's about 150' from compressor to pool pad). It's never been a problem, but I'm wondering if I should start blowing out the that line. 11. a. This is called an equalizer line. I get serious air coming out the main drain … Here’s how to blow out your pool lines. grids with a Filter Cleaner. If there is a place or a way that you could seriously damage your swimming pool and cost yourself extraordinarily large amounts of money, this is it. Make sure to also empty out the tank on the shop vacuum every once a a while so you do not overfill the vacuum tank. Your swimming pool's main drain requires regular maintenance. Set multiport valve to Recirculate, Filter position for slide valves; Blowing out the lines is a 3-step process. I know we did it during our first winter (8 years ago) and had no problems - but I don't remember all the details. 1. A suction leak in the pump can push some DE into the pool via the skimmer or main drain when the pump is turned off. TIP: Avoid using anti-freeze, which can cause a mess when you open your pool. Clean the Pool. All water must be drained or blown out so your equipment doesn’t freeze and crack. However, you don't want to smear it on the side of the pool or on the deck as you pull it out. If you can, blow out the main drain. Turn a few valves and you can blow out other skimmers and main drain lines, fountains, spa jets or pool cleaner lines. Set the vacuum to the "Blow" setting and run it. A main drain circulates the pool's water by pulling water off the bottom of the pool and sending it to the filter. Every year, I use 3 air pillows. When you see bubbles come out of the drain plug the pipe on your end or close the gate valve. To determine if it's leaking in the main drain pipe, run the pool on main drain only for 24 hours and measure how much the water level drops, then turn the pump off for 24 hours and measure the loss. To blow out the main drain, block the airflow as above, and then open the main drain valve. While the Cyclone will always blow out main drains, some wet/dry vacs will not, especially on deeper pools. 4. low water level in the pool, or a stuck skimmer weir or pool toy, blocking water flow into the pool skimmer. Should I always see bubbles? The main drain line is a possibility, though small, in my experience. Unscrew the filter drain cap manually and let it drain. I then *attempt* to put a Gizzmo or expando rubber … Take out the filter hoses, then, spray the cartridge filter elements and D.E. Now cover the open ends of the pipes with plastic bags and open the valves. Shop vacs help close a pool by blowing air into the swimming pool's plumbing lines, removing 99 percent of the water in the pipes. Likewise my Stihl backpack leaf blower. Flush the Drains . blowing out pool lines. I need help on blowing out lines in inground pool. BLOWING OUT MAIN/BOTTOM DRAIN LINE: The pool water is lowered to below the returns, but not quite below the bottom of the deep skim bucket where the main drain pipe comes out. Put on the pool safety cover. After air has been bubbling strong for 30 seconds, close off the main drain valve tightly, while the air is still blowing. We were able to blow out the returns and skimmer by attaching our shop vac to the lines without any problem. This is the first year my husband and I closed our 24k gal, IG vinyl pool (in coastal RI). tank) into garden hoses and then directly into the filter plumbing. If possible, store filter and pump indoors. Thoughts? The very first step you need to do is clean the pool. However our shop vac wasn't able to clear our main drain (didn't see any air bubbles from the drain). :eek: I've blown out the return lines, waste line, and pool cleaner line. Drain the pool below the skimmer. If so what pressure is the max? This prevents the risk of water in the pipes freezing and causing damage. Step 5) Drain and blow out your lines. ). If you’ve already exonerated your filter and valve from any blame, inspect the pump for a suction leak. The pool builder told me I didn't need to blow out the lines, just drain the water below the frost line, put an inner tube in the water to prevent freezing, and something about opening drains in the filter or pump to allow for expansion. In 2007 the United States passed the Virginia Graeme Baker Pool and Spa Safety Act. Below are the steps that we followed and I'd like to know if you can let me know if it sounds as done properly or not, and if you can help me in the questions below. This keeps all of the water out, keeping your main drain line safe. You will need to brush the walls, flow, and around the pool using a brush to remove any hard or dark spots. I've never blown out the hose to the main drain. When I tried the main drain, I never saw bubbles. Because it is located at the bottom of the center of the pool, it can easily become clogged by debris that sinks to the bottom of the pool. Drain, hand pump or scoop water out of skimmers until almost empty. Run the vacuum until all of the water inside the pool lines is blown out. Reading some of the threads about pool closing made me realize I've never blown the water out of the main drain pipe since the pool was installed in 2004! The hole closest to the pool would be the one that connects to the main drain. Use drain plugs to drain water from your pump, filter, heater and chlorinator. If your pool has steps, you will need to place a 4’ X 8’ sheet of ¾” plywood over the step to relieve stress on the winter cover. New inground pools need to have two main drains, which is a recently created rule to help reduce fatalities. Notes to myself...if you learn something from it, great. 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