And if you've never drained your pool before, doing it the wrong way can damage your pool liner, or worse: the whole thing can collapse. In addition to the main inlet, the skimmer system has a secondary equalizer line leading to a drain below the surface level. What's the fastest way to drain an above ground pool? What about the rest of the water in the pool especially the water at the bottom? If you want to determine how safe (or dangerous) your pool main drains are then you need to know whether the pump sucks directly from the main drain (active), or whether the pump only draws from the skimmer and the main drain supplies a non-pressure equalizer line to the skimmer (passive). In-line Chlorinators.
We will have a tutorial for how to blow out your main drain for the winter, but I'll discuss briefly why you blow it out and then close the lines. Though, it can be done fairly easily if you know how. Before burying the pipe, glue a 90° elbow to the end of the pipe and then add at least a two-foot piece of pipe to the elbow. You'll get 30+ step-by-step videos and a downloadable guide with everything you need to know about pool maintenance. Where do I open and Close the Pool's Main Drain? Depending on where you live, you may be limited in terms of when you can drain your pool. While uncommon, there may come the point where you have to drain your above ground swimming pool entirely. If you can't, it's no big deal. A salt generator is a coated plate that is electrically charged. Proper main drain installation comes with a valve so you can regulate the percentage of water coming from the main drain and skimmer and be able to turn either one completely off. Main drain entrapment occurs when the suction is so great through a single main drain that a person can become stuck on or in the drain.
A pipe will have to connect the main drain to the pool's equipment. So do the same thing that you did to connect the skimmer. NOTE: Oval pools can only have the skimmer/return openings at the ends or corners of the pool (not on the straight sides). Write Your Own Review. We install dual main drains in Orlando area above ground pools for $350 including all parts and labor. Hayward DV4000 Cleaner Parts. Flat V Snap Above Ground Coping. When an above-ground pool has a leak, people will think it is from one thing or another.
Drain and cover the above-ground pool. Can I adjust the main drain valve? How often do I need to drain an above ground pool? Choose a space on your property for the pump's outlet hose to drain. This will easily adapt to the 1 1/2" pipe coming from the drain. And this pipe will run underneath the pool's liner, so it will have to be buried. Whether you have a manual suction-side vacuum or an automatic cleaner, this piece of equipment is invaluable. Not all is revealed at once in this new New Zealand home, which balances cocktail chic and family playspaceFull Story.
Once all the piping in the trench is set and glued, go ahead and bury it. There are 3 main heater types: gas, electric pumps and solar heating systems. Here are the basics if you do decide to go ahead with the drain. When constructing a new swimming pool, if you are going to use a main drain it is required that you use two. This pool draining process can be completed with one garden hose, but the more you use, the faster your water will drain. Make sure the pool has at least a few inches of water in it before starting this step. In reality, you can install a main drain anywhere at the bottom of the pool, but for best results, you'll want it in the very center of a round-shaped pool. Some plumbing configurations have more potential for danger than others, and for this reason it is important to learn as much about your pool and your plumbing system as possible. This generator is plumbed in a similar way to a chlorinator: after the pump, filter and heater. If you have done this right, there will be a tee fitting glued to a five-inch piece of PVC pipe sticking out of the front of the pump. Many years back, above grounds only came with really crappy canister sand filters and undersized pumps.
With above grounds there is always the potential for all the water not to be making it evenly through the equipment and therefore causing chemical balance issues due to poor circulation. This is in my opinion the only time you will have your main drain fully closed. GRAVITY DRAINAGE SYSTEM: In this type of main drain set-up, the main drains are gravity fed into a collection tank that is connected to the pool pump. NOTE: The bottom track of the pool must already be set and leveled before installing the main drain. Seal up any cracks and other imperfections with rust-proof paint or even fingernail polish. All Rights Reserved. This is so you can plumb it to the pump.
It's time to bury the pipe. Just make sure this end of the hose is lower the water level in your pool. The pump moves water through the drains, pipes and other equipment in your pool. ONE MAIN DRAIN OR TWO? After completing step 10, there will be one valve left open.
Modern day main drain lids are designed to eliminate the potential for someone to get their appendages stuck in them, and with no water flow there is little risk for swimmers hair to get pulled in and stuck through the main drain cover openings. Heating Accessories. Light Replacement Parts. In these systems each main drain is installed a minimum of three feet apart, and the main drain lines are connected together. Old-fashioned fridges can be energy guzzlers, but there are more eco-friendly ways of keeping food fresh, as these global innovations showFull Story. Make sure it is level as the glue dries. Step #6 Bury the PVC Piping. You'll pull air into the suction line, which can damage or burn up your pump. In the next section, we'll find out what the pumping and filtering systems are all about. Zodiac LM2 Salt Chlorinator Parts. I've been in the pool business for a long, long time. Cutting for the main drain is really easy.