Owesome Forum. First Question :)

[mike bolton]

Hello everybody,

I need to drain my pool to prepare for winter.

Because it's my first year without a pool technician ( who always bring a water pump with him ) I need to drain my pool under the lowest jets and skimmer.

I don't have a water pump, only a shop vac.

I was thinking to use my main drain to drain the water, but from any reasons I cannot make this main drain to work.

I have only one main line comes from the skimmer ( and most likely from the main drain as well ) . There is no valve nothing to switch from main drain to skimmer and vice verso.

In the skimmer I have 2 holes, one goes to the pump and the other one ? ... I believe to the main drain ???

Is there any way how to check if my main drain is working ? Or what method do you use to drain water from the pool for winterized purpose ?

Many thanks in advance,

Mike

[Seahunt]

I have three gate valves. One for each skimmer and one for the main drain. To drain my pool for winterizing, I did close the skimmer valves and let the main drain do the work. Do you have valves you can shut off and see if it stops in the skimmers. Maybe then you could isolate the main drain line?

If not, how about plug your vacuum hose into the skimmer and put the vacuum head at the bottom of the pool to get the water out?

[mike bolton]

Thanks for reply.

I cannot control the skimmer and main drain valves, as I have no valves for these . The pipe comes from the pool and then goes straight into the pump.

I was thinking about to plug my vacuum hose into the skimmer, but I was afraid for the hose do not suck some air as I understand is not quite ok for the pump to run with air bubbles inside.

[rhynerj]

first try backflushing the filter, that will take the water down some, then go get a cheap sump pump or cover pump, you can get then for around $100.00

[Carl.F]

Is there an area around your pool that is lower than the pool itself? If there is then use your shop vacuum suction port (or shop vac hose) coupled with your regular pool vacuuming hose. As you feel the hose get heavy just before the shop vac, drop it to the ground and let the natural suction (syphon action) take over.

If you are not able to stand there and watch what is going on, then slowly pull the vacuum hose up in the water to the level that you want it to drain to. That way you don't drain out more than you need to.