Typically, there is a valve that allows you to adjust the water flow from these two pipes. Maria Slaby is the expert to listen to here. This does not sound right to me, putting 12,000 gal. From entrapment to circulation, there are so many wrong ideas on swimming pool main drain. There they stay, damaging the pool floor without a main drain. A pool drain cover should be replaced if worn or broken. How to Drain and Refill Your Swimming Pool. Just got a house with hot tub and pool both in ground concrete but I'm notsure how to drain iit. Swimming pool main drain - how to tell if its pulling water? On the pool I take care of, before the pump (suction side) there is a large 3 position valve. As a swimming pool owner, you know that there are multiple reasons you may have to completely drain your above ground pool’s water. Although this scenario is uncommon, some reasons range from needing to replace your pool liner to having poor water chemistry.Typically speaking, if you need to completely drain your pool’s water, there are likely other maintenance costs associated with it. To the left is bottom drain, middle is all 3 and to the right is the 2 skimmer baskets. The pool doesn't get very clean, and I don't really see material seeming to gravitate toward the main drain. To the left is bottom drain, middle is all 3 and to the right is the 2 skimmer baskets. I was told there was a drin in the deepest part of the pool but when I turn on the pump nothing happens. Remove your pool's bottom drain cover for cleaning and repairs. My state for the last 60 years has required main drains in every real pool for this reason. A pool’s so-called main drain is not actually a drain; that is, it is not used to drain the pool. Acid and chlorine are far heavier than water and go straight to the bottom. Instead, it is an outlet, housing a pipe that runs to the pump, which sucks water through a skimmer, then through a filter, then through a heater (if you have one), and then back to the pool via multiple inlets. Using the Pool Filter Pump to drain the pool If you have separate main drain and skimmer valves, close the skimmer valve (or plug the skimmers ) and leave the main drain valve open fully. Again because of the low entrance velocity, they will not attract bottom dirt beyond a few inches of the drain. I have spoken to several pool companies they all said that they would drain the pool through my filter system away from the house, with the exception of one company. On the pool I take care of, before the pump (suction side) there is a large 3 position valve. Use a cup to scoop out any water in the main drain well after you remove the main drain cover. It is not often you need to completely drain a swimming pool. The Main Drain - draws water from the bottom of the pool into the filter system. You typically drain them only when you need to repair them or if the water has become resistant to chemical treatments. Several factors might make it necessary to drain your inground pool. I am having my pool resurfaced. The toilet has a fairly large hole for "debris" to pass while a pool main drain has many very tiny holes which only fine dirt can pass through. A simple enough question on the surface, but around here, we always dive deeper into a subject, so when we talk about how to drain a pool – first we want to explore why you would do such a thing, and then cover the when, where and what of draining a swimming pool. Professional pool service companies can do this for you, but if you don't mind getting wet; you can do it yourself. CASE STUDY: The Option of Pools without 'Main Drains' Background . A pool bottom is much flatter than a toilet bottom which is more funnel shaped so "debris" is more inclined to move toward the toilet hole than the main drain. Draining a swimming pool incorrectly, or draining the wrong kind of pool, can result in anywhere from minor damage all the way up to catastrophic destruction of the entire pool. Using the submersible pump, drain the pool completely. Side Port is an opening in the side of the pool for a floor vacuum attachment. February 2009 . Swimming pool circulation pumps draw water from the pool utilizing suction plumbed to the skimmer inlets at water level and the main drain at the pool's bottom. We've already seen that the water in a swimming pool needs to circulate through a filtering system, to remove dirt and debris. If a pool has no floor suction, you usually get chemical hot spots. The bottom of this well should be dry for the repair. Swimming pool water can get bad over the years — so bad that chemicals lose their effectiveness.