I have a cover on my swimming pool drain that is round, solid in the
middle and small squares around the outside...it is Miami-Dade
approved. It is supposed to be held in place with two screws. My
pool robot frequently gets caught on the lid and I have to push it
off. Somehow one screw came out. I need to replace it...but none of
us can swim well enough to go down and get a closer look. Does anyone
know how I can find out what screw to buy? We will have to drain
enough water out of the pool and replace it ourselves probably. The
people at the pool supply store recently bought it and don't know who
to call for a job like this. The pool was resurfaced about five years
ago and the new cover put on the drain. Any help would be
appreciated. (Don't know what happened to the old screw...I just
cleaned the filter and it wasn't in there.)

On Sun, 31 Aug 2008 08:22:27 -0700 (PDT), Dottie
wrote:

I have a cover on my swimming pool drain that is round, solid in the
middle and small squares around the outside...it is Miami-Dade
approved. It is supposed to be held in place with two screws. My
pool robot frequently gets caught on the lid and I have to push it
off. Somehow one screw came out. I need to replace it...but none of
us can swim well enough to go down and get a closer look. Does anyone
know how I can find out what screw to buy? We will have to drain
enough water out of the pool and replace it ourselves probably. The
people at the pool supply store recently bought it and don't know who
to call for a job like this. The pool was resurfaced about five years
ago and the new cover put on the drain. Any help would be
appreciated. (Don't know what happened to the old screw...I just
cleaned the filter and it wasn't in there.)

Is the drain shown on this link? *

Given the water table in Miami, it's not advisable to drain the pool.
It can "pop" out of the ground. A local pool cleaning/maintenance
company can make the repair.

*
http://www.drainsafe.com/print_summary.htm

On Aug 31, 12:44 pm, Oren wrote:
On Sun, 31 Aug 2008 08:22:27 -0700 (PDT), Dottie
wrote:

I have a cover on my swimming pool drain that is round, solid in the
middle and small squares around the outside...it is Miami-Dade
approved. It is supposed to be held in place with two screws. My
pool robot frequently gets caught on the lid and I have to push it
off. Somehow one screw came out. I need to replace it...but none of
us can swim well enough to go down and get a closer look. Does anyone
know how I can find out what screw to buy? We will have to drain
enough water out of the pool and replace it ourselves probably. The
people at the pool supply store recently bought it and don't know who
to call for a job like this. The pool was resurfaced about five years
ago and the new cover put on the drain. Any help would be
appreciated. (Don't know what happened to the old screw...I just
cleaned the filter and it wasn't in there.)

Is the drain shown on this link? *

Given the water table in Miami, it's not advisable to drain the pool.
It can "pop" out of the ground. A local pool cleaning/maintenance
company can make the repair.

*http://www.drainsafe.com/print_summary.htm

We aren't in Miami - we are further north. What we planned to do was
drain enough water out to be able to work at the deep end without it
being over our heads. We have had the pool partially drained before
when it was re-surfaced and when we needed to do something else.
Getting people who do these small jobs is harder than you think. They
just don't want to be bothered ... it doesn't pay them to come out for
an hour or so.

On Aug 31, 3:30 pm, wrote:
On Sun, 31 Aug 2008 08:22:27 -0700 (PDT), Dottie
wrote:

I have a cover on my swimming pool drain that is round, solid in the
middle and small squares around the outside...it is Miami-Dade
approved. It is supposed to be held in place with two screws. My
pool robot frequently gets caught on the lid and I have to push it
off. Somehow one screw came out. I need to replace it...but none of
us can swim well enough to go down and get a closer look. Does anyone
know how I can find out what screw to buy? We will have to drain
enough water out of the pool and replace it ourselves probably. The
people at the pool supply store recently bought it and don't know who
to call for a job like this. The pool was resurfaced about five years
ago and the new cover put on the drain. Any help would be
appreciated. (Don't know what happened to the old screw...I just
cleaned the filter and it wasn't in there.)

It is probably a #8 by 1 1/4" oval head STAINLESS self tapping screw.
That is somewhat standard. If the hole is stripped you can use a #10
They will be in a bag at the pool store and a lot cheaper loose at the
hardware store. Just be sure you get stainless

Do you know a SCUBA diver? ;-)

I am not sure what kind of cleaner you have but my Hayward Navigator
falls in love with the drain cover when the shoes are worn. It sits
too low. They are easy to replace and the guy should have them at the
pool store.

DO not drain your pool until it stops raining (Probably January) and
then don't drain more than a couple feet off. It will pop out of the
ground.


I am going to go to a different pool store tomorrow and hope to get
the name of someone who does this type of work. My husband wants to
try to do it but I know he can't - and of course, you are right about
not draining the pool until later in the year. I just wondered if
people who work on the pools drain them for this type of thing or do
they have equipment so they can go under water and work.

Dottie wrote:
On Aug 31, 3:30 pm, wrote:
On Sun, 31 Aug 2008 08:22:27 -0700 (PDT), Dottie
wrote:

I have a cover on my swimming pool drain that is round, solid in the
middle and small squares around the outside...it is Miami-Dade
approved. It is supposed to be held in place with two screws. My
pool robot frequently gets caught on the lid and I have to push it
off. Somehow one screw came out. I need to replace it...but none of
us can swim well enough to go down and get a closer look.

Hint- it is a lot easier to swim down to the bottom at a shallow angle,
than to try and go straight down to something.

--
aem sends...

On Aug 31, 9:32 pm, aemeijers wrote:
Dottie wrote:
On Aug 31, 3:30 pm, wrote:
On Sun, 31 Aug 2008 08:22:27 -0700 (PDT), Dottie
wrote:

I have a cover on my swimming pool drain that is round, solid in the
middle and small squares around the outside...it is Miami-Dade
approved. It is supposed to be held in place with two screws. My
pool robot frequently gets caught on the lid and I have to push it
off. Somehow one screw came out. I need to replace it...but none of
us can swim well enough to go down and get a closer look.

Hint- it is a lot easier to swim down to the bottom at a shallow angle,
than to try and go straight down to something.

--
aem sends...



I got a pair of goggles and a nose cover - and today I tried to
inspect the drain. I couldn't get down far enough, just floated up
every time. The drain appears to be held in place by the suction of
the drain - so as long as it's not disturbed it should be o.k. with
the one screw holding it. It is shaped like the Hayward cover in the
picture but don't think it has the Hayward name on it. My robot is a
Hayward....and it probably does need new flappers. Everything is
closed today, I will start calling tomorrow. Judging from today's
outing, someone has to use scuba gear to work on it or we have to
drain the pool enough to work on it. It cost a lot to refill the
pool...the county charges extra here per gallon unless it is the first
time fill.

Dottie wrote:

On Aug 31, 9:32 pm, aemeijers wrote:
Dottie wrote:
On Aug 31, 3:30 pm, wrote:
On Sun, 31 Aug 2008 08:22:27 -0700 (PDT), Dottie
wrote:

I have a cover on my swimming pool drain that is round, solid
in the middle and small squares around the outside...it is
Miami-Dade approved. It is supposed to be held in place with
two screws. My pool robot frequently gets caught on the lid
and I have to push it off. Somehow one screw came out. I need
to replace it...but none of us can swim well enough to go down
and get a closer look.

Hint- it is a lot easier to swim down to the bottom at a shallow
angle, than to try and go straight down to something.

I got a pair of goggles and a nose cover - and today I tried to
inspect the drain. I couldn't get down far enough, just floated up
every time. The drain appears to be held in place by the suction of
the drain - so as long as it's not disturbed it should be o.k. with
the one screw holding it. It is shaped like the Hayward cover in the
picture but don't think it has the Hayward name on it. My robot is a
Hayward....and it probably does need new flappers. Everything is
closed today, I will start calling tomorrow. Judging from today's
outing, someone has to use scuba gear to work on it or we have to
drain the pool enough to work on it. It cost a lot to refill the
pool...the county charges extra here per gallon unless it is the first
time fill.

Do what the scuba divers do: tie a weight around your waist to keep you
on the bottom. Make sure the weight is light enough that you can get
back out.

Did I mention that you should check first to see if you can get back
out while wearing the weight? Also have someone there to rescue you if
you black out.

--
Steve Bell
New Life Home Improvement
Arlington, TX

On Sep 1, 4:54*pm, "SteveBell"
wrote:
Dottie wrote:
On Aug 31, 9:32 pm, aemeijers wrote:
Dottie wrote:
On Aug 31, 3:30 pm, wrote:
On Sun, 31 Aug 2008 08:22:27 -0700 (PDT), Dottie
wrote:

I have a cover on my swimming pool drain that is round, solid
in the middle and small squares around the outside...it is
Miami-Dade approved. *It is supposed to be held in place with
two screws. *My pool robot frequently gets caught on the lid
and I have to push it off. *Somehow one screw came out. *I need
to replace it...but none of us can swim well enough to go down
and get a closer look.

Hint- it is a lot easier to swim down to the bottom at a shallow
angle, than to try and go straight down to something.

I got a pair of goggles and a nose cover - and today I tried to
inspect the drain. *I couldn't get down far enough, just floated up
every time. *The drain appears to be held in place by the suction of
the drain - so as long as it's not disturbed it should be o.k. with
the one screw holding it. *It is shaped like the Hayward cover in the
picture but don't think it has the Hayward name on it. *My robot is a
Hayward....and it probably does need new flappers. *Everything is
closed today, I will start calling tomorrow. *Judging from today's
outing, someone has to use scuba gear to work on it or we have to
drain the pool enough to work on it. *It cost a lot to refill the
pool...the county charges extra here per gallon unless it is the first
time fill.

Do what the scuba divers do: tie a weight around your waist to keep you
on the bottom. Make sure the weight is light enough that you can get
back out.

Did I mention that you should check first to see if you can get back
out while wearing the weight? Also have someone there to rescue you if
you black out.

--
Steve Bell
New Life Home Improvement
Arlington, TX- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

Note this can be VERY dangerous. Do NOT run the pump without the
drain cover installed over the drain. People can actually get stuck
to the drain by the suction or get their hair caught and be trapped
underwater and drown. Even worse things that I don't even want to
repeat can and have happened. I am not kidding about this, it seems
silly but is very serious. Uncovered pool drains are a VERY serious
saftey hazard. Please heed this warning.

Mark

On Sep 2, 1:21 am, wrote:
On Mon, 1 Sep 2008 13:27:53 -0700 (PDT), Dottie
wrote:

he drain appears to be held in place by the suction of
the drain - so as long as it's not disturbed it should be o.k. with
the one screw holding it. It is shaped like the Hayward cover in the
picture but don't think it has the Hayward name on it. My robot is a
Hayward....and it probably does need new flappers.

The Hayward cover is a round dome on top. The Pentair cover is flat on
top. Hayward Navigators will hang on a Pentair cover, even when they
are brand new. I swapped to Hayward covers (some modification
necessary)
If this just started hanging up you probably need shoes, not flappers.
They are the wedge shaped rubber doodads that walk this thing across
the bottom. Pry them off with a butter knife



A man is coming Friday to look at it. In the meantime, the drain is
not uncovered - it is covered and the cover is being held in place
with one screw. The man said he did not need to drain the pool to fix
the problem so that is a relief. He does have scuba gear and was
recommended by the company that installed the pool.