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How to remove pool drain cover 9 feet under water to check for a clogged pipe?
My pool drain is 9 feet underwater - and - I think it's clogged because the
pump runs dry every time I switch from both the spa & pool or just the spa, to the pool only. The drain cover has screws on top - but - it's 9 feet under (due to the nature of the self-cleaning pool). I long lost (20 years ago) my PADI scuba diving certification card (I wonder if we can get a new one sent?) and I don't have tanks (although I could buy them on Craigslist) and a regulator ... So, I wonder, sans scuba equipment, how do you guy normally service your deep drains to see what's clogging them up? |
How to remove pool drain cover 9 feet under water to check for aclogged pipe?
On Aug 30, 9:24*pm, SF Man wrote:
My pool drain is 9 feet underwater - and - I think it's clogged because the pump runs dry every time I switch from both the spa & pool or just the spa, to the pool only. The drain cover has screws on top - but - it's 9 feet under (due to the nature of the self-cleaning pool). I long lost (20 years ago) my PADI scuba diving certification card (I wonder if we can get a new one sent?) and I don't have tanks (although I could buy them on Craigslist) and a regulator ... So, I wonder, sans scuba equipment, how do you guy normally service your deep drains to see what's clogging them up? SF Man- http://tinyurl.com/3rtnumd or free dive repeatedly or drain the pool or sell the place and move to the city btw....in nearly 35 years, never experienced a block main drain in any pools I was responsible for. They're pretty hard to block permanently with the types of debris typically seen in a pool. Can you run water from the garden hose from the filter area by plumbing the hose into the system? cheers Bob |
How to remove pool drain cover 9 feet under water to check for aclogged pipe?
On Aug 31, 12:24*am, SF Man wrote:
My pool drain is 9 feet underwater - and - I think it's clogged because the pump runs dry every time I switch from both the spa & pool or just the spa, to the pool only. The drain cover has screws on top - but - it's 9 feet under (due to the nature of the self-cleaning pool). I long lost (20 years ago) my PADI scuba diving certification card (I wonder if we can get a new one sent?) and I don't have tanks (although I could buy them on Craigslist) and a regulator ... So, I wonder, sans scuba equipment, how do you guy normally service your deep drains to see what's clogging them up? Which costs less ? Obtaining a scuba tank so you can work underwater ? - or - Draining the pool so you can work on it sans-scuba gear and refilling it ? D'uh... ~~ Evan |
How to remove pool drain cover 9 feet under water to check for a clogged pipe?
On Tue, 30 Aug 2011 22:38:01 -0700 (PDT), DD_BobK wrote:
Can you run water from the garden hose from the filter area by plumbing the hose into the system? This type of filter isn't designed to be backwashed (it's a cartridge filter) but it does have a drain valve. I will try to shove a hose into the drain valve (about 1.5 inch diameter pipe abover the filter pump) and see if that works - but - it's a good 90 feet away from the pool main drain ... so ... I'm not sure how that would work. But, it's a good idea to try! |
How to remove pool drain cover 9 feet under water to check for a clogged pipe?
On Tue, 30 Aug 2011 23:03:00 -0700 (PDT), Evan wrote:
Which costs less ? Obtaining a scuba tank so you can work underwater ? Draining the pool so you can work on it sans-scuba gear and refilling it ? D'uh... Hi Evan, Thanks for the advice. It's my fault for not mentioning that draining the pool isn't feasible. If you look at some of my other threads, the well only pumps about 400 gallons of water a day. The pool is 38K gallons. That would take almost 100 days to fill the pool again - and that's assuming no other water goes anywhere but to the pool. Can't be done. The only way to refill a drained pool out here is to truck the water in. So, a used set of scuba tanks costs far far far less than refilling the pool would. It's my fault for not mentioning that draining the pool doesn't appear to be an option (unless I can rent 38K gallon storage tanks for a few weeks). |
How to remove pool drain cover 9 feet under water to check for a clogged pipe?
On Tue, 30 Aug 2011 21:24:50 -0700, SF Man
wrote Re How to remove pool drain cover 9 feet under water to check for a clogged pipe?: So, I wonder, sans scuba equipment, how do you guy normally service your deep drains to see what's clogging them up? Try something like this with a different hose http://www.lowes.com/pd_103500-43657-FP209599DI_4294795218_4294937087_?productId=120553 5&Ns=p_product_price|0&pl=1¤tURL=%2Fpl_Air%2 BCompressors_4294795218_4294937087_%3FNs%3Dp_produ ct_price|0&facetInfo= -- Work is the curse of the drinking class. |
How to remove pool drain cover 9 feet under water to check for a clogged pipe?
SF Man wrote:
My pool drain is 9 feet underwater - and - I think it's clogged because the pump runs dry every time I switch from both the spa & pool or just the spa, to the pool only. The drain cover has screws on top - but - it's 9 feet under (due to the nature of the self-cleaning pool). I long lost (20 years ago) my PADI scuba diving certification card (I wonder if we can get a new one sent?) and I don't have tanks (although I could buy them on Craigslist) and a regulator ... So, I wonder, sans scuba equipment, how do you guy normally service your deep drains to see what's clogging them up? Take a largish bucket and cut a window in it. Bolt (and seal) a flexible plexiglass pane to the window. Install an air nozzle to the top. Add sufficient weights and connect your new diving bell to an air compressor. When I was a lad, we did this to scrub the pool's wall at the Boy's Club. There was no shortage of volunteers to take a turn with a stiff brush, very few of which drowned. |
How to remove pool drain cover 9 feet under water to check for aclogged pipe?
SF Man wrote: My pool drain is 9 feet underwater - and - I think it's clogged because the pump runs dry every time I switch from both the spa & pool or just the spa, to the pool only. The drain cover has screws on top - but - it's 9 feet under (due to the nature of the self-cleaning pool). I long lost (20 years ago) my PADI scuba diving certification card (I wonder if we can get a new one sent?) Yes. and I don't have tanks (although I could buy them on Craigslist) and a regulator ... Just rent gear from a dive shop after you get your replacement c card. So, I wonder, sans scuba equipment, how do you guy normally service your deep drains to see what's clogging them up? Drain the pool, or get your SCUBA gear on. |
How to remove pool drain cover 9 feet under water to check for aclogged pipe?
On Aug 31, 7:23*am, "Pete C." wrote:
SF Man wrote: My pool drain is 9 feet underwater - and - I think it's clogged because the pump runs dry every time I switch from both the spa & pool or just the spa, to the pool only. The drain cover has screws on top - but - it's 9 feet under (due to the nature of the self-cleaning pool). I long lost (20 years ago) my PADI scuba diving certification card (I wonder if we can get a new one sent?) Yes. and I don't have tanks (although I could buy them on Craigslist) and a regulator ... Just rent gear from a dive shop after you get your replacement c card. So, I wonder, sans scuba equipment, how do you guy normally service your deep drains to see what's clogging them up? Drain the pool, or get your SCUBA gear on. I would think you can get a few screws out with repeated dives to the bottom. Clogged main drains are not that uncommon. Sometimes it's a collapsed pipe though. Then you live without. But most pool circulation systems also use skimmers for return water. Do you not have skimmers? |
How to remove pool drain cover 9 feet under water to check for a clogged pipe?
In article ,
SF Man wrote: On Tue, 30 Aug 2011 23:03:00 -0700 (PDT), Evan wrote: Which costs less ? Obtaining a scuba tank so you can work underwater ? Draining the pool so you can work on it sans-scuba gear and refilling it ? D'uh... Hi Evan, Thanks for the advice. It's my fault for not mentioning that draining the pool isn't feasible. Another concern with this would be type of liner. If it is vinyl and you empty it, you run a real distinct risk of floating the liner with all sorts of nasty side effects. -- People thought cybersex was a safe alternative, until patients started presenting with sexually acquired carpal tunnel syndrome.-Howard Berkowitz |
How to remove pool drain cover 9 feet under water to check for a clogged pipe?
Caesar Romano wrote:
On Tue, 30 Aug 2011 21:24:50 -0700, SF Man wrote Re How to remove pool drain cover 9 feet under water to check for a clogged pipe?: So, I wonder, sans scuba equipment, how do you guy normally service your deep drains to see what's clogging them up? Try something like this with a different hose http://www.lowes.com/pd_103500-43657-FP209599DI_4294795218_4294937087_?productId=120553 5&Ns=p_product_price|0&pl=1¤tURL=%2Fpl_Air%2 BCompressors_4294795218_4294937087_%3FNs%3Dp_produ ct_price|0&facetInfo= Use a diaphragm compressor connected to the hose to the second stage of a single hose diving regulator. Diaphragm compressor to avoid inhaling oil fumes. I got a couple free regulators from a diving shop back in the 60's to do this. They had bad 1st stages, so they gave them to me, with my promise that I didn't know where I got them. With 45' of hose on them, my friend and I could stay underwater a long time. |
How to remove pool drain cover 9 feet under water to check for aclogged pipe?
On Aug 30, 11:43*pm, SF Man wrote:
On Tue, 30 Aug 2011 22:38:01 -0700 (PDT), DD_BobK wrote: Can you run water from the garden hose from the filter area by plumbing the hose into the system? This type of filter isn't designed to be backwashed (it's a cartridge filter) but it does have a drain valve. I will try to shove a hose into the drain valve (about 1.5 inch diameter pipe abover the filter pump) and see if that works - but - it's a good 90 feet away from the pool main drain ... so ... I'm not sure how that would work. But, it's a good idea to try! Read carefully....... consider a temporary (& reversible) re-plumbing effort to ALLOW you to PRESSURIZE the pipe TO the main drain line. I'm not suggesting shoving the hose down the pipe, let the pressurized water do the work. DO NOT USE COMPRESSED AIR UNLESS YOU HAVE COPPER PIPING. Think outside the box (but not on the far side of the moon). Start looking for a realtor. |
How to remove pool drain cover 9 feet under water to check for a clogged pipe?
On Tue, 30 Aug 2011 21:24:50 -0700, SF Man wrote:
My pool drain is 9 feet underwater - and - I think it's clogged because the pump runs dry every time I switch from both the spa & pool or just the spa, to the pool only. The drain cover has screws on top - but - it's 9 feet under (due to the nature of the self-cleaning pool). I long lost (20 years ago) my PADI scuba diving certification card (I wonder if we can get a new one sent?) and I don't have tanks (although I could buy them on Craigslist) and a regulator ... So, I wonder, sans scuba equipment, how do you guy normally service your deep drains to see what's clogging them up? It's probably not clogged but broken. You're likely sucking air. When I had a pool, I did patches without any tanks. The only issue was buoyancy. At the deep end, I had SWMBO hold me down with the sweep. Trusting, huh. ;-) ...though something clogging the bottom drain is *very* unlikely. It has a cover, no? |
How to remove pool drain cover 9 feet under water to check for a clogged pipe?
On Wed, 31 Aug 2011 08:51:42 -0400, Kurt Ullman wrote:
In article , SF Man wrote: On Tue, 30 Aug 2011 23:03:00 -0700 (PDT), Evan wrote: Which costs less ? Obtaining a scuba tank so you can work underwater ? Draining the pool so you can work on it sans-scuba gear and refilling it ? D'uh... Hi Evan, Thanks for the advice. It's my fault for not mentioning that draining the pool isn't feasible. Another concern with this would be type of liner. If it is vinyl and you empty it, you run a real distinct risk of floating the liner with all sorts of nasty side effects. Or, even worse, a shrunken liner. |
How to remove pool drain cover 9 feet under water to check for aclogged pipe?
On Aug 31, 2:47*am, SF Man wrote:
So, a used set of scuba tanks costs far far far less than refilling the pool would. So would RENTING a set so you wouldn't have them cluttering up your garage. So would HIRING someone with the proper equipment to dive on the drain. So would HIRING a proper pool maintenance/repair firm to diagnose and fix the problem without ever getting wet, instead of turning this relatively simple job into the frickin' Poseidon Adventure... Evan for President |
How to remove pool drain cover 9 feet under water to check for a clogged pipe?
SF Man wrote:
My pool drain is 9 feet underwater - and - I think it's clogged because the pump runs dry every time I switch from both the spa & pool or just the spa, to the pool only. The drain cover has screws on top - but - it's 9 feet under (due to the nature of the self-cleaning pool). I long lost (20 years ago) my PADI scuba diving certification card (I wonder if we can get a new one sent?) and I don't have tanks (although I could buy them on Craigslist) and a regulator ... So, I wonder, sans scuba equipment, how do you guy normally service your deep drains to see what's clogging them up? Get a weight belt and hold your breath. You should be able to spend a minute at a time under there right now, and given a little practice, maybe a minute and a half or longer. Jon |
How to remove pool drain cover 9 feet under water to check for aclogged pipe?
On Aug 31, 11:35*am, "
wrote: On Tue, 30 Aug 2011 21:24:50 -0700, SF Man wrote: My pool drain is 9 feet underwater - and - I think it's clogged because the pump runs dry every time I switch from both the spa & pool or just the spa, to the pool only. The drain cover has screws on top - but - it's 9 feet under (due to the nature of the self-cleaning pool). I long lost (20 years ago) my PADI scuba diving certification card (I wonder if we can get a new one sent?) and I don't have tanks (although I could buy them on Craigslist) and a regulator ... So, I wonder, sans scuba equipment, how do you guy normally service your deep drains to see what's clogging them up? It's probably not clogged but broken. *You're likely sucking air. When I had a pool, I did patches without any tanks. *The only issue was buoyancy. *At the deep end, I had SWMBO hold me down with the sweep. Trusting, huh. *;-) *...though something clogging the bottom drain is *very* unlikely. It has a cover, no? Often when the bottom drain is clogged it's a collapsed pipe. Most people learn to live without. |
How to remove pool drain cover 9 feet under water to check fora clogged pipe?
On 8/30/2011 9:24 PM, SF Man wrote:
My pool drain is 9 feet underwater - and - I think it's clogged because the pump runs dry every time I switch from both the spa& pool or just the spa, to the pool only. The drain cover has screws on top - but - it's 9 feet under (due to the nature of the self-cleaning pool). I long lost (20 years ago) my PADI scuba diving certification card (I wonder if we can get a new one sent?) and I don't have tanks (although I could buy them on Craigslist) and a regulator ... So, I wonder, sans scuba equipment, how do you guy normally service your deep drains to see what's clogging them up? drain jet http://www.poolplaza.com/pool-school...d_intake.shtml |
How to remove pool drain cover 9 feet under water to check fora clogged pipe?
On 8/30/2011 9:24 PM, SF Man wrote:
My pool drain is 9 feet underwater - and - I think it's clogged because the pump runs dry every time I switch from both the spa& pool or just the spa, to the pool only. The pump should be sucking water through the skimmer too. If it's running dry then the problem is between the skimmer and the pump. Normally the drain pipe runs back up to the skimmer as well. The drain cover has screws on top - but - it's 9 feet under (due to the nature of the self-cleaning pool). I long lost (20 years ago) my PADI scuba diving certification card (I wonder if we can get a new one sent?) and I don't have tanks (although I could buy them on Craigslist) and a regulator ... So, I wonder, sans scuba equipment, how do you guy normally service your deep drains to see what's clogging them up? When I had our pool resurfaced and the plumbing replaced they told me that the pipe from the drain was not working. I forget if there was a leaky pipe or a clogged pipe. There was really no way to fix it. So now the only outflow is through the skimmer. It works fine. One thing I did do is switch to a pool cleaner that does not connect to the suction side of the pump. I use a robotic cleaner, the Dolphin. Since no dirt can down the drain anymore, I wanted a cleaner that did depend on some dirt being swirled up and flushed down the drain. You really just have to drain the pool to get down there. When they resurfaced my pool and I refilled it I thought it was leaking through the drain and they sent down a scuba diver to seal it off better. |
How to remove pool drain cover 9 feet under water to check for a clogged pipe?
On Wed, 31 Aug 2011 09:32:40 -0700 (PDT), jamesgangnc
wrote: On Aug 31, 11:35*am, " wrote: On Tue, 30 Aug 2011 21:24:50 -0700, SF Man wrote: My pool drain is 9 feet underwater - and - I think it's clogged because the pump runs dry every time I switch from both the spa & pool or just the spa, to the pool only. The drain cover has screws on top - but - it's 9 feet under (due to the nature of the self-cleaning pool). I long lost (20 years ago) my PADI scuba diving certification card (I wonder if we can get a new one sent?) and I don't have tanks (although I could buy them on Craigslist) and a regulator ... So, I wonder, sans scuba equipment, how do you guy normally service your deep drains to see what's clogging them up? It's probably not clogged but broken. *You're likely sucking air. When I had a pool, I did patches without any tanks. *The only issue was buoyancy. *At the deep end, I had SWMBO hold me down with the sweep. Trusting, huh. *;-) *...though something clogging the bottom drain is *very* unlikely. It has a cover, no? Often when the bottom drain is clogged it's a collapsed pipe. Most people learn to live without. Exactly my point. |
How to remove pool drain cover 9 feet under water to check for a clogged pipe?
On Wed, 31 Aug 2011 08:51:42 -0400, Kurt Ullman wrote:
Another concern with this would be type of liner. If it is vinyl and you empty it, you run a real distinct risk of floating the liner with all sorts of nasty side effects. It's a gunnite in-ground built-in pool. I don't think it has a liner, per se. |
How to remove pool drain cover 9 feet under water to check for a clogged pipe?
On Wed, 31 Aug 2011 04:14:11 -0500, Caesar Romano wrote:
Try something like this with a different hose http://www.lowes.com/?productId=1205..._product_price I already have a compressor so there is plenty of hose. Are you suggesting sending compressed air through the drain? I could (with scuba) get down there and stay there. What pressure do you use and what fittings to get into a 18-inch wide drain opening from under water? |
How to remove pool drain cover 9 feet under water to check for a clogged pipe?
On Wed, 31 Aug 2011 06:23:23 -0500, Pete C. wrote:
Drain the pool, or get your SCUBA gear on. Draining will take 100 days to fill from the hose (and that's w/o any water used in the house otherwise) so it's not an option. Just rent gear from a dive shop after you get your replacement c card. That is a great idea. I called the local dive shop who said if I show them ID, they will look up my PADI status online ... and I don't even 'need' the card! |
How to remove pool drain cover 9 feet under water to check for a clogged pipe?
On Wed, 31 Aug 2011 04:53:27 -0700 (PDT), jamesgangnc wrote:
I would think you can get a few screws out with repeated dives to the bottom. I agree. But ... it's tedious and, since I don't know what I'm looking for per se, it's time consuming. I would rather just stay on the bottom for a while (plus, it would be fun to get back into scuba gear since I haven't dived in over 30 years after being an advanced PADI open water diver as a college student). Clogged main drains are not that uncommon. Sometimes it's a collapsed pipe though. Then you live without. I hope not. The pool had an inch thick of mud in it when I bought the house (forclosure) so it easily 'could' be clogged. But most pool circulation systems also use skimmers for return water. Do you not have skimmers? It's a looooong story. The short story is my skimmers don't work the way most people's skimmers do. 1. I have a filtration system that has a single 18" suction port at the deepest end of the pool (8 or 9 feet) (plus a safety port on the side wall). That filtration system has nothing to do with the skimmers. 2. Then, there is a built-in vacuum-less cleaning system, which takes water from the two skimmers and simply squirts it back into the pool, unfiltered (other than baskets at the skimmers and pump) in order to push debris to the deep end of the pool (which has a cliff-like dropoff in order to trap the debris on the bottom of the pool). So, the skimmers have nothing to do with the filtering, unfortunately. |
How to remove pool drain cover 9 feet under water to check for aclogged pipe?
On Aug 31, 2:47*am, SF Man wrote:
On Tue, 30 Aug 2011 23:03:00 -0700 (PDT), Evan wrote: Which costs less ? Obtaining a scuba tank so you can work underwater ? Draining the pool so you can work on it sans-scuba gear and refilling it ? D'uh... Hi Evan, Thanks for the advice. It's my fault for not mentioning that draining the pool isn't feasible. If you look at some of my other threads, the well only pumps about 400 gallons of water a day. The pool is 38K gallons. That would take almost 100 days to fill the pool again - and that's assuming no other water goes anywhere but to the pool. Can't be done. The only way to refill a drained pool out here is to truck the water in. So, a used set of scuba tanks costs far far far less than refilling the pool would. It's my fault for not mentioning that draining the pool doesn't appear to be an option (unless I can rent 38K gallon storage tanks for a few weeks).. Dude... You sound like a noob... You often have to purchase water to fill a pool at a premium rate and have it trucked in via a tanker truck... Maybe you should try to hold your breath while you check the pool drain... ~~ Evan |
How to remove pool drain cover 9 feet under water to check for a clogged pipe?
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How to remove pool drain cover 9 feet under water to check for a clogged pipe?
On Wed, 31 Aug 2011 09:32:40 -0700 (PDT), jamesgangnc wrote:
Often when the bottom drain is clogged it's a collapsed pipe. Most people learn to live without. Wow. I have no idea how a pipe would collapse. They're all UNDER the pool. But if it is, I agree, I'd live without. Belatedly, I realized I can limp along with the inlet to the filtration pump set at half way between spa only and pool only ... so that there is half suction in both. But it's sub optimal. I'm heading to the dive shop to see if I can rent some tanks for a few weeks 'till I figure this out. |
How to remove pool drain cover 9 feet under water to check for aclogged pipe?
On Aug 31, 2:40*pm, SF Man wrote:
On Wed, 31 Aug 2011 06:23:23 -0500, Pete C. wrote: Drain the pool, or get your SCUBA gear on. Draining will take 100 days to fill from the hose (and that's w/o any water used in the house otherwise) so it's not an option. Just rent gear from a dive shop after you get your replacement c card. That is a great idea. I called the local dive shop who said if I show them ID, they will look up my PADI status online ... and I don't even 'need' the card! Wow... Clearly you don't know enough about pools or water to really be maintaining one on your own without proper supervision... Hire a company to take care of it for you... If the drain line in the bottom of the pool has become compromised and you really really need for it to be fixed because of some sort of psychological defect being in play here, then the pool will have to be drained for that to happen... They aren't going to tunnel in from a shaft dug next to the pool to do repairs... You are thinking on consumer grade time tables... A gasoline operated pump would have that 38,000 gallon pool empty in a little more than an hour or two... With a 50,000 gallon tanker truck full of water, the pool will be filled as fast as the pump in the tank truck can pump the water out of the hose, not 100 days... ~~ Evan |
How to remove pool drain cover 9 feet under water to check for a clogged pipe?
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How to remove pool drain cover 9 feet under water to check for a clogged pipe?
"Evan" wrote in message ... Which costs less ? Obtaining a scuba tank so you can work underwater ? - or - Draining the pool so you can work on it sans-scuba gear and refilling it ? Sometimes draining a pool can have unpleasant consequences, like the pool rising out of the ground if there is enough ground water to make that happen. |
How to remove pool drain cover 9 feet under water to check for a clogged pipe?
On Wed, 31 Aug 2011 09:10:46 -0700, Jon Danniken wrote:
maybe a minute and a half or longer. Since I have sleep apnea, I can actually hold my breath a very long time, maybe two minutes or longer on the first dive. But, this is going to take scores of dives. So, by the thirtieth dive, I don't know if I can hold my breath for longer than a half minute or so. Scuba seems the way to go. I've since found out that you don't need a card to rent tanks for a few weeks. They can look up your dive card status. So, I'm going to go with scuba (renting or buying since this will take weeks of elapsed time since I don't know what I'm doing). Now the problem is to ask people for advice if they've ever opened a drain. I know you can suck your bowels down there if you're not careful. Any advice on to the best way to approach opening a drain? |
How to remove pool drain cover 9 feet under water to check for a clogged pipe?
wrote in message ... On Aug 31, 2:47 am, SF Man wrote: So, a used set of scuba tanks costs far far far less than refilling the pool would. So would RENTING a set so you wouldn't have them cluttering up your garage. He might need a current dive card to do that, dive shops tend to be picky to avoid being sued. So would HIRING a proper pool maintenance/repair firm to diagnose and fix the problem without ever getting wet, That would be my inclination. It's nice to save money doing it yourself, but it's important to know when it makes more sense to call a pro. |
How to remove pool drain cover 9 feet under water to check for a clogged pipe?
On Wed, 31 Aug 2011 10:15:51 -0700, chaniarts wrote:
drain jet http://www.poolplaza.com/pool-school...d_intake.shtml Interesting. That web page gave us NEW IDEAS! Since the skimmers are not part of the filtration system, I can't use the first half of that web page's advice ... but ... the next part makes sense: "The easiest way to remove a clog is to use a drain jet to force water against the clog to remove it. The direction of the flow of water should be opposite to the normal flow." Basically, they put a garden hose drain jet inside the pump basket! I would never have thought about going from the pump basket! I was going to go from the drain on the bottom of the pool! The drain basket, while being about 90 feet away from the pool drain, is at least very accessible! I might even be able to try this method on the pool deck, right above the drain (but in air!) where the debris cannister and mesh bag sit! This is a GREAT idea as I can access the lines from topside! Worst case, the co2 gun they speak of (150 psi) might work also (I'll start looking to see where I can rent a c02 gun. I have a co2 tank for making soda so I have half the equipment already). |
How to remove pool drain cover 9 feet under water to check for a clogged pipe?
On Wed, 31 Aug 2011 10:21:37 -0700, SMS wrote:
The pump should be sucking water through the skimmer too. If it's running dry then the problem is between the skimmer and the pump. Normally the drain pipe runs back up to the skimmer as well. This is not a normal pool. It's a self-cleaning pool (no vacuum). So, the skimmers are unfiltered (except for baskets). The water for the skimmers starts at the skimmers, goes through a basket, then goes to the 2.2 horsepower cleaner pump basket, and then back to the pool via a dozen squirters built into the bottom of the pool. There is a set of automatic 'water valves' which rotate the squirters so that, over an 8 hour period, every inch of the pool is sprayed by the skimmer water. But, the skimmers have nothing to do with the filtration system. The filtration system starts at the bottom of the pool (and spa) and then goes to the 2.2 horsepower pump and then to the filter and then back to the pool. THAT system is the one which has low water volume from the deep-end drain but good volume from the spa drain. So, I suspect a problem in the deep-end drain. As a slight complication, there are two squirters dedicated to the deep end drain (to channel the final bit of debris directly to the deep end drain) which are also not working. So, three things are bad: 1. The deep end drain seems about half of what it should be (compared to the spa drain) 2. The two deep-end squirters which are tied to the filtration system are not working. |
How to remove pool drain cover 9 feet under water to check for a clogged pipe?
On Wed, 31 Aug 2011 11:45:07 -0700 (PDT), Evan wrote:
Maybe you should try to hold your breath while you check the pool drain... I did that already. Many times. I go down and can hold my breath for a couple of minutes (I have sleep apnea so it's rather easy to hold my breath). The problem is that it takes dozens of dives to remove the cover and inspect things. I was looking for a simpler way. One poster suggested using a garden hose on the filtration pump basket inlet (shoving water backward through the 90 feet of pipe to the other end of the pool). That might work. Another idea is to shove that garden-hose drain thing into the topside debris cannister on the pool deck, just above the main drain. That may work also to blow the clog backward (I'd likely remove the drain cover for that to let the clog come out). A third option is to buy or rent tanks for a few weeks and just go down, with weights, and spend the twenty or thirty minutes down there to figure out what is going on. But, going down a dozen to three dozen times holding my breath seems like the hardest thing of all ... doesn't it? |
How to remove pool drain cover 9 feet under water to check for a clogged pipe?
On Wed, 31 Aug 2011 11:59:52 -0700, DGDevin wrote:
Sometimes draining a pool can have unpleasant consequences, like the pool rising out of the ground if there is enough ground water to make that happen. We haven't had a drop of rain out here since about May ... and we won't get another drop 'till about December ... so that's not likely (in the winter, when it pours, then that may be a problem). |
How to remove pool drain cover 9 feet under water to check for a clogged pipe?
On Wed, 31 Aug 2011 11:52:49 -0700 (PDT), Evan wrote:
Clearly you don't know enough about pools or water to really be maintaining one on your own without proper supervision... Hi Evan, I'm sorry again for not being clear. I never said I knew anything about pools. I never owned a pool before. In fact, I never even wanted a pool. I simply bought a house at forclosure that had a pool filled with mud (and fish). For about $400, a team cleaned it out and left. Then I filled it and now the drain isn't working right. Of course I can hire someone to fix it but I don't have a job and the money is tight (big mortgage and huuuuuge taxes). The house was practically free but the maintenance is what is difficult. So, the only way I can keep the house is to do all my own maintenance (I've already learned how to do roofing tiles, how to cut down large oak trees, how to clean the three heater blowers, how to plug the solar heater, etc.). I thought that's what this newsgroup is all about. Sorry for misleading you. I repeat, I don't know anything about pools. But, I can learn just as I learned how to fix my car which has never been to a mechanic and which is now 15 years old. It just takes time (which is the one thing I have plenty of). Thanks for understanding and helping out. |
How to remove pool drain cover 9 feet under water to check for a clogged pipe?
On Wed, 31 Aug 2011 11:52:49 -0700 (PDT), Evan wrote:
You are thinking on consumer grade time tables... A gasoline operated pump would have that 38,000 gallon pool empty in a little more than an hour or two... Wow. Twenty thousand gallons an hour! 300 gallons a minute. 5 gallons a second. That's fast! With a 50,000 gallon tanker truck full of water, the pool will be filled If I have to, I will drain the pool. But, I was hoping to try to figure out what the problem is BEFORE draining it. In fact, if it's drained, then I can't even run the pump anymore. So, how does one TEST a pool drain which is now empty? |
How to remove pool drain cover 9 feet under water to check fora clogged pipe?
On 8/31/2011 1:59 PM, DGDevin wrote:
"Evan" wrote in message ... Which costs less ? Obtaining a scuba tank so you can work underwater ? - or - Draining the pool so you can work on it sans-scuba gear and refilling it ? Sometimes draining a pool can have unpleasant consequences, like the pool rising out of the ground if there is enough ground water to make that happen. I've heard of that happening. I've been warned to never completely drain my pool but with this drought I doubt that would be a problem this year. I'm planing on draining my pool this winter to do repairs on the tiles and plaster. It will be a first for me. In an area like FL draining your pool could be a disaster. Central TX would probably not be a problem but I don't know for sure. Best to ask a pro. There are a few people here that give good advice on pools . Better than the pool store at least. |
How to remove pool drain cover 9 feet under water to check for a clogged pipe?
On Wed, 31 Aug 2011 14:28:19 -0500, JimT wrote:
FL draining your pool could be a disaster. Central TX would probably not be a problem This is northern California. The water table is loooooow right now. The well runs dry, for example, 48 times a day (it shuts off for a half hour, runs for a handful of minutes, then shuts off again - all due to low water levels. And that's about 400 feet deep). So, I don't think 'that' is my problem! :) |
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