Bottom Drain - Newbie Needs Advice

[windfix]

Thanks, at least I had a good guess that the second skimmer hole went to the bottom drain.

I know that it is not working, as I can stir up tiny leaf fragments from the drain cover (white, criss-crossed grid) - they would have been sucked through if there was any circulation.

Any advice on unclogging?

[mas985]

At the hardware store they have a hose attachement made by Drain King that expands when pressure is applied. They use the device for cleaning out pipes so chemicals do not have to be used. Here is one for a 3"-4" pipe but I know they make one for 2" as well.

http://www.amazon.com/Water-Products...0?ie=UTF8&s=hi

Put this in the main drain outlet in the skimmer and see if you can back flush the blockage out of the drain.

[windfix]

Thanks, I will order one and try it!

BTW, I put a plunger on the opening in the skimmer. I could see bits of stuff come back up through the bottom drain, but it did not open up.

If the drain king attachment doesn't do it, I'll rent or buy a drain snake at Home Depot and try that too

[tbatti]

Hey Windfix: It sounds like we may have the same setup. I posted basically the same question back in April. Sorry, I don't know how to attach the link to my question and pictures from this forum, but if you search under name "TBATTI" under "pool construction and repair", I would be intersested to see if you have the same situation as I do. I included some pictures of an opening in my deck where both the skimmer and the bottom drain feed into a box. Someone told me that back in the 50's, the filter was situated in front of the pump and that was why both the skimmer and the drain fed into one place. At any rate, it you can find my original post, I would be interested to see if you have the same setup.

Edit: To attach a link just copy and paste the URL found in the address after doing the search. This may be the thread you're referring to.
http://www.poolforum.com/pf2/showthread.php?t=923
Al

[windfix]

Saw your photos, not quite the same. My skimmer port is circular and white. Both the pipe to the pump/filter/chlorinator and the pipe back to the pool drain are on the bottom of it (you have the first on the bottom and, ostensibly, the second on the side wall of the skimmer box/port)

[waste]

Windfix, welcome to the forum!! Glad you were able to dislodge the clog.

Hayward makes a product that you might want to consider looking into that helps provide more suction through the MD opening to the skimmer. I'm sorry that I don't have the part #, but I'll describe it - it's an oval that covers both ports on the skimmer bottom, is about 2 1/2" high with an open 1 1/2" hole in the top at one end, has a butterfly valve to regulate the suction ( a ss "T" on the side - originals have red caps on the 2 ends of the "T" and is secured with 2 long screws into the holes in the bottom of the skimmer (one of them is where your 'flap' is secured. You may have one with the pool stuff that the old owners left you. This thing definately works for Hayward skimmers, if your skimmer isn't a Hayward, you may be able to find a similar device from the manufacturer. If you can find one of these and need any help with it, please don't hesitate to ask me about it.

Congrats on comming here and learning as much as you have, again, welcome to the forum! - Waste

[windfix]

OK, so problem solved. The drain king did the trick. I put it down the hole via the skimmer port as far as the garden hose would go with the 10" drain king attachement, turned on the water and blammo - bubbles and crud came up through the pool drain cover.

Unfortunately, I also wasted $30 on a KleerDrain gizmo at Home Depot that was supposed to fire a CO2 cartridge down the drain. It probably just did not fit tight enough into the pipe opening, but this gizmo did nothing. The $10 Drain King was an immediate fix and far cheaper.