Trying to help a friend

[Poconos]

Glad the pool is almost completed. What did he go with as far as returns, skimmers, and main drain? If I were building a pool I wouldn't use a main drain. Too many problems reported on this forum over the years. What I would do is rig a suction line just below water level where I could hook a hose to it to suck from some contraption I could put on the bottom of the deep end. Leave it in when the pool is not in use, remove it when in use if it's in the way. Would be a removable main drain. No penetrations, no possibility of leaks, no complications.
Hope the winter is short.
Al

[chem geek]

One of the main reasons for a floor drain is to improve circulation in the lower depths. If you only have returns just below the surface and skimmers, then you generally don't get good water circulation in the deep end. You can try pointing returns downwards, but that's still not as effective as having a main drain in the floor.

Richard

[Sumo1]

He decided to go with 2 skimmers and a main drain. Have any of y'all heard of this skimmer drain idea? Thanks.

Hal