Air Compressor Attachment/Adaptor & Questions

[jenmenke]

Thanks Poconos. Bear with me here as I would like to ask a couple more questions.

1) As I was using the compressor (attached to gizzmo thru skimmer) and was working around the returns, air was blowing out thru each one as I capped them. Not constant air, but almost. I was sure to cap it as a surge of air was coming out. Can I be sure that the returns are good for a MN winter?

2) I read just about every single old post on blowing the lines. I know I can go suck out any remaining water in the deep end skimmer and use the antifreeze, so I'm not worried about that. Am I correct in my thinking?

3) I fiddled with the main drain valve quite a bit. I closed it after it bubbled, but since it wasn't bubbling at the exact minute I closed the valve, I was concerned. So reopened it and continued to try to get it to bubble again. It never did. I assume water "fell back" into the main drain and that it still needs to be blown out. Is this correct?

4) After I was all finished last night and reading all the old posts, I saw that Waste likes to drain the equipment before blowing the lines to avoid that water from recirculating thru the system. Does that happen even when the multiport is set to "recirculate?" If so, could that explain all the gurgling I heard when I should have been finished?

5) Is there a way to connect the air compressor somewhere other than the skimmer that would give me a better "surge" to blow the main drain? Or is the skimmer the best place? Maybe I should try the technique with the bike pump I read about last night? I've got a sprinkler guy coming today. Maybe I can talk HIM into connecting to my skimmer!

thanks. I can't promise I won't have more questions, but with 3" of snow now on the ground, a high of 35, lows in the mid 20's, and the pool people not coming till Friday, I hope I did the right thing. If I can somehow get comfortable that I've done a 100% good job, I will call the pool people and cancel. Please, please help me to do so!

Jennie

[Poconos]

Ted knows a lot more about various setups than I so he's the one to best comment on your specifics. Yes, probably best to drain the equipment before blowing as a general rule. I don't have a main drain and have never dealt with one but just remember that all you need to do is winterize above the frost line and I suspect in MN that's 4 feet or lower. Also remember that a larger mass like the filter tank, takes longer to freeze before smaller masses like the pipes so don't sweat the cold snaps with the big stuff. As for connecting the compressor somewhere else, that depends on if you can break into the system somewhere else. Probably nothing to be gained.
Al

[jenmenke]

OK, thanks. That does make me feel better. (Though it was 20 degrees AGAIN when I woke up this morning. Snow still on the ground...)

Ted? Where are you? Did you get frozen to your equipment pad? Should we send help?

In the meantime, I will be eagerly awaiting your replied.

Your friend and pool guru student,
Jennie

[jenmenke]

Tried the tire pump method mentioned a couple years ago for clearing the main drain. No go. Am fairly certain that even if I did initially clear it, water re-entered it when I opened the valve to try again.

I still don't know what the deal is with the fountains or how to blow them out.

Pool people were scheduled for tomorrow and I needed to cancel 24 hours in advance. So, I guess I'll just have to let them come and do it since I'm now inside that window and I can't get it figured out here. The bummer is that I can't even be here to watch them because I'll be out of town.

Maybe next year...

I would still like to see if you can help me answer my questions from a few days ago though. I will help in my understanding, hopefully, for next year.

[waste]

Sorry to have been off line last night !

I think you're best off having the pool dudes do a complete closing- If we'd had more time, I surely could have talked you through it.

Come about Thanksgiving, I get laid off for the winter - what say we talk about your pool and the piping over the winter? I'll have lots of time to devote to fully understanding your set up and then you'll be empowered to take care of the openings and closings yourself (saving you $$$)

I hope your trip goes well and that you get home safely (it would have been optimal for you to be able to watch what and how they close the pool - but we can still let you know what they've done and how)

Write down your questions about what they did and how they managed it (ask them to leave some sort of report about what they did, since you won't be there, and let us know what was done for the closing )

We are here for you all year!

[tasso]

HI,

I live in Minnesota, near Forest Lake if you live nearby, and hopefully just closed my pool myself today.

I used an air compressor with an adapter that was included with the compressor I bought at Costco.

Just thread the adapter from the compressor hose to the drain valve on the filter pump basin and systematically blew out the returns.

If you want I would be happy to email you a photo of the compressor adapter that threaded just perfect into the filter pump drain opening.

Here is what I did today and maybe you all can tell me if I did it right, PLUS I have one question.

1. I cleaned the pool and checked the chemicals looks pretty good. Also, removed the return islets and put in duck plugs. It is fiberglass with an autocover, so I put in a foam block in the skimmer opening very neat product left water in pool half way up skimmer, to minimize the cover stretching downward
2. Turned off electricity to pump etc
3. All valves at pad turned to close.
4. Drained the filter pump, booster pump and filter housing and heater, reinstalled all plugs but the one to the filter bain.
5. Connected the compressor to the filter pump drain plug area and systematically blew out each return for about 1 minute of constant bubbles than cap the duck plug closed that valve. repeated this for all 3 returns and the booster line.
6. Than opened the skimmer top cover sucked out all the water that I could, than opened the skimmer valve at the pad and blew it out via the compressor connected to the filter drain opening until nothing but air, while blowing screwed in gizmo with teflon tap, added antifreeze to the skimmer.
7. Opened the main drain valve and blew it out for about 2 minutes of constant strong bubbles. BUT I have a concern. I have 2 main drain openings in my fiberglass pool, not on the bottom, but on the diving end wall near the bottom about 6 feet apart in a horizontal line, ONLY the one closest to the equipment pad bubble out air lots of it, but not the one 6 feet further away. I watched install so I know that the main line comes to the closest one first than about 2 feet from the main drain branches and goes to the other main drain, so I assume air is taking the path of least resistance and therefore coming out of the closest one only? Can I close the closest one somehow? Or is that 6 feet of water 9 feet underground not a worry?
8. Finally removed all the drain plugs
9. Plan to remove intellichlor SWG but what do I do with the open pipe openings? And how do I clean the SWG?
10. Filter cartridges removed rinsed and will soak clean and stay inside.

I hope this helps you Jennie, and if you live nearby I am happy to let you borrow my compressor and mystery attachment, love Costco.



Tasso