Thanks. The liner goes in and the pool is filled. I had my pool repiped last year and they tied my main drain into a waterfall line which has a separate pump .When I blow out the main drain from the pool pump 3 way valve I have to close the valve to the water fall pump to blow out the line. There are 2″ holes at the bottom of each skimmer, one gets plugged (usually the front hole) with the PVC plug included with the skimmer. ). Many of our customers use rigid PVC where the pipe comes up out of the ground, and use flex pipe for the underground plumbing. Use as few 90’s and 45’s as possible, to keep total system resistance as low as possible. If your pool is in the southern U.S., with rare freezing temperatures, you can bury your pool pipes a bit shallower, but if you can go deeper, it’s always a good idea. If you cannot locate a hydro-static valve, call a pool professional to drain it. Large water features, or powerful spa jets are another area where 2″ pipe may be used. I want to locate pumps and filter 60’away from pool.I am thinking of a 2HP motor. Main Drains for Swimming Pools that comply with provisions of the ANSI/APSP 16-2011 standard as required by the Virginia Graeme Baker Pool & Spa Safety Act. Clean the pipe and fitting immediately before gluing with PVC pipe cleaner. This is why some builders scoff and scorn at the idea of using Black Poly pipe. Check valves can be used if desired; they are especially helpful if the pump and filter is located more than 12″ above water level. Michigan Pool Products, Inc. is located in Westland, MI. HapWay 8 Inch in Outer Diameter Universal White Round Swimming Pool Main Drain Suction Cover Replacement with Screws, Fit for in-Ground Swimming Pools Accessary 3.8 out of … Having a continuous roll makes it easier to wrap around corners and you will need fewer connectors. Connecting the equipment with rigid PVC above the ground, looks neater, and makes the equipment less likely to move. Because of this, the joints are more likely to cause leaking problems years down the road. Open the air bleeder on the filter to allow the air to escape. Sch 20 pipe should not be used on pool plumbing, or pressurized lines, Schedule 40 is standard. Once the MTA is installed, glue a 6-12″ piece of rigid PVC pipe, into the fitting. Most people aren’t entirely sure when and how to drain their inground pool. Water-in the soil around pipes, to be sure dirt gets underneath, for support. The booster pump should draw inlet water from the pool return line (after any heater but before chlorinator), and discharge the water to a dedicated return line, 1.5″ in size. Use a proper thread sealant so there won’t be any air leaks. I like to wait to backfill the trenches until we have the pool pump and filter operating; that’s my method of pressure testing. Use larger eyes (3/4 or 1″) further away from the pump, and use smaller (3/8 or 1/2) eyeballs on the returns closer to the pump. Boost up the chlorine, and lower the pH, hopefully you can still run the filter from the main drain? Carefully check the entire run of plumbing for any leakage. The j-box can’t be closer than 10 feet from the pool, and must be 18″ above the water level in the pool, as shown in this image. The return line is the pipe that carries water from the pool filter, back to the wall return inlets. Americas #1 online inground swimming pool kit retailer! Host Dan Harrison from PoolAndSpa.com answers common questions about the care of swimming pools and hot tub spas in this E-How episode from Pool And Spa TV Season 7. Use sweep elbows for lower resistance. John, having a main drain will help with circulation and water clarity, and cleanliness, but is not absolutely necessary in a pool only 52″ deep, and with such small dimensions. An improperly functioning or broken drain can be an owner’s worst nightmare because usually the pool must be completely drained and the concrete or plaster … Hi Giles, 60 ft away is no problem. Should the return lines be above or below the water. Resurfacing or painting also requires an empty pool. Black Poly pipe, also sold in rolls, can be used. If you want to do the same, cut the flexible pipe at the bottom of the trench and glue it into a SlipxSlip elbow fitting which points up toward the street elbow you glued into the Jandy Valve. Check the filter design flow rate, usually on the filter label, and then check the flow chart curve of the pump you like, and select a pump that will produce less than the design flow rate maximum, based on an estimate of your overall resistance rating, in feet of head (vertical axis of the pump flow curves). Keeping your inground pool full of clean, sparkling water is probably your top priority as a pool owner. Clogs are most easily cleared with a Drain King, or a snake. 2. Do i have to install the 2 main drains on a flat bottom 52″ pool. Hand tight, plus 1-1/2 turns with large pliers. Make sure it is at least about 2 ft wide and at least 2 ft deep. Pool plumbing are the pipes that are buried underground, connecting the pool with the filter equipment. … Lets start with the pump. Our inground pool kits come with a starter plumbing kit. Above ground pipes should be supported, and allow room to service equipment and move around without damaging pipes. Using rigid pipe for these connections will look better, but is not required. There are different types of piping that can be used for plumbing an inground pool. A fiberglass pool is meant to be full of water at all times, and draining it improperly can cause the lightweight shell to pop up out of the ground. When this happens above the ground, the pipe blows apart, often into many pieces, when this happens in the ground, it usually just puts a thin crack in the line. Partial Pool Demolition. A trained professional can check the groundwater around the fiberglass shell and remove it if necessary. Open Up The Main Drain. Using 1.5″ will result in a little higher pressure and slower flowrate, and increased workload/cost to run the pump. What is the standard size tubing for such a project? I have an inground pool, gunite, I have for about three years in the late spring, drained the pool by closing the skimmer line, have the main drain valve open fully, and the return line open fully, had an issue of the pool pump not priming, called out my pool company and they had to replace the pump. The purpose of a pool main drain is to pull water from the bottom of the pool through the pump and filtration system. When tightening threaded fittings into pumps, filters, heaters, chlorinators… be careful not to over-tighten, but turn only 1-2 turns beyond hand tight. Finally, it could be a leak in the main drain pipe, at the level of the water level, and this is most usually found directly below where the MD pipe exits the ground, in front of the filter, but can also be closer to the pool (main drain pipe leaks are rare however, so don’t freak out, just yet! Other supplies that you’ll need include a measuring tape, a power saw, either reciprocating or jig saw, with a few sharp blades. It’s only 10x 18 in ground. Finally, connect your pipe from the skimmer and main drain into these two Street Elbows. Would a 1.5” to 2” adapter work to go from the 2” coming in/out of the pump to get it to the existing 1.5 pipe? From there, you need to close the skimmer valve and open up the main drain. Allow the glue to cure for 24 hours. Start the drainage process by opening the pool's hydro-static valve, which is located in the main drain. That said, you must first separate the main drain from the skimmer valve. If you haven’t done so already, connect the Hayward widemouth skimmer to the wall panel with the cut-out. Let the system run for a day, and if you do not see any wet spots on dry soil, then we’re ready to backfill around the pool, and in the pipe trenches. A main drain circulates the pool's water by pulling water off the bottom of the pool and sending it to the filter. Black poly pipe will use barbed fitting inserts and clamps to connect to the pool and equipment, rather than glued PVC fittings. Your pools main drain line was probably not winterized properly, or the valve that locked air in the line was bad /leaky, or the plug used to lock air in the line popped out. ... -Main Drain-Safety Rope-Maintenance Kit-Plumbing Kit. I am installing my own 16’x32′ inground pool. Generally speaking, there are 2 ways to get rid of your inground pool: partial removal or complete removal. The advantage of Black Poly pipe is that it can be purchased more cheaply than PVC pipe. In between these two elbow fittings, use a piece of rigid, schedule 40 PVC. AAA Pool Service: How to Drain an Inground Pool, River Pools and Spas: 3 Reasons NOT to Drain a Fiberglass Pool. Can I use thin wall conduit, and also use a receptacle to plug and unplug the pump for service? Most pools have two main drains, but a small pool may have only one. If your pool has suffered damage that requires repair work, it likely needs to be drained. When your pool is being dug, have the operator dig a trench from the pool to where your pool equipment will be (your equipment pad). Schedule 80 pipe is a gray PVC, with a 0.200 wall. Third would be pump drain plugs or leaky valves for the skimmer/main drain lines. Only pull water in from the main drain on the bottom of the pool. Unions are useful for removing the pool pump easily for service or indoor winter storage. In 2007 the United States passed the Virginia Graeme Baker Pool and Spa Safety Act. Install an MTA (male threaded adapter) fitting into the front port of the pool pump. Black Poly pipe is not glued together like PVC pipe. Hi Robert, there is no need to run separate lines for returns, as you can balance them at the wall, using different sized eyeball fittings. Within 15 seconds of cleaning, apply a liberal coating of fresh PVC glue on the inside of the fitting and the outside of the pipe. Be sure to use Teflon tape and a little pipe dope or silicone to prevent leaking. Push the pipe fully into the fitting with a small turning twist, and hold it for 30 seconds before releasing. In the front of the pump install a PVC union (not shown), and from that connect a short piece of pipe into a 3 way Jandy valve. Call with questions about our Dual Main Drain for Vinyl Pools. Conduit can be heated up and bent gently with a small blow torch, to go around gentle turns. Not having a bottom drain can be circumvented by having some wall returns that can sweep water across deeper sections, or by running a pool cleaner on a daily basis, especially robotic cleaners that also filter the water, but the circulation from any cleaner is helpful. Angzhili Pool Main Drain Cover,The top Grate(7.23")+Bottom mounting Plates(8"),White Replacement Pool Drain Cover with Screws,Pool Outlet Cover Swimming Pools Accessary 4.3 out of 5 … If you are installing a saltwater chlorine system or an In-line chemical feeder – you would install these after the filter, and after any pool heater, on the return line – before the return side Jandy Valve. Hi Bob, most pumps are connected with flexible conduit, and per code must be attached with conduit connectors, so that everything is water tight. What does a Hydro-static Valve do? If you have any questions about inground pool kit plumbing, or run into any troubles while plumbing your inground pool, give our pool plumbers a call here at In The Swim – we’re here to help! Drainage: Water needs to drain away from the swimming pool to avoid standing water or dirt and mud getting into the pool. Sch 80 fittings can be used on pumps and filters, if you encounter a problem with Sch 40 fittings melting and shrinking, and leaking. Can the outlet from the pump go back under ground and back up to the filter on the other side of a walkway? During normal operation, water flows to the filtering system through two or more main drains at the bottom of the pool and multiple skimmer drains around the top of the pool.. It should be water tight, not even a drop should be discovered. Their quality, durability and longevity have made them the top choice when it comes to purchasing an inground pool for your backyard. We will plumb the return side the same way, except that coming out of the multiport valve port labeled “Return”, we first run the pipe in and out of the heater. This is done by blowing the lines and equipment out with a small compressor or blower vac. Some skimmers have two holes in the bottom. In one side of the valve goes your step jets and in the other side goes your return fittings. Plumbing an inground pool is one of the fun parts of building your own inground pool – enjoy it. I will have 2 skimmers. This guide’s method will deal with how to drain an inground pool with main drain. From your filter system, choose the shortest route around the pool, to reach the wall returns. Then glue your flex pipe into the other side of the elbows, and run your pipe to where the two returns are located, typically on opposite sides or ends of the pool. © Copyright 2020 Hearst Communications, Inc. Make a plumbing diagram, measure twice – cut once, and dry fit everything together first, before gluing your pipes and fittings. My pool is not working. Clarifiers can also help. It’s OKAY… but it would be better to use 2″ to the pool, as far as possible, and at least all 2″ above ground, between pump and filter and to the return line. Hi Maurice, you will install a valve on the line, so that you can control the ‘throw’, or the length and size of the stream. And very large or long pools can benefit from a secondary set of drains. Schedule 40 pipe is available in rolls of flexible PVC or as rigid sticks, either 10 or 20 feet in length. If your pool's TDS becomes too high, you might experience white stains on the walls from calcium deposits, brownish stains from excessive manganese, and salty water that can irritate swimmer's eyes and skin. Lengths of rigid PVC can be purchased at any home store, or plumbing supply house. After the pump install a union, and then plumb to the inlet of your pool filter. Plug both drains and returns, open all valves. And for the collapsed line, if flex pipe was used underground near the skimmer, we wrote a blog post https://blog.intheswim.com/sylvan-pool-flex-pipe-skimmer-repair/. What diameter of tubing should I use to deliver this water so that the stream is steady? Most popular is schedule 40 PVC pipe. Always call a pool professional to empty your fiberglass pool. CalFinder: When and Why Should You Drain the Pool? why would it be piped that way? However, if you live in an area that is extremely wet or has recently experienced heavy rains, you may be better off hiring a professional to empty the pool since an empty concrete pool's shell can actually begin to float on groundwater and pop out of the ground. The suction lines, skimmer and main drain, are two pipes that connect into the pool pump, via a 3-way valve. One the other two side ports, glue in the 1-1/2″ Street Elbows, with the opening pointing down to the ground. Turn On The Pump. Don’t over-tighten threaded fittings into pump, valve, skimmers, drains. Pool company I called basically just did an inspection and used a drain king to no avail. (ii) each public pool and spa in the United States with a single main drain other than an unblockable drain shall be equipped, at a minimum, with 1 or more of the following devices or systems designed to prevent entrapment by pool or spa drains that meets the requirements of subparagraph (B): Leave at least 6″ of clear straight pipe on both sides of any piece of installed equipment. If you have any other accessories that is where you pipe to next from the filter after putting in a union and then pipe to either a heater, heat pump, salt system or anything else then from there to a Jandy 3-way valve. Use a layer of silicone (I like Blue RTV) on threaded fittings, then 3 layers of Teflon tape, wrapped over the threads in a clockwise direction. Thousands of homeowners just like you have figured out how to build an inground pool, from pool guys like me. How To Drain An Inground Pool With A Main Drain - In This How-To Video, Dan Harrison goes through the steps necessary to drain a inground pool with a main drain. We've already seen that the water in a swimming pool needs to circulate through a filtering system, to remove dirt and debris. Avoid plumbing loops where freezing water may become trapped. Plumbing your own swimming pool, as you build your backyard paradise is no big deal. Flex pipe is much easier to work with; it lays flat in the trenches and makes turns without using flow restricting fittings. Draining a concrete or gunite pool is a fairly easy process. Her writing has appeared on BobVila.com, World Lifestyle, and House Logic. Emory cloth or sandpaper can be used to smooth off the burrs after cutting the pipe. It can be a big problem if you put on a pump that is too large for the filter. The main drain of an in-ground swimming pool is one of the most crucial parts of the pool’s mechanics. Route your plumbing away from your electrical panel. ... That way you have one warranty that covers your main equipment. Fill and compact the soil gently so that you do not put pressure on underground pipes and fittings. While still hot, tighten again on the clamps to improve the seal. Our Deluxe pool packages include an Off-line chemical feeder. After the lines are cleared of water, the returns and skimmers are plugged at the pool, to keep water from re-entering the pipes during the winter. If you purchased your inground pool kit from In The Swim, the Deluxe or Deluxe Plus pool kits come with everything you need to plumb the pool. A partial pool removal is commonly referred to as a "pool fill in" because it involves breaking off the surface portion of the pool, throwing it in the bottom of the pool, and then backfilling with fill dirt, etc. If you haven’t erected your pool walls at this point, make your best guess on the location, but before you begin to plumb, measure again, to be sure you do not run short on pipes or fittings. 3R Pools will help you design a custom inground pool for any backyard. Unfortunately, circumstances sometimes force you to consider emptying your pool to address a structural or water-related issue. High quality StarGuard Main Drains are available in white, black, gray, and dark gray as well as a variety of configurations to fit any residential inground pool … Run a bit of pipe between the 2 drains with a Tee fitting in the middle of the pipe. This will save you from hand digging a pool plumbing trench after the machine leaves your yard. Understanding the correct way to drain your inground pool -- and when it's best to call a professional -- can mean the difference between a functioning pool and expensive repair bills. If you want to be sure that your pool plumbing job was done well, without leaks – before backfilling over the pipes, you can pressure test the plumbing. And the plumbing that you do on the equipment pad, connecting pump, filter, heater, chlorinator is another important part of pool plumbing that we’ll cover below. This will ensure enough room to fit all your pool plumbing lines and electrical conduit also. Eventually, your pool's surface material might begin to deteriorate if the TDS remains high. Use liberal amount of Fresh glue, on pipe and fitting. In some cases you will need additional pipe, depending on the size of the pool, how many returns and skimmers, and any other water features you are planning, and the distance to the pool equipment. Teflon tape and silicone is used for threaded fittings. I am new inground pool owner and have a new pool pump that I am installing that takes a 2” intake and output connection but I have existing 1.5” pipe throughout. All pipes coming out of the ground should have the same height. The next step is to connect the skimmer line and the main drain line into the pump. Is it ok to use 2″ pipe to supply pump and 1 1/2″ to returns? With a suction cleaner operating, it is already doing exactly what the main drain does, which is to pull water from the bottom of the pool. With the trench dug, the pipes from the pool to the equipment pad and back to the pool can be connected in just a few hours. Several factors might make it necessary to drain your inground pool. Glue two equal lengths of rigid PVC into these Street Elbows, and on the other end, into two slip elbows. Available at most home stores, you connect this to a garden hose, and push it into the skimmer. You can put the valve back by the equipment, or right behind the wall, whatever is more convenient. Also keep in mind any codes that may exist for placement. Today I will walk you through how to drain an inground pool below the skimmer. Should I connect Polaris booster pump to main return pipe or pipe it separately (inlet & outlet)?Thanks. Congratulations, now you can backfill over the pipe and up against the walls. Once outside of the wall, run this pipe all the way back towards the filter pump. Also going to use 2″ for the returns…should I run separate lines for each, or put 2 on one and 2 on another run? Use 3-4 wraps of Teflon tape, in a clockwise direction around threaded male fittings. Using a valve is important on each line, so that you have the most control over where and how your water flows. The easiest way is to do it at the pump I suppose. It may also lead to bulging walls and cracks in the shell. This refers to the thickness of the pipe wall. We can ship most products and liners directly to you. Filter preparation. Any water features should have their own valve to turn them on and off, you could install it now on the return side of the equipment, stub a piece of PVC out of it and glue on a cap at the end and when you do install your waterfall or whatever the water feature – you’ll be ready to go. And, do not forget to call your local Dig Safe service, to have your utility lines marked (for free), before beginning any digging in your backyard. Once the pool is drained, don't leave it empty of water for too long because the liner may begin to dry out and crack in the sunlight. Plumb in order, from Pump to Filter to Heater to Chlorinator or Salt System. The 24″ sand filter that is included in our Deluxe inground pool kits will have a multiport valve that mounts on the top of the filter tank. You can run a pipe for future use, capped off at the pad. Second most common is a loose pump lid, or dirty and unlubed lid o-ring. Connect the pipe to the fitting at the skimmer bottom, and run this pipe back to the filter pump. You probably dont need a 2hp pump for that purpose. Since 2007, federal and state laws require new pools to have either multiple main drains, unblockable drains or no main drains at all. No, not if you are using a suction type of cleaner. With a wet cloth, wipe off any excess glue. Then we install the faceplates and flood the lines. In the other hole of the skimmer, thread in a pvc pipe connector and glue your skimmer pipe into the fitting. This was a more economical method, rather than running a separate, dedicated pipe for the waterfall pump, which may be rarely used? During winter months or periods of non-use, most pool drains do not need to be plugged, but in some cases plugging a main drain is required or recommended. Tighten securely with a nut driver, then heat the pipe slightly with a torch. I don’t want it to dribble out nor do I want it to shoot across the pool. When you reach the stage of plumbing your inground pool, the SPP Pool Experts are right there with you – ready for any questions or concerns, or just to review the plan, and the supplies on hand. Dig a small hole in the bottom center of the floor, and place the 2 main drains, 3 ft apart from each other. Swimming Pool Main Drains must be installed in accordance with the VIRGINIA GRAEME BAKER POOL AND SPA SAFETY ACT and all applicable ASME/ANSI safety standards. At the filter end these would tie in on the filter side or return side of the equipment, you can just stub it up there and cap it also. Hi Eric, yes you can do as you say, place them apart and run the pipe between under the sidewalk. *American National Standards Institute and published by the American Society of Mechanical Engineers. If your motor is reversible (check motor label for hi/lo voltage wiring instructions), then you could switch voltage to 110V, and connect a 3-wire grounded NEMA style plug, 12-14 gauge wire, and plug it into a GFCI outlet. Most air leaks come from the threaded PVC fitting that screws into the pump, which can be patched quickly with Pool Putty, or the fitting can be replaced.