Main drains are not required in an inground swimming pool, however, they are strongly recommended and can be extremely useful in some circumstances. The advantages of main drains are to give you the ability to drain the water from your pool without the use of a sump pump.
In-ground pools typically have a sanitary sewer drainage inlet near the pool equipment. Pools and spas not plumbed with a sanitary sewer drainage inlet can be drained to a sanitary sewer line plumbed to the home. Consult a licensed plumber or pool professional if you are unsure how to go about draining your pool.
The main drain for a pool is a suction port that should be located at the deepest point on the pool floor. A main drain is responsible for aiding in the circulation and filtration of the pool water. Having a properly working and dedicated main drain line can also allow you to fully drain your pool if necessary.
When constructing a new swimming pool, if you are going to use a main drain it is required that you use two. This is due to safety regulations to help prevent Main Trap Entrapment. Main drain entrapment occurs when the suction is so great through a single main drain that a person can become stuck on or in the drain.
Pool overflow will typically go into your home's drainage system or directly out into the city's systems.
Many pools do not have them. They are not required. They might add slightly improved circulation and can be helpful for removing debris, but there are ways to counter these without the floor drain.
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. The main drains are usually located on the lowest point in the pool, so the entire pool surface slants toward them.
First, if the draining is done at the wrong time or under the wrong conditions, you can actually risk damaging your pool structure and liner. All the water from your pool needs to go somewhere when it's drained, and that usually means the ground.
All you need is a medium-size water or vacuum pump. Unroll the pump's intake hose so that it reaches the center of the pool (or as close to it as possible), and submerge it in the pool. Place the outlet hose so the exiting water doesn't flood the area, but drains off away from the pool.
Flooding Your Grass Is Not A Good Idea
The problem with draining your pool in the yard, if permitted by your local water regulatory laws, is that it will quickly reach its saturation level and increase the risk of flooding your lawn, drowning the roots of your grass, and attracting mosquitoes.
Pool industry experts recommend you drain your pool and refill it every five to seven years. No two pools are alike, so there is no set number at which you must drain your pool.
No matter what kind of pool you have, it's very important to have a properly functioning pool skimmer. Without it, you could wind up with a less beautiful pool, improper cleaning and an overworked pump.
According to the Consumer Product Safety Commission, the pressure on some pool drains can be as strong as 300 pounds per square inch. 1 This kind of pressure can suck in hair or body parts, or trap swimmers underwater and cause them to drown, even if someone is trying to pull a victim away from the drain.
Can I Discharge a Saltwater Swimming Pool or Spa to the Street? Saltwater swimming pools and spas are prohibited and illegal to be drained to the storm drain system/street or sanitary sewer system.
Or, as was the case in this wading pool incident, an open drain can suction organs out of the body. In 1993, Valerie Lakey, 5, was playing in a wading pool at a recreation club in North Carolina when she became caught in the uncovered drain's vortex. The pull was so strong that she was disemboweled.
If you decide to drain this pool yourself, you will first need to rent a sump pump that can be submerged under water. After renting the proper sump pump, connect it to the sewer access point and submerge the other end in the pool. Plug the pump into an outlet and let it go to work.
Some pools have a hose spigot plumbed after the pump, or on the filter valve, which you can connect a garden hose, to lower water level. Or, you can use a submersible pump, aka pool cover pump, to keep the pool from overflowing. Finally, there is the siphon method. A pool vacuum hose works best.
We get asked this question every time there is a heavy rain. That answer is pretty simple when you think about it. The pool will only overflow by the amount of rain in excess of the amount of rain needed to fill the pool to the top.
For proper water circulation, it is best to position the flap so that it is about 2/3 closed. This will allow for more flow through the main drain than through the skimmer, which will promote a "bottom-to-top" circulation throughout the pool.
you can tell if your main drain is working by perhaps putting a leaf on it. If it sticks, its working. In any case though, the main drain is not why your pool is having a problem. It has nothing to do with your pool turning green.
How long can you leave a pool empty? Well, the minimum amount of time possible in order to minimize the risk of serious damage. Most issues that require a pool drain will take at least a day or two to resolve, but it's recommended to not let it sit empty for any extended period of time.
Modern concrete pools can usually stand being drained for as long as needed, but there'll still be a risk of popping if the ground water level is high. Fibreglass pools are less resilient. The floor may come loose and float to the top when refilled, even after a short period.