How to plug the main drain

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T

tagteamcomputing

Gold Supporter
Feb 7, 2017
296
Tulsa, OK
I need to do some testing for a leak. I am going to take the water down below the returns and see if the water level keeps dropping. If it does I need to plug the main drain to see if it is the main drain.

I have two of these in my deep end.

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How can I plug this? I have searched google for a 6.5 inch plug but I don't seem to be coming up with anything.
 
When you take the cover off the main drain, there should be a pipe below it that you can plug. Usually 1 1/2" to 2.5" in size.
 
ttc,

Just to make sure you know... The two main drains are normally connected together, with only a single pipe coming back to he equipment pad..

Not saying your main drain could not be the leak, but I would think that the Skimmer, then lights, then return pipes would be a more likely spots for a leak to occur in a gunite pool.

Thanks,

Jim R.
 
Thanks Jim, you are correct. The two drains come back to one pipe. I am losing 1.5 - 2 inches a day so first I am going to drop the water below the returns. If it continues to drop at that rate I will then plug the main drain, and only then. My water is about 35 degrees right now so believe me, getting in to plug the main drain is a last resort.

Maybe you can help me with this one. IF I decide to close my pool how do I get the water out of the main drain? Do I try to suck it out with a shop vac? I have a 4hp shopvac, and I am not sure it has that kind of juice.

And thanks Mark, I will try to rig a pole with a hood to pull the grate cover off to make sure of the main drain plug size, thanks.

Thanks, Tate
 
Tate,

Two inches a day is a lot... it has to be going somewhere... If you have a DE filter with a multiport and your backwash is connected to a drain, I would expect the multiport is the problem. I say that because 2" per day, should be making something awful wet... You would think it would be obvious... :confused:

I have zero pool closing experience, but can't see where the water in a main drain line would freeze, except right at the equipment pad.. I would think that once you drop the water below the return lines, that the water in the main drain line would not be any higher than the water level in the pool. Assuming that the equipment pad is NOT below the pool level, I don't see anything to worry about in your location..

That said, let's hope one of our members with pool closing experience will chime in..

Thanks,

Jim R.
 
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