Ideas on how to unclog main drain line?

[bostonpool]

Hi folks:

Pool newbie here. This site is definintely helping me learn about my pool. I'm drinking from the fire house.

Anyway, we have an 32,000 gallon Gunite pool circa 1979. It is in good condition.

We have a main drain, as pools do. But I've been wondering what it's connected to as there is only one line running from the skimmer basket to our pump/filter with no valve connecting to the main drain.

Turns out I have one of those skimmers with two holes at the bottom. The rear hole is connected to our pump / filter. The front hole, it turns out, is connected to our main drain. My skimmer has do weir door, and no float valve for the main drain. I have just ordered both from Amazon.

Anyway, I was testing the main drain today by connecting my vacuum hose with one end to the pump inlet and the other to the main drain port in the bottom of the skimmer. The pump got starved almost immediately.

I put a hose down the main drain line and mud/dirt/debris erupted from the main drain. Gross. Now it seems to have "partial flow" but there is still A LOT of air bubbles in the pump when I connect to the main drain directly with the vacuum hose.

Any idea how I can clear out the main drain? When I get my float valve on Tuesday I can test this better. But for now the only way I can connect to the main drain is via the vacuum hose.

Thanks,
B

 

[Richard320]

I would connect the vacuum to the skimmer suction port and shove a drain king down the second port and vacuum up whatever erupts from the main drain.

There's probably gravel down in there now, so you may have to dive with a screwdriver and remove the cover to dig it out