Skimmer and sidewall vac?

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JHawthorne0908
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Posts: 1
Joined: Thu 28 Mar, 2013 09:09
My Pool: Different types of pools
Location: Florida

Skimmer and sidewall vac?

Postby JHawthorne0908 » Wed 24 Apr, 2013 08:57

I started my own pool cleaning company about 6 months ago. And so far I thought I had run into just about ever problem but here's a new one I have no clue where to start. I'm cleaning my bro in laws pool, I go to dump some stabilizer in skimmer basket and noticed some in the pool. There's what looks like a sidewall vac next to the skimmer buts its blower water and its coming from the skimmer which was why I was seeing stabilizer. It was sucking from skimmer. Should it be doing that? I see no controls at pump to be able to shut things off. There's 2 holes in skimmer ones sucking the other doesn't feel like its doing anything. I know at my other pools there's normal a plug in one of the holes. I'm confused lol. Thanks for any and all help. John


TSH Tech

Skimmer and sidewall vac?

Postby TSH Tech » Thu 25 Apr, 2013 00:39

Sounds like a sidewall suction drain:

http://i38.tinypic.com/smwt3k.jpg

I guess it depends on the pool builder, I rarely see them on private backyard pools, more-so on public pools or apartment/condo pools. The way it works is, instead of being plumbed all the way down to a floor drain, it takes a short route to the side of the pool. If the water level should ever fall below the skimmer line, the Float Valve will close and draw water from the side of the pool just as it would if it were routed to a floor drain.
So there you have it. The concept been around since the early 1980's, but it's not that frequently used in pool building.

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