Skimmer intentionally blocked & Main drain suction

[DARTH DOUGY]

Hi...new pool owner here. I am moving along the learning curve about maintaining my first pool. A couple of questions:

(1) I have two skimmers. The closest one to the pump is used for the Kreepy Krawly. The other one does not seem ot have the same opening as the forementioned. When I look inside the lid, I do not see where the suction could be coming from..it almost looks like the hole is plugged with a stopper or something. Is this typical?

(2) I don't seem to be getting suction from the main drain like I would expect? I tried to prudently go down to the drain and feel for pressure, but none. No dirt seems to be sucked in....??? I am in the process of backwashing and getting a complete filter cleaning to make sure that isn't the issue....how much suction should I be seeing down in the main drain?

[mr_clean]

Normally when a pool has 2 skimmers it is controlled by a ortega valve near equipment. You would be able to share suction or turn it so one side would have more than the other. When using a kreepy krauly you would have to shut off one skimmer so the kreepy krauly does not share suction and not work properly. Their should be no reason to worry about second one plugged off.
Checking bottom drain that works as skimmer in some pools and others with multiport valve use to drain water can be checked with hand cloth towel. You would place over drain cover and see it suction to it. When using kreepy krauly you do not want main drain working as kreepy krauly cleans area and if it did work the kreepy krauly would get stuck to drain or share suction and not work properly.
Skimmers that have two holes use skimmer floats that sits on top of skimmer holes and has a hole in bottom of it, that has a plastic flap that covers this hole and opening it & closing it controls the difference between main drain and skimming suction.
Skimmers with one hole share suction between main drain and skimmer. When hooking up a kreepy krauly you would need to drop in pipe plug to block main drain so kreepy krauly does not share suction.
If you can not skim pool because of kreepy krauly than it would need regulator in between kreepy hose and skimmer pipe to be able to skim.

[DARTH DOUGY]

Thanks....I did some additional work on it. My system uses Jandy type valves. I managed to loosen the valve handle, but still have not looked inside the casing. Even when I moved the handle to alter the main drain suction, I still wasn't getting anything down there. There must be something else going on.

The skimmer with the plug looks to be getting some suction now that I looked at it closer. I think they must have put it in to limit the suction to help the Kreepy.

If anyone knows about main drain suction problems please feel free to jump in and let me know.

[mr_clean]

do you have one hole skimmers or two hole skimmers?

[DARTH DOUGY]

Two skimmers:

The first skimmer is nearest the pump. It has two holes, one that I use to attached the Kreepy, and the other looks to be a hole that is blocked with earth/dirt

The second skimmer is farthest from the pump. It has two holes, one that is blocked with some kind of plug, and the other is a hole blocked with earth/dirt.

Does this look like a typical configuration?

Thanks

[mr_clean]

Ok, you have two hole skimmers, normally you would have skimmer floats inside each skimmer that sits on top of both holes. This float has a hole on the bottom of it and a plastic adjustable flange that can move over it. The more it covers hole the more suction to bottom skimmer/main drain you would have and less skimming to that skimmer.
Sense you have kreepy krauly, the second skimmer most likely has a skimmer plug in back hole which gets suction so kreepy krauly does not share suction and works correctly or ortega valve which control's suction between each skimmer is turned more toward kreepy krauly skimmer which gets most of the suction. You will have to make a choice, do you want kreepy krauly working and cleaning pool which should be better than bottom skimmer/main drain working or take out kreepy krauly and buy two skimmer floats and have bottom skimmer work.