No Bottom Drain in a New Pool. Is this going to be a Problem

[smcrea]

We are getting our in ground shotcrete pool built and it seems that the pool company may have difficulty installing a bottom drain due to the amount of steel work in the pool. The company says that a bottom drain is not that important and that the two skimmers in the 15K gallon pool will be enough.

Is OK to have a pool with no bottom drain?, and what are the disadvantages of not having one and advantages of having one?

Is it a big deal to have no bottom drain?

Any advise is really welcome!

Thanks!

[Dark Helmet]

Is OK to have a pool with no bottom drain?, and what are the disadvantages of not having one and advantages of having one?

I'm a new pool owner (3 mos), and have been picking the brains of a number of pool guys on my pool and its equipment. We happened to have a bottom drain, and here's what I've heard about it.

We have stoppers below the skimmer baskets on the side of the pool such that if the water level of the pool drops below the skimmer drains on the sides, those stoppers plug up, and the pump pulls water from the drain on the bottom of the pool instead. This allows for the pump not to run dry and burn up the pump, and water to continue to circulate and chlorinate even when the water level drops too low for a bit.

Here in Texas where evaporation can drop the level of the pool pretty fast in the hot part of the summer, that's a plus, especially if you happened to be away on a 1-2 week vacation.

However, I'm interested in reading follow-ups from more experienced folks on this.

[muss08]

Main drains play an important role in circulation and keeping the pool clean but are not necessary. In a perfect world 60-70% of your suction should come from your main drain. Main drains suck in fine particles such as dust and dirt that can settle to the bottom of the pool. Also, main drains suck chlorinated water down to the bottom of the pool to help eliminate "dead zones" which are areas where there is no circulation and no chlorine. These "dead zones" are where algae can flourish. Without one you will need to pay close attention to your water level like the previous post states.