Main drain

[Danny]

I moved into a home with a 18 X 36 cement inground pool. The pool is 38 years old and I have brang it back from the dead. The pipes going to the skimmer and main drain where cast iron. I removed the pipes and put in pvc. My question is the pipe going to the main drain. When I try and pull water from it to the pump, the pump isnt pulling water from it. When working on the pool I poped out the the drain cover and noticed that the drain has a vavle with a spring that you can lift up and turn. I was wondering if the drian was vavle was stoping me from pulling water through the pipe. I also want to mention that I can push water into the pool through the main drain. I just cant PULL it back through. HELP?

[Pool Problem Solver]

Sounds like the check valve (valve with spring) is backwards.

The check valve should allow you to draw water from the pool but not push water into the pool.

You could remove this valve and put a new check valve anywhere on the pipe between the main drain and the multiport valve at the filter.