- Categories: Buying Guides
Swimming pool drains: a buyers guide
Swimming pool skimmers and drains are an essential piece of equipment for your pool. Similar to the drains in your home, pool drains provide an exit for water to flow through. But pool drains are good for more than just drainage if they’re used correctly.
Whether you’re putting drains in a new pool or need to upgrade your pool drains to current standards, this guide will help you to get the ball rolling.
In this guide to swimming pool drains, we’ll cover:
Let’s dive in.
What do swimming pool drains do (and do I need one?)
Pool drains help keep your pool clear, clean, and safe for use. There are two different types of pool drain that work on particular areas of your pool. These are called the main drain, and the pool skimmer.
Between them, the main pool drain and the skimmer:
- Circulate the pool water: By sucking in and filtering the pool water, these drains play an important role in keeping your pool safe for swimming. They help to keep water clean, and aid your other pool equipment and chemicals in working properly too.
- Catch debris and dirt: The main drain is designed to catch the smaller pieces that sink to the bottom of your pool. The skimmer catches the floating pieces.
- Empty your pool: This isn’t typically the job of the main drain, but it could be used for this function. Just ensure you’re properly prepared for this process. The valves of the main drain and skimmer must be separated, for example. A word of caution though – draining your pool should only be done under supervision of your Pool Professional!
So now we know what these swimming pool drains do, what’s the difference between them?
Do you need them both?
The main drain
Main pool drains sit at the bottom of your pool and usually incorporate a Hydrostatic Valve, which is used to stop the pool lifting out of the ground if the surrounding water table is higher than the water level of the pool.
They suck water into the filtration system to be returned back into your pool, clear of debris.
Main drains are usually covered by durable plastic to keep swimmers safe from the suction, and to avoid any large debris from getting into the pool filter and damaging it.
It’s also a good idea to fit main drains with anti-suction technology as a safety precaution. This can detect a blockage and automatically release the suction force so you can remove whatever has caused the problem.
Do I need a main drain?
Technically you don’t have to have a main drain in your pool. But you do need something that fulfills the same function for below-ground pools. Robotic pool cleaners are great replacements for main drains.
If you’d rather keep things manual, you’ll need dual main drains. Dual main drains are two drains spaced at least 1.2m apart and connected underground.
Having two pool drains gives you a back-up, and ensures that any blockages don’t render your pool unclean and unsafe for use.
The skimmer
The skimmer is that letter box-shaped slot at the waterline of your pool. The skimmer will take water from the pool and draw in the top surface layer of the pool, sucking in floating debris to be captured before it gets a chance to sink to the bottom of the pool.
Like the main drain, the skimmer is connected to your pool’s filtration system.It’s usually made from plastic, and should be fitted with the following two components:
- The weir: A flap that holds onto any debris caught so that it passes through the filter and not back into your pool.
- The basket: This sits behind the weir and collects the debris ready for removal.
Do I need a skimmer?
Yes, regardless of the type of pool you have, you need at least one skimmer. Larger pools should have more than one – a good rule of thumb is one (at least) skimmer per 45 square meters of the pool’s surface area.
When you position your skimmer, try to place it against the regular prevailing wind direction. This will help it catch as much debris as possible. If your weir door is missing it’s important that it’s replaced as it makes a huge difference to the amount of floating debris that’s captured. Also ensure that the water level covers around ⅓ to ½ the weir so that debris can get caught inside.
It’s also important that you check the basket for cracks or splits when you empty it to prevent debris passing through and clogging your pump.
Consider your pool covered
Here at Dolphin Pacific, we aim to make pool care simple. But with so much to learn, it can sometimes feel draining!
We have a ton of resources to make things easier. And of course, we’re only a phone call or email away.
Happy swimming!
Tag
Hey! I'm Adrian, founder and pool expert here at Dolphin Pacific. I love spending time with family, fishing, and have been known to brew my own beer.
