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swimming pool
By RON WOLF 4,146 views
HOME GARDEN

Tips for Unclogging Your Swimming Pool Drain and Maintaining It Properly

During the hot summer months, one of the biggest blessings a homeowner can have is a pool right in their yard. There is nothing that compares to being able to relax and cool down in the comfort of your own home.

Especially if you live in a warmer climate such as Australia. But maintaining a pool is not just fun and games, and if you neglect this part of your responsibilities, you might have a problem heading your way. For instance, many tend to neglect the drain of their swimming pool, but that little circle at the bottom of your pool has an important role and you should ensure it’s working properly. Therefore, here are some tips for unclogging your swimming pool drain and maintaining it in the future.

About Pool Drains

pool drains

The main drain of a swimming pool actually serves another purpose besides draining the pool. It actually sucks out the water from your pool to be filtered and then delivered back through a number of inlets, clean and free of dirt. In large, commercial pools, these main drains are big and covered by a dome-like cover for safety reasons. In your private pool, depending on its size, you might also have more than one of these drains.

While the suction is not strong enough to pose a threat to your safety, to be on the safe side, you should have anti-vortex covers guarding your drains. In addition to the drains at the bottom of your pool, there are also a number of skimmers that are responsible for removing dirt from the surface of the water.

How Can the Drain Get Clogged?

As the main drain is sucking the water, it is inevitable that some debris ends up in your drain and pipe system. If you don’t skim the debris from the top of the water regularly, it can eventually sink to the bottom and make your life more difficult. For instance, hair, leaves, sticks, and other debris coming from trees, or simply pollen and other particles are all common enemies of the pool drain. If you notice that your drain is not working properly, it is likely the case that it is clogged. 

What to do if your Drain is Clogged?

drain is clogged

Before you call in the pros, you can try a few techniques yourself, but there are a few things you need to know so you don’t inadvertently make the problem worse. To unclog part of your pool’s drainage system, you’ll first need to turn off your pump.

To clear a clog in the suction line, you can approach the problem from the side of your skimmer. The first step is to remove the strainer basket and clear the area of dirt and debris. Then you can turn to handy tools like a water flush or clog remover/water bladder.

You can connect these to your garden hose as you use household water pressure to clear the clog by inserting the water bladder into the skimmer. With this method, you can push out the debris that caused the clog on the other side. If the clog is stubborn, it can also get deeper, which means it will be even harder to remove.

What do if the Clog won’t go Away?

If you think the problem is in your main drain and the previous solution didn’t work, you may need to drain your pool to fix the problem. After draining, you can use tools like plungers to loosen the clog and eventually push it out. However, be careful with plungers as they are quite difficult to handle for swimming pools.

Swimming pool drain systems often have short radius elbows, and unless you’re an expert, there’s a risk that your plunger gets stuck or you cause damage while handling it. If you don’t want to risk it, it’s best if you call in professionals such as Canberra Plumbing and Drains who have the proper know-how and equipment to sort the issue out.

Chemical cleaners sound like a practical method, but keep in mind that these cleaners contain very harsh chemicals and you don’t want to risk damaging your drain and pipes by using them on the wrong materials. Given the environmental and health risks these chemicals pose, it’s best to keep them far away from where you’ll be bathing.

Further Maintenance

There’s no way to completely avoid dirt ending up in your drains, but certain maintenance procedures will greatly reduce the likelihood that you’ll need to unclog your clogged drains on a regular basis. For starters, you should regularly clear the water of accumulated debris, especially if you live in a place where the wind blows all sorts of things into the water.

It’s also important to clean your drains regularly to prevent algae growth. If there is a lot of debris in your pool, you can remove it by hand with a vacuum cleaner. This way you save your drainage system from hard work.

Owning a pool brings joy and relaxation, but it can also bring challenges, such as dealing with clogged drains. The good news is that there are a number of effective solutions available to you, and you can turn to professionals to quickly solve the problem so you can enjoy your pool to the fullest during the summer season.

Ron Wolf
Author
RON WOLF

Ron Wolf is a hobby designer and a DIY enthusiast, and, above all, a very blessed father of two. Besides that, he has a strong passion for writing. If he is not working he enjoys being outside with his family. Hiking, bike riding, and BBQing are always a thing for him. In the evening, he likes to watch documentaries or build something with kids in their lego corner.