My pool has a main drain in … Pools, Spas and Hot Tubs - No suction at main drain - Hello, I have an in-ground pool in my south Florida home built in 1965. The federal 2007 Virginia Graeme Baker Pool and Spa Safety Act regulates swimming pool main drains. A main drain circulates the pool's water by pulling water off the bottom of the pool and sending it to the filter. All states should take note. But when the dirt hits the bottom of my pool, the main drain removes only a few inches around the drain which I don't believe is very useful. Just experiment to try and equalize the flow. Your circulation is low, thus your pool water is filtering too slow to keep your pool clean. Solution: If your main drain is clogged or has been capped off, call a professional to your home to fix the problem. Since the deep end is 10' deep it seems like my circulation will always be insufficient only pulling from the skimmer and spa. I'm not understanding how your pool is plumbed. A main pool drain leak can be a repair technician's nightmare. Although it is called the main drain, it's not a drain at all. Hello, I am having troube (2 issues) with my swimming pool system. This is not debatable with any scientific merit. This "expert" is expensive for free! With no main drain, your swimming pool is operating at half the capacity that it should be. It just sat there. Your circulation is low, thus your pool water is filtering too slow to keep your pool clean. Also, I am assuming that your deepend is at least 6' deep. What I do have a problem with, especially in light of someone's loved one dying, is the unwillingness to learn. I would have at least a little flow through the main drain plumbing so it remains chlorinated but again, the main drain will not remove dirt from the bottom of the pool and it's only function is to help with the circulation of water in the deep end. Main drain is essential for proper function of any pool sweep cleaner of sand, dust, small debris, DE remnants, etc. Solution: If your main drain is clogged or has been capped off, call a professional to your home to fix the problem. 99.5 % gunite pools in South have main drains. Since 2007, federal and state laws require new pools to have either multiple main drains, unblockable drains or no main drains at all. Or both skimmers and the main drain are all on one line? This is not uncommon among pool owners. The skimmer works fine when selected, and the main drain in the spa works fine, but I am concerned that not having a bottom drain in the pool will not mix chemical as efficiently as it should, not to mention the amount of dirt I have settle at the bottom. It doesn't improve much even when I redirect all of the flow through the main drain. The pool usually has to be drained completely, and the job involves destroying concrete and plaster to expose the leaking section so it can be repaired. So, I now know that the main drain in the pool is not working. I ran a shaft with a piece of thin rope attached to it to see if there was any succion at the bottom and there is none. Main drain is essential for proper function of any pool sweep cleaner of sand, dust, small debris, DE remnants, etc. The few gunite pools that do not have a main drain were either built by diletants or main drain was deleted due to a leak on the return piping. With no main drain, your swimming pool is operating at half the capacity that it should be.