what size air compressor to blow outpool lines
Back when I had a puddle service company, we had a few customers we saw just in one case per year. These were very hands-on, DIY clients who would have their puddle completely airtight, and called us out for our blow-only service to winterize the underground lines.
Bravado out the lines is non too complicated. Truly, anyone can practice it with the right equipment.
The right equipment for the task, in this instance, is the Cyclone Pool Blower, shown right. A suitable substitute to purge pool lines would be the Mighty Vac 2-in-i Blower and Vacuum.
Common Questions About Pool Plumbing Winterization:
Tin can You Blow Out Pool Lines Using an Air Compressor?
Yes, you lot could utilize a suitable compressor to blow out pool lines, but the potential exists to over-pressurize your pipes and fittings with a compressor. Compressors are high air pressure, depression air flow. Cyclone pool line blowers, on the other hand, accept depression and consistent pressure level, with a keen deal more air book. For more details, cheque out this video where Rox Cox explains How to Use an Air Compressor to Blow Out Pool Lines.
Tin can You Blow Out Puddle Lines Using a Shop Vac?
Mayhap. Big canister types of v HP or more should exist able to handle the resistance of the water. Some moisture/dry out vacs will release excess air pressure nether heavy resistance, but may nevertheless exist able to blow out skimmers and return lines. The biggest problem is that most moisture/dry out vacs won't blow out a main drain line. The same is true for many air compressors.
Can You Accident Out Puddle Lines Using a Leaf Blower?
It seems logical that it could work. Still, I've tried it in a pinch with fairly powerful gas-powered leaf blowers. Nosotros had fun, used a LOT of duct tape, but had very little success. It may work for shallow skimmer and render lines afterward lowering the h2o level. Only don't expect great results for more enervating jobs.
The Best Solution?
The Cyclone Pool Line Blower volition accident main drains without even having to lower the puddle h2o level. You'll have no problem with deep lines, small lines, or even large lines. Cyclone air blowers are also portable, as well as durable and easy to utilise. Did you know that Cyclone air blowers tin can also be used as a vacuum to set pool liners? Come to think of it, y'all could use the Cyclone to blow out lawn sprinkler systems, too!
So, let'southward assume that nosotros are using the Cyclone Pool Blower to accident out our pool plumbing lines, shall we?
Grooming To Blow Out the Pool Lines:
- Lower the water level 4-12″ below skimmer, depending on your pool comprehend type.
- Remove filter, pump, and heater drain plugs to drain water. Supervene upon loosely.
- Bleed, hand pump, or scoop h2o out of the skimmer(south) until almost empty.
- Set the multiport valve to "Recirculate," or to the "Filter" position for slide valves.
Adjacent, Connect Your Cyclone to the Skimmer:
You'll need to have 2 extra items, which I've neglected to mention until now. Get-go, y'all demand minor 3 or 6 ft. department of hose to connect to the Cyclone. And second, you'll demand an adapter to screw the hose securely into the lesser of the skimmer.
Most inground pool skimmers take 2 holes in the lesser when you expect downwards into them. Commonly the poolside hole is blocked off, and the deck-side hole is connected to the pipage. If both holes in the skimmer are open, then yous take what most call a "philharmonic skimmer." In this instance, the poolside hole in the bottom connects to the bottom drain of the puddle, and the deck-side one is connected to the skimmer pipe. For philharmonic skimmers, plug the primary drain hole with a winter puddle plug, and thread your hose adapter into the other hole that leads to the pump.
Thread the 1.5″ hose adapter into the bottom hole in your skimmer that connects to the pump. If your skimmer has 2″ holes in the bottom, you lot can use a plumbing adapter bachelor at whatsoever domicile store, called a 
2″ x 1.v″ threaded reducer. This PVC fitting is threaded on both sides, inside and out, to permit a standard hose adapter to fit a 2″ skimmer pigsty.
Attach a 1.5″ hose to the hose adapter, the other stop to the Whirlwind blower, and plug your blower into a grounded extension cord or directly into an outlet. You're now ready to accident out your pool plumbing lines!
How To Blow Out Puddle Lines
Blowing the puddle lines is a three-stride procedure:
- Blow out the suction side.
- Next, blow out the equipment.
- Finally, accident out the pressure side.
i. Blow Out the Suction Side
The suction side is all of the incoming lines. Nearly pools have 1 or 2 skimmers and a main bleed line on the suction side of the pump. These are the pipes that join together and come into the pump.
If you lot have a 2nd skimmer, you tin accident air from one skimmer to the other skimmer. In social club to send the air through the other skimmer line, and without having to motility the blower, at that place'due south one more step. You will need to either close a valve off at the pump, or pull off the pump lid and plug the port coming into the pump.
If you lot have another hose, or a vacuum hose that you can connect to the other skimmer, this prevents reaching into the skimmer and plugging it while information technology's spraying similar a fountain. Blow air through the skimmer lines until but a mist is blowing out, or for about 2-3 minutes. Shown right is the PVC pipe rig that nosotros thread in to blow water from secondary skimmer pipes.
At present for the chief drain. Re-position your valves to blow air back through the main drain. With 3-mode valves, loosen the knob and then you can plough the handle past the stops. This blocks the entrance to the pump and will send water from the skimmer to the main drain.
When you see the massive plume of air rise up from the drains, permit it to blow for about 10 seconds and so close off a positively sealing valve (like a Jandy valve) on the main bleed line. This will hold the h2o back with a cavalcade of air, much like a finger on the stop of a straw.
If there are other suction lines, similar a cleaner line or a spa drain, turn the valves again to send the air from the skimmer to each of these suction side pipes separately.
2. Blow Out the Equipment:
Now we volition accident air through the pump and through the filter valve. Remove the drain plugs on the pump and allow the air to button any remaining water out. Supersede the drain plugs loosely. If you lot have a heater, do the same with the drain plugs on both sides of the heater.
Filters are not normally diddled through the tank. If you have a multiport valve, place the handle on "Recirculate." If you have a slide valve or a cartridge filter, however, the air volition take to get through the filter. Remove your filter drain plug if you haven't already done so, then replace loosely if blowing air through the filter tank.
You can leave filter cartridges or DE filter grids inside the tank if you are blowing air through the tank. But for safety, open the air bleeder valve, and be certain that the tank clamp ring is tight and secure before the blower pressurizes the filter tank.
3. Blow out the Force per unit area Side:
Now that the air from the skimmer has diddled through the pump, filter, and heater, we tin now ship information technology back to the pool through the render lines.
The return lines closest to the pump will begin to accident first. After 2-3 minutes of blowing, plug the wall render that is bubbling the most, then plug the other return lines. Make a tight, positive seal with your puddle plugs, turning the wingnut until no air bubbles appear.
If yous have other pressure level side lines, such as an automatic cleaner line or a spa render line, blow each of these out separately. When in that location is a spa blower on an attached spa, plough on the spa blower while you are blowing and plugging the spa jets. Blower lines often accept a ii-way valve on the vertical PVC pipe. Close this valve while the blower is running, so speedily close off the blower.
Boosted Steps:
H2o Characteristic Pumps
Waterfall and fountain pumps are usually blown out at the pump itself. The builder may have installed a tee fitting to connect a blower. If non, you can remove the pump chapeau and hold your blower hose while blowing air in both directions.
To practise this, push button the hose into the pipe that comes into the pump. This volition blow air back towards the pool (provided in that location is no one-way cheque valve installed). Secondly, remove the pump handbasket and place the air hose into the volute or impeller housing. Brand a skilful seal and turn on the blower. This will blow out the pressure side of your water feature.
Proceed the blower running until only mist is blowing out. If lines are underwater, plug them while the blower is running. Only for lines that are to a higher place h2o level, you can shut off the blower and then plug the pipe. Exist certain to plug up whatever pipe outlets to keep out rain water or rising puddle water levels.
In-Floor Cleaner Systems
If you take pop-upwardly jets on the steps and flooring of your puddle, locate the head unit of measurement, aka water valve, and remove the clamp band to expose the v or 6 pipes that atomic number 82 to the pop-up jets. Blow each pipe individually until yous run across bubbles in the pool, then plug it fast with an appropriate sized winter pool plug, commonly a #7 or #8. Wrap a plastic bag over the plate and pipes, and store the head valve indoors.
And so there you have it! That'south how nosotros accident out the lines for an inground swimming pool winterization!
With a Cyclone Pool Blower, y'all can stop paying hundreds of dollars each twelvemonth for something you lot can easily do yourself. One time you offset bragging about this to your neighbors, you (and your blower) may get very popular this fourth dimension of twelvemonth!
Here's three Puddle Center videos on how to employ the Mighty Vac (a predecessor to the Cyclone blower). These videos show exactly how to hook it upwardly and blow out your own puddle plumbing.
For more than tips on winterizing inground puddle plumbing, cheque out our other popular blog post!
Source: https://blog.intheswim.com/how-to-blow-out-pool-lines-for-winter/
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