Planning for a pool can be exciting! You get to decide the size, depth, and shape of your pool. But there are other components of inground pools that you may be wondering whether they are necessary or not. One of those features is the main drains. Let’s take a look at if main drains are required components of an inground pool.
In short, main drains are not a required component of an inground pool. However, they are highly recommended. Having main drains could save you time, money, and headaches in the event that you need or want to drain your pool. Main drains also help to keep your pool clean.
In addition to providing a means to get water out of your pool, the main drain also provides healthy circulation of water in your pool. Circulation is important for the water temperature to be consistent throughout the body of water. Water circulation also helps to keep a pool clean by keeping the water chemistry evenly distributed.
If you’re still wondering the purpose of main drains for inground pools, read on. We’ll uncover the benefits of main drains for pools and why you should consider installing one.
Do I Need Main Drains for My Inground Pool?
Having a pool circulation system is vital for keeping pool water clean and free of debris. While inground pools are often equipped with several water outlets and filters, it is the main drains that keep water circulating at the bottom of the pool. In addition to improving water circulation, main drains also lower the water level, as well as filter the water.
Because main drains serve a very important purpose in swimming pools, many homeowners are left to wonder whether they should install main drains as they plan for their inground pool installation. After all, it is the main drains that improve water clarity and maintain a consistent water temperature throughout the inground pool.
It is highly recommended to install main drains for inground pools. Located at the deepest point of the swimming pool, main drains promote clear, clean water by circulating water throughout the pool. Main drains also keep debris at bay, which minimizes the need to vacuum the bottom of the pool.
Main drains especially come in handy during the fall when you begin winterizing your swimming pool. By opening the main drain’s valve completely, you can empty your inground pool with ease. Furthermore, you won’t have to worry about vacuuming out debris, as your main drains will have already taken care of that for you.
How many main drains are necessary for inground pools?
Most inground pools are equipped with two main drains. These two drains are generally three feet apart and located at the pool’s deepest point. While it is possible to have only one main drain, two main drains ensure the suction will shift to the second drain if one drain should happen to be blocked.
In short, main drains are a valuable investment for anyone who owns an inground pool. While it is not a necessary component for swimming pools, it can greatly improve your pool maintenance experience.
5 Benefits of Having Main Drains in Your Inground Pool?
We’ve touched on a couple of reasons to install main drains on your inground pool. Now let’s take a look at some other benefits to main drains for swimming pools.
1. Main drains can save you money
People in colder climates often drain all or part of their pools each winter season. In the event that you need to drain or even lower the level of your pool, without a main drain you will most likely need to buy a sump pump. Why shell out extra money later on a sump pump when you can simply install a main drain during your pool installation?
2. Pool water release is easy with main drains
Main drains make releasing pool water easy, fast and stress-free. I think it’s safe to say that most people don’t like to make a taste harder than it has to be.
If you think of a drain on a bathtub, one could ask if it’s necessary to have a drain to take a bath. The answer is no it’s not necessary to have a drain on a bathtub. In fact, you could greatly enjoy your bath if you give no thought to how you are going to drain it. But when it comes time to release that water, a bath drain gets the job done while you can dry off, get dressed and go off to bed or go about other tasks.
3. Main drains ensure pool clarity
If you want to keep your inground pool clean with minimal effort, main drains are a valuable investment. Because main drains circulate and filter water, you can rest assured your pool will always have a crystal-clear appearance. Moreover, main drains minimize the need of vacuuming the bottom of the pool. Not only does this eliminate unsightly debris, but it also saves you time and effort.
4. Inground pool main drains keep water temperatures consistent
In addition to acting as pool filters, main drains keep water temperatures consistent by circulating water throughout the pool. As a result, you won’t have to worry about warm and cold water pockets scattered throughout your inground pool.
5. Main drains save you time
Maintaining a swimming pool can require an abundance of time and effort without main drains. Main drains not only reduce the need for vacuuming, but they minimize the need of skimming the water. Additionally, main drains can speed up the process of emptying the water when it’s time to winterize the pool.
In summary, if you’re planning on installing an inground swimming pool, main drains are components worth investing in. Though main drains are not necessary for a pool’s maintenance, they offer many benefits to owners of inground pools. Besides improving the water’s clarity, main drains keep water temperatures consistent, as well as evenly distribute water chemistry.
