In winter, there are different areas in which temperatures fall to the freezing point, and many pools also freeze. Freezing water in the pool lines can damage the pool. To prevent these damages, many pool owners blow out the pool lines and prevent water from going to freezing point. This is recommended to all that they should blow out pool lines in winter.
Using an air blower and compressor are the two most effective and safe ways that people use to blow out pool lines. An air blower is ideal for the blowout because it has less pressure than the compressor. While in case of if you do not have an air blower, then a compressor is the alternate solution.
When using an air compressor, you need to be careful with its pressure. Because if you do not monitor the psi gauge, the compressor can over-pressurize, which may be dangerous.
Here in this article, we will guide you on how you can blow out pool lines with the help of a compressor.
3 Easy Steps to Blow out Pool lines
Required Items
- An Air Compressor
- Winter pool plug
- A hose to connect the compressor with a pool size of 3 – 6 ft.
Suction side
In this first step, connect your air compressor hose to the suction side of the pool. Run the compressor, and it will start to blow out water from the skimmer. Now, you have to continue running the compressor for 2-3 minutes until you see a small mist of water coming from the skimmers. After this, turn off your compressor and place the winter pool plugs in the skimmers and main drain.
Equipment Side
In this step, you have to blow the water out of the filter. These steps also depend on the filter type that you are using. For this, you probably do not need an air compressor; you can do this with the help of setting up your filters. You can read instructions on your pool filters for a proper settings and prevention from damaging your filters.
Pressure Side
This is the last step in this process, in which you connect the air compressor’s hose with the pump’s pressure side. This process will push out the water from the lines. In 2-3 minutes, you will see a light mist from the pool lines, and after this, plug the additional winter pool lines with cleaner lines.
Once you have completed this process, you have entirely blown out all water from pool lines.
Best Air compressor to blow out pool lines
Craftsman 6 Gallon Air Compressor
Craftsman 6 gallon compressor will do your pool lines blow task perfectly. It is the best size compressor comes with 2.6 CFM air flow. Besides, it also do a pretty good work in running different pneumatic tools like impact wrench, nailers, drills, & sanders. You can also inflate your car tires and do multiple DIY projects. It is the best value for money tool and we are using it for different projects for more than 2 years.
Key Features
- Very portable & light weight
- Great tool for operating pneumatic tools
- Provides quiet job
- Provide high pressure up to 90 psi
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FAQs
Can PVC be used for the air compressor line?
We will not recommend you use PVC pipe as it is made of plastic and has a heating effect. It is undoubtedly cheap and easy to install, but it lacks durability.
How to keep air compressor lines from freezing?
As we discussed above, you can keep air compressor protection from freezing by blowing out pool lines. With this, water will blow, and pressurized compressor airflow will not allow water to be frozen.
Can I connect two compressors to one airline?
This depends on your compressor size and model; if you have a large compressor and its efficiency and PSI is enough to manage two airlines, then sure, you can use it. But if not more PSI and efficiency, the always recommendation is to use one airline with your compressor.
Can I leave my air compressor lines pressurized?
It is safe to leave your air compressor pressurized. However, if it is going to be a long time, we recommend draining out the compressor. Because with a long time pressurized, it will decrease the life of your compressor and slowly damage it.
How to pressure test pool lines with an air compressor?
This is the essential test every pool owner should perform, whether he has built a new pool or is going to close it for winter. It helps to find leaks in the pool lines, saving us from severe damage.
We will use a pressurization plug that contains a pressure gauge, expansion plug, and valve stem to do the testing. For this, we have to properly seal all the openings of pool lines so the pressure won’t lose from any pipeline. The best way to seal the openings of skimmers and returns is by using closed plugs because they have rubber around them, which will not let the air pass.
Put the closed plugs on the opening and seal them firmly; leave one end opened to send air into pool lines. Fill the compressor tank, connect its hose to the pressurization plug’s valve stem, and turn on the compressor. Keep in mind that the pressure inside the lines will not cross 15-20 psi; otherwise, it may damage the pipes.
You must keep observing the pressure gauge; if you see any pressure drops or needle drops, you have leaks in the pool lines, which need to be fixed as soon as possible. If you don’t see any pressure drop and the needle continues to head towards high psi, it means everything is good, and the pool doesn’t have any leaks.
Conclusion
This article briefly discusses blowing out the pool line with an air compressor. We recommend you blow out pool lines to prevent your lines from being frozen in winter. For compressor pipe, you can use stainless steel material pipe as it is the best and most durable with simple installation.