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judurant · Jun 8, 2009, 04:50 AM

I put the drain king & hose down the pipe to our pool's main drain, and now I can't get it out! It's probably down there 3 to 6 feet. We tried turning it on, then off, & trying to pull. We tried waiting a couple hours, but it still wouldn't come out.

I really need help :-(

Thanks in advance if anyone can tell me what to do.

~j

speedball1 · Jun 8, 2009, 05:32 AM

Originally Posted by judurant

I put the drain king & hose down the pipe to our pool's main drain, and now I can't get it out! It's probably down there 3 to 6 feet. We tried turning it on, then off, & trying to pull. We tried waiting a couple hours, but it still wouldn't come out.

I really need help :-(

Thanks in advance if anyone can tell me what to do.

~j

Your Drain King.( see image) is what we old timers used to call a "sewer bag" because it was made out of heavy canvas with a metal nozzle. It inflates with water pressure and deflates when you turn the water off so it can be removed. What aren't you telling me? Did you push it around a bend in the drain pipe? Why are youblowing the pool drain back into the pool filter? What's down there for the bag to get hung up on?
Tell you what I'd do. I'd try yanking it out and if the connection broke I's send a snake down in there and auger into it and drag it out that way.

Good luck, Tom PS: Sewer bags only work ahead and upstream from a vent. Those and the air blasters lose their punch once they hit a vent.
Good luck, Tom

judurant · Jun 8, 2009, 05:38 AM

Thanks for the reply, Tom.

I don't understand what you mean by "ahead and upstream from a vent."

To answer your questions:
As far as I could tell, I did not send it around a bend. It went down easily.

I'm not blowing it into the filter, I blowing it down from the skimmer basket to the drain at the bottom of the pool.

Thanks.

~Judy

speedball1 · Jun 8, 2009, 05:51 AM

I don't understand what you mean by "ahead and upstream from a vent."

All this means is if the blockage's downstream from any vent the sewer bag is useless. This will not apply in your case. Just out of curiosity why did you jam the bag down that far when simply placing it just inside the pipe would have been enough? Are you sure it's not caught up in a bend?such as in a typical skimmer,(see image) Regards, Tom

judurant · Jun 8, 2009, 06:24 AM

Originally Posted by speedball1

Just outta curiosity why did you jam the bag down that far when simply placing it just inside the pipe would have been enough? are you sure it's not caught up in a bend?such as in a typical skimmer,(see image) Regards, Tom

The reason I put it down that far is that when I started I only put it in the very top. I could see little bits of debris coming up from the drain at the beginning, but then nothing.

So I thought if I got down closer to the clog, it might be more effective.

Our setup is much simpler than the picture you posted, with the drain pipe coming right up into the skimmer basket.

Thanks for your time and for sharing your ideas. I do appreciate it.

~Judy

massplumber2008 · Jun 8, 2009, 06:39 AM

Judurant...

Did you disconnect the hose from the water supply completely..? If not, disconnect the water supply from the outside faucet completely, wait 10 minutes and try to pull it out again.

Push in first, then pull out again... should let it come out.

Let me know...

MARK

judurant · Jun 8, 2009, 06:48 AM

I just got your message & I disconnected it. I'll let you know what happens in 10 minutes.

Thank you so much.

~j

10 minutes later... disconnected from water supply. It won't budge. Not in or out.

massplumber2008 · Jun 8, 2009, 07:04 AM

These things can be very stubborn. Sounds like the hose/king connection has gotten hung up on a fitting or something. ROTATE THE HOSE AND DRAIN KING CLOCKWISE just before the hose goes into the pipe if possible... push in, then try giving it a major yank... just don't break the hose.

Let me know what happens...

judurant · Jun 8, 2009, 07:35 AM

YAY! I turned it clockwise, like you said, & it came right out!!

THANK YOU SOOOOO Much!!

~j

Now off to figure out how to unclog that drain pipe!

speedball1 · Jun 8, 2009, 07:45 AM

[QUOTE][Now off to figure out how to unclog that drain pipe! /QUOTE]
Simple! You snake the drain. Good luck, Tom

massplumber2008 · Jun 8, 2009, 07:58 AM

Glad we could help here judurant...

Now follow Tom's advice on snaking the drain line...

Good luck!

MARK