Main Drain for AGP

by Cindy
(Saskatchewan)

I am waiting for my new 18 ft Trevi pool to come. I would like to know if I have to install a main drain or can I bypass that step.


Hi Cindy. I have never known of a main drain kit to be mandatory for an above ground pool. These are usually just options that you can install if you want to.

Installing a center drain on an above ground pool complicates the installation in many ways. If you have never installed one before there are many things that can be done wrong. Any of these could cause the liner to leak in the future. One of the biggest downsides to a center drain is that when they leak there are no signs that's where the water is leaking from. Anytime your pool gets a leak the drain is the first thing you will think of and it's nearly impossible to do much about it.

Another complication to a drain is the plumbing. The entire system would need to be converted to PVC pipe. This is not a bad way to do it, but maybe not something you want to invest the time or the money into at this time. Converting your filter flex hose to flex PVC is an excellent investment for a future upgrade but that can be done at any time.

While drains were common many years ago the are not today. Automatic pool cleaners have replaced them and are a much better option.

I have written more about center drains on this page.

Above Ground Pool Main Drain

Main Drain

by Kenny Johnson
(Pinewood, SC)

I am going to replace my liner in a 24' round X 52" deep pool. When I purchased the pool the installers put both a main and side wall drains. I would like to only use the side drain but am concerned the pool won't stay clean. I've heard from several people, some say it's needed and others say not. Any help on this would be greatly appreciated. Thanks, Kenny


Hi Kenny. I have written quite a bit about main drains, below are some links to other pages. I'm not in favor of them. For one they aren’t needed and for two they are a possible cause for leaks.

Automatic pool cleaners have made main drains obsolete. They basically do the same thing, they draw water from the bottom of the pool into the filter system. They clean the pool also, which is an added plus. Center drains draw water from the bottom which helps in circulation, helps but not at all necessary, as pools do just fine without center drains or cleaners. Drains can also help clean the pool, but only when you are manually pushing the dirt to the center with a brush.

So are they needed? No. My biggest complaint, however, is that they are another hole in the liner and another place for a leak. The problem is it's the hardest place to identify a leak, there are no signs of water leaking. Yet, it's always the first place people with drains suspect when they are loosing water in the pool. They always think it's the drain leaking, it seldom is, but it's always suspect.

The only thing you can really do is drain the pool and maybe tighten all the screws or replace the gaskets. All other holes can be found and patched without draining the pool. Yet, the drain is always the first place people want to look.

Anyway, I would cap it off and do without. Here’s some more reading about drains and cleaners.

Above Ground Pool Main Drain

Center Drain Installation

Above Ground Pool Cleaners