A pool apparatus includes a pool body, a water inlet, a water outlet, and an outlet valve. The water inlet is used for carrying water into the pool body. The water outlet is used for draining water out of the pool body. The outlet valve covers the water outlet. The outlet valve has a drainage surface for draining water out of the pool body from the drainage surface with a drainage direction. The outlet valve has a protrusion block protruding with a distance opposite to the drainage direction from the drainage surface to decrease the risk that the user may be sucked on the outlet valve.

A safety system includes a sleeve fitted within a pool's suction line at its inlet. The sleeve terminates with a plate that resides within the suction line. The plate has holes formed therethrough. A housing defining distinct channels is fitted in the sleeve so that the distinct channels lie within the sleeve. Each of the distinct channels has a first opening on one end thereof and a second opening on another end thereof. The second openings reside in the sleeve. The first openings are in fluid communication with the water in the pool, and are distributed around a periphery of an area of the housing that prevents coverage of all the first openings when a human interacts therewith. A first sensor is coupled to the sleeve to sense pressure therein, and a second pressure sensor is coupled to the plate to sense pressure in one of the plates' holes.

A pool drain for flush mounting in the surface of a swimming pool includes a central hub and elongated drain ports in fluid communication with the central hub. The elongated drain ports extend radially away from the central hub. The surface material individually surrounds the central hub and elongated drain ports when the pool drain is installed in the surface material. Internal dividers are located between the central hub and the elongated drain ports. The internal dividers are positioned so that they direct fluid away from the central hub, around each of the internal dividers and back toward the central hub. A water stop surrounding the central hub and elongated drain ports anchors the pool drain in the surface and prevents leakage.

A sump drain includes a ring-shaped chamber having an inner sidewall with a diameter of at least about 18 inches and an outer sidewall, and a circular opening between the sidewalls preferably about an inch wide and optionally having a grid cover. Preferably the inner sidewall has a number of ports extending inwardly to radial conduits to a central hub for tying into a pool or spa filtering system, with the central hub operating as a clean out and having a removable cap. Upon installation, plaster substantially fills the space between the chamber and the central hub, such that the sump drain attractively blends in with the pool or spa floor. When installed, the top opening is preferably substantially flush with the pool or spa floor while being safely unblockable. And the sump drain preferably further includes channels both outboard and inboard from the chamber top opening and around the central hub, to help prevent water from passing through the plaster into the shotcrete of the pool or spa.

A transitional mounting adaptor to connect a pool main drain to a pool main drain cover with or without water in the pool. The adaptor consists of a trim ring with four cardinal point screw slots (NSEW) molded to a perpendicular mounting ring with three equally spaced, threaded pointed thumb screws, passing perpendicularly thru the mounting ring, via a series of threaded mounting holes, creating three pressure points which secures the adaptor to the main drain pot. The cardinal point screw slots in any position will receive coarse thread main drain screws used for mounting a main drain cover onto the trim ring. Further, the edge of the trim ring is bull-nosed. The cardinal point screw slots of the trim ring can also be used to mechanically fasten the adaptor to a main drain pot. The adaptor allows water to pass thru the trim ring, thru the mounting ring, and continue thru the main drain, as with the normal functioning of pool water flow.

An inflatable pool is includes a floor drain having a drainage conduit and two sealing plug. The drainage conduit includes a midsection pipe having an oblong cross section, an inlet cap having a truncated profile, and an outlet cap that transitions from the oblong profile of the midsection to a cylindrical profile.

A water distribution valve for directing a flow of fluid through a swimming pool cleaning system includes a housing having an inlet and outlets. A plurality of gates are mounted in the housing, each corresponding to a respective one of the outlets. Each gate is mounted to open and close the respective one of the outlets to which the gate corresponds in response to the flow of fluid into the housing from the inlet.

A grate cover in combination with a swimming pool being installed in a recess in the top of a sump. The grate is formed of an upper and a lower section. The upper section exhibits four squares or four triangles therein, The upper section has a dome-shaped configuration and has four square or triangular shapes therein, depending on the geometric division therein, each shape has openings therein. The lower section has four trapezoid shapes therein. Each of the shapes of the upper section, whether square or triangular, has a concave surface curvature therein at a transition between the upper and the lower section. Each of the trapezoids of the lower section has two concave surfaces- curvatures therein. One curvature extends in a first direction from the upper section toward an outside edge of grate cover. The other second concave curvature extends in a direction which is normal to the first direction. This way, the forceful suction within the sump cannot obtain enough force to suction the skin of a human onto the grate cover to cause any injuries. The curvatures in the top of the grate cover will always induce a lateral flow under a human body no matter how much of the grate is covered by the body.

A pool apparatus includes a pool body, a water inlet, a water outlet, and an outlet valve. The water inlet is used for carrying water into the pool body. The water outlet is used for draining water out of the pool body. The outlet valve covers the water outlet. The outlet valve has a drainage surface for draining water out of the pool body from the drainage surface with a drainage direction. The outlet valve has a protrusion block protruding with a distance opposite to the drainage direction from the drainage surface to decrease the risk that the user may be sucked on the outlet valve.