Vent & plumbing

A pool drain basket that fits your drain hole

This page generates a basket for a pool deck, shower or garden drain hole and exports it as an STL. Enter the hole diameter and fit tolerance in millimetres, pick the depth and floor pattern, and the model is recalculated in the browser.

The part is two plain shapes: a flat flange that rests on the rim of the hole and a straight cylinder that drops into it. There is no cone or chamfer; the cylinder meets the flange at a sharp corner, so the basket sits flush in the hole and catches leaves, insects and grit before they reach the pipe.

Open in editor See the sizes

Free, no sign-up. Change the sizes in millimetres and download the STL.

Ready-made variants

Each variant is the same template with different settings. Follow the link and the editor opens with those values.

Bar grid floor, round side holes

Flange shape: Circle · Drain hole diameter: 50 mm · Fit tolerance: 0.4 mm +14
Open this variant: Bar grid floor, round side holes
Deep basket, vertical side slots

Flange shape: Circle · Drain hole diameter: 75 mm · Fit tolerance: 0.4 mm +14
Open this variant: Deep basket, vertical side slots
Square flange, honeycomb sides

Flange shape: Square · Corner radius: 6 mm · Drain hole diameter: 40 mm +15
Open this variant: Square flange, honeycomb sides
Spiral floor, printed floor down

Flange shape: Circle · Drain hole diameter: 60 mm · Fit tolerance: 0.4 mm +17
Open this variant: Spiral floor, printed floor down

Adjustable sizes

These values are edited in the editor's template panel. A number outside the range is clamped to the nearest limit automatically.

Size	Range	Default
Shape
Flange shape	Circle, Square	Circle
Dimensions
Drain hole diameter	30–160 mm	50 mm
Fit tolerance	0–1 mm	0.4 mm
Basket depth	15–150 mm	40 mm
Wall thickness	1.2–6 mm	2 mm
Flange diameter	36–220 mm	70 mm
Flange thickness	1.2–6 mm	2.4 mm
Corner radius *	0–40 mm	6 mm
Floor pattern
Floor pattern	Bar grid, Spiral, Radial, Venturi, Round holes, Honeycomb, Square grid, Parallel lines	Bar grid
Floor thickness	1.6–8 mm	3 mm
Opening / gap *	1.5–15 mm	4 mm
Rib / bar *	0.8–8 mm	1.6 mm
Bar angle *	0–90 °	0 °
Slot count *	4–40	18
Twist angle *	0–80 °	30 °
Outward flare *	0–3	0.9
Side pattern
Side pattern	None, Round, Honeycomb, Square, Vertical slots, Spiral (slanted slots)	Round
Side opening *	2–20 mm	5 mm
Side rib *	0.8–10 mm	1.6 mm
Solid top/bottom band *	1–30 mm	3 mm
Slant (from vertical) *	0–45 °	30 °
Printing
Print orientation	Flange on bed, Floor on bed	Flange on bed

Sizes marked with a star appear in the panel only when the related shape, style or option is active.

What it is used for

Leaf catcher in a pool deck or shower area drain
Soil and gravel basket for a terrace or balcony drain
Strainer at the outlet of a garden irrigation channel

Printing tips

Orientation: The default is flange on the bed with the basket pointing up. The floor ends up on top and prints as a two-layer bar grid.
Layer height: 0.2 mm works; the bar grid bridges print cleanly at 0.16-0.2 mm.
Infill: 20-30% infill, 3 perimeters; the thin flange usually prints solid.
Supports: None with the bar grid and flange on the bed. Any other floor pattern, or printing floor down, needs supports.
Material: Use PETG or ASA for pool water, chlorine and sun. ASA lasts longer in full sun. PLA slowly deforms in warm water and direct sunlight.

Tips

If the basket is too tight, raise the tolerance by 0.1 mm; if it rattles, lower it by 0.1 mm.
The flange is kept at least 6 mm larger than the hole.

Measuring the drain hole and fit tolerance

The value you need is the inside diameter of the hole. Measure it with the inside jaws of a caliper in two directions at right angles; holes in concrete or plastic housings are often slightly oval, so use the smaller reading. The basket's outer diameter is the hole diameter minus the fit tolerance, and the panel shows it as a note.

The default 0.4 mm tolerance lets you push the basket in and lift it out by hand. In a wet hole with limescale, 0.5-0.6 mm works better; for a snug fit that stays put, use 0.2-0.3 mm.

Floor, side holes and clogging

The perforated floor is at the bottom end of the basket, so leaves and sand stay inside instead of going down the pipe. If the floor clogs completely, water still escapes through the side holes, so the drain does not back up; just lift the basket out and empty it.

The bar grid is the default floor because the floor hangs in the air when the flange is on the bed. The parallel bars of the lower layer print as bridges, and the upper layer sits across them, bridging only the gap between bars. Round holes or honeycomb cannot print in that orientation without supports.

Leaves and insects: bar grid with a 4 mm gap
Fine sand: reduce the gap to 2.5-3 mm
Side pattern: round, honeycomb, square, vertical or slanted slots

Frequently asked questions

Is it better to print floor down?

Floor down prints every floor pattern without supports, but then the underside of the flange hangs in the air and needs them. Flange down with the bar grid is the only support-free combination.

How deep should the basket be?

Keep it 5-10 mm shorter than the distance to the first bend in the pipe. A deeper basket holds more debris, but it must not catch on the bend when you pull it out.

Similar templates

Set the sizes to fit your part

Open the template in the editor, enter your values and download a print-ready STL. No account needed.

Open in editor

Ready-made variants

Bar grid floor, round side holes

Deep basket, vertical side slots

Square flange, honeycomb sides

Spiral floor, printed floor down