Skimmers questions

[Grayson73]

Hi,

I just bought a house with a pool and have a question about the skimmers.

It has two skimmers. The one on the left is open with basket and the one on the right is closed with a cap. Does this mean only the left is used?

For the one with the basket, there are two holes. The left hole is clear and the right hole is filled with sand. Is this correct? Do I need to vacuum the sand out of the right hole with a wet vac?

 

[Grayson73]

Re: Skimmers and valve questions

Figured out how to use photobucket

 

[YippeeSkippy]

Re: Skimmers and valve questions

Try using TinyPic - Free Image Hosting, Photo Sharing Video Hosting to upload your pics and then copy the link to them in your posts here. Whatever you're doing to make those "Attachment 42483" links is not working. I could only view your Google drive link.

Thanks

 

[Grayson73]

Re: Skimmers and valve questions

Try using TinyPic - Free Image Hosting, Photo Sharing Video Hosting to upload your pics and then copy the link to them in your posts here. Whatever you're doing to make those "Attachment 42483" links is not working. I could only view your Google drive link.

Thanks

Can you see them now?

 

[poolkid]

Re: Skimmers and valve questions

The one on the right is a Paramount Debris Canister. If it was installed correctly, the water sucked up from the main drain(s) goes through a bag in the canister before it goes to the pump. One of the 3-way valves at the pump will control flow between the skimmer and the canister.

More info here: http://www.1paramount.com/products/canister/

 

[Grayson73]

Thanks. I'll open it up and check the right one.

For the left one with the basket, there are two holes. The left hole is clear and the right hole is filled with sand. Is this correct? Do I need to vacuum the sand out of the right hole with a wet vac?

 

[DaninFLA]

Thanks. I'll open it up and check the right one.

For the left one with the basket, there are two holes. The left hole is clear and the right hole is filled with sand. Is this correct? Do I need to vacuum the sand out of the right hole with a wet vac?

it might be grouted shut. a lot of skimmers have two holes, one hole goes to the pump and then the second hole can be used to plumb the main drain, which isn't as common or good. if the second hole isn't used, its usually plugged, but wouldn't be unheard of to be grouted. vacuum it out and see whats in there.

for the right skimmer, it might have a leak in the pipe so it was plugged, not sure.

 

[poolkid]

it might be grouted shut. a lot of skimmers have two holes, one hole goes to the pump and then the second hole can be used to plumb the main drain, which isn't as common or good. if the second hole isn't used, its usually plugged, but wouldn't be unheard of to be grouted. vacuum it out and see whats in there.

for the right skimmer, it might have a leak in the pipe so it was plugged, not sure.

If the pool has a dedicated main drain - which it appears to have - the hole closest to the pool in the skimmer would in fact be plugged instead of being used as the pathway for the main drains. It probably has just gotten an accumulation of debris over time.

The one on the right isn't a skimmer (it's a debris trap for the water drawn from the main drains) and never had a throat or passage to the pool like the skimmer. It does have an equalizer pipe to the pool so the area above the clear lid stays flooded with pool water. The clear lid is designed to NOT have a gasket or o-ring. It will draw a little bit of water around the not-perfectly-sealed lid so the pump doesn't suck air. The equalizer keeps feeding new pool water into that area so it doesn't stagnate and get green and gross.

 

[Grayson73]

If the pool has a dedicated main drain - which it appears to have - the hole closest to the pool in the skimmer would in fact be plugged instead of being used as the pathway for the main drains. It probably has just gotten an accumulation of debris over time.

The one on the right isn't a skimmer (it's a debris trap for the water drawn from the main drains) and never had a throat or passage to the pool like the skimmer. It does have an equalizer pipe to the pool so the area above the clear lid stays flooded with pool water. The clear lid is designed to NOT have a gasket or o-ring. It will draw a little bit of water around the not-perfectly-sealed lid so the pump doesn't suck air. The equalizer keeps feeding new pool water into that area so it doesn't stagnate and get green and gross.

So if dirt is sucked from the main drain, it ends up in the debris trap? Does this mean that I need to empty it from time to time?

 

[poolkid]

So if dirt is sucked from the main drain, it ends up in the debris trap? Does this mean that I need to empty it from time to time?

Correct. The goal is to reduce the amount of debris that makes its way to the pump basket.