Question on Intex through wall skimmer modification

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eras2r

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Jun 1, 2012
17
Hi everyone, I am new to this board and appreciate all of the information that is put together here. Very helpful!

In the past I used smaller Eazy-Set pools because my daughter was too short for the larger pools. This will be my first year with a larger AG pool - Intex 18'x48" Ultra Frame. I have a Hayward 1HP 16" Sand Filter and the Intex SWG.

I have read through all of the posts I could find regarding the through wall skimmer mod. It looks easy enough to do. I live in Chicago so I don't want to leave the Intex up through the winter. For those of you that have performed this mod, do you leave your pool up year round? If not how do you handle the through wall skimmer when you take the pool down? Do you disassemble it (I worry about the screw holes). Do you leave it attached?

I appreciate any insight you can give.

Regards,
Scott
 
Welcome to tfp, Scott :wave:

I do not have an intex, but I have helped people who do. Up here (MN), one friend I have has a intex ultra with skimmer mod and he lowers the water level 6" below the skimmer (my recommendation to him) to winterize and it worked great over this winter (his first with the pool).
 
I guess that is the nature of my question. For those of you that live in the upper mid-west (I am in Chicago) how many of you leave your Intex up all winter? How do the cold temperatures effect the pool legs and liner? I would plan on PVC plumbing each inlet/outlet with a valve and remove all hoses, bring the pump indoors and cover the sand filter with a tarp/bungy cords.
 
eras2r said:
I would plan on PVC plumbing each inlet/outlet with a valve and remove all hoses, bring the pump indoors and cover the sand filter with a tarp/bungy cords.
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I think what you want to do is drain some water out so you are below the skimmer port (like linen said, 6 inches below) then you can remove everything and leave the hole open with the Intex pools. That way, water won't have a chance of getting into the valve and freezing, thus possibly breaking it apart.

I don't have experience with a large pool as I just set mine up on Memorial Day weekend. Previous years we had a 12' x 30" and always drained everything but what didn't go out of the drain hole, about 2 inches or so. We left ours up all winter uncovered with the water in the bottom so it didn't blow away and I would shopvac the remaining water and other gunk (leaves blowing in) out in the spring, then scrub it before refilling. I plan to just winterize this pool as spending a couple hundred $$$ for water isn't something I want to do every year. I can top off 6-8 inches with the well or rain water, but not 10,000 gallons worth if I would drain.

I guess I'll know how it works out next year. Northwestern PA near I-80, we definitely get freeze and snow.
 
The more I think about it I am really leaning towards taking the pool down for the winter and storing it indoors (Chicago winter scares me). So back to the original question - Has anyone that has done the thru-wall skimmer mod taken their pool down? How was the lining/skimmer/gasket affected? Or does anyone have thoughts on this?
 
Anyone try to take down an Intex with the added through-wall skimmer yet? We are taking the pool down today and I am unsure if I should just try to store it with the skimmer on top of the heap of liner, or if removing it and hoping it doesn't leak next year is the way to go. Anyone? Bueller . . . .
 
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