Those Gizmos seem like the only thing from stopping your pipes from freezing is the gizmo and the O-ring. I have removed gizmos in the past and found the o-rings were cracked. I had a pool service close the pool one gizmo had teflon tape and the other gizmo used an O-ring. I was not sure how they should be installed, I guess both ways would work as long as they do not leak. So anyhow, I switched over to a 2 liter bottle with sand, antifreeze, and a rubber plug. How do you guys do it?
Do you use gizmos in your skimmers?
- Thread starter doublewide6
- Start date
I don't use them, but I also live in warm S.E. Texas! I really try to stay S. of Interstate 10 at all times between Dec and April. 
- Jun 23, 2012
- 1,053
- Pool Size
- 16000
- Surface
- Plaster
- Chlorine
- Liquid Chlorine
- SWG Type
- Pentair Intellichlor IC-40
oops.. I just realized I don't know what gizmos are. I thought you meant the handles that attach to the skimmer baskets. Well dang, not if you fill them with anti-freeze!
I blow the lines out, pour antifreeze down the pipes and add some air, plug the lines with a threaded cap and gasket, and I do use one gizmo on the very old metal line where the threads are worn away. There I use a rubber gizmo. Then I refill the pool to my desired level and put on my mesh meyco cover and walk away. I do put a half jub of the pool antifreeze in the skimmer upside down just in case. I also have a cover that goes over the skimmer just as a secondary measure. Thats about it. I live in ND so it gets COLD here. Plan to close up the pool here next weekend as the water is down to 60 now. Plus the leaves are dropping like crazy. Guess the season is done.
My pool was built in 2004 and I had the PB close it the first season. He said gizmos can crack and fill with water. He used two 1-quart chem bottles (Polyquat type) and put a screw plug in the skimmer outlet. I put two bricks on top to keep them from floating and I have kept doing the same thing through seven winters. Only problem is with BBB I don't buy those kind of chems anymore and my bottles are aging. Still, they are definitely better and heavier plastic than the gizmos.
I also put a 25lb. chem bucket with more bricks over the skimmer cover to keep the rain out.
On my old pool, I used old tennis balls with a rock on top. That worked, too, but that skimmer line was self-draining and I didn't need to plug it.
Just never use metal to weight anything down. It rusts and makes a mess. I was only 15 when I made that mistake.
I also put a 25lb. chem bucket with more bricks over the skimmer cover to keep the rain out.
On my old pool, I used old tennis balls with a rock on top. That worked, too, but that skimmer line was self-draining and I didn't need to plug it.
Just never use metal to weight anything down. It rusts and makes a mess. I was only 15 when I made that mistake.