Weir door too low

[jaimejaime]

3 years ago, I had my pool replastered and retiled. Since, the pool has naturally settled a bit.

It's gotten to the point that the weir door is so low, it easily moves under the weir stop. So, any kind of movement in the water from either people in it, or wind making waves, will cause the door to pop into the pool.

If I'm not home to catch it and pop it back towards the skimmer, my fear is the pump running without water.

I called a repair company, and they told me there was no fix for it, which seems hard to believe.

I've taken a small piece of plastic from a picture hanger, and tried gluing to the weir stop, to give an extra barrier. That works to a degree, for a while, until it breaks off again from the water movement. I've also used some pool lube around the edges of the door and the frame, to keep the door from getting stuck (which has happened as well).

Any other ideas?

 

[jblizzle]

Welcome to TFP!!!

Well, sounds like you tried what I was going to suggest being adding something to make the stop tab lower. May just have to try the same with something sturdier and an epoxy.

 

[jaimejaime]

Thank you! I'm happy to be here. I do the bulk of my pool repair and maintenance (even replaced both motors, which I'm proud of, being female ), but definitely need advice from time to time, and hopefully I can help others as well.

I've used silicone on the piece, which lasted the longest, and I'm just curing some "liquid nails", so I'll see how that does.

I'd really like to attach something more substantial than a plastic picture hook, but keep coming up short when going through the garage.
Something like a piece of lucite would be perfect, if I can figure out where to find it.

AND, like you said, trying a stronger adhesive.

 

[Mesamav]

I had that problem when I first got the house. Stronger is not always better. I used a thicker piece of rubber so it can flex just a tiny bit. It's lasted 2 years now and still looks like it did the day I installed it.
I drilled a very small hole in the stop and used a stainless steel nut and bolt to secure it.
I haven't had to mess with it since then.

 

[jaimejaime]

That is an excellent idea! I hadn't thought of drilling.

What kind of rubber did you use? Like, toilet plunger thickness?

 

[Mesamav]

That is an excellent idea! I hadn't thought of drilling.

What kind of rubber did you use? Like, toilet plunger thickness?

No, I used thicker than that. Something like 1/8 inch or so? I just used a small rectangular piece and it works great. I figured the door banging on that thing a gozillion times needed something not just durable but also flexible for several reasons. I didn't want it to make a lot of noise and I didn't want something ridged as I felt it would break much easier over time.
I can't remember where I got the rubber but it should be available just about anywhere. I cut a small piece and bolted it in. It's only about an inch square and that's enough.
You don't need a very big bolt either. It's not taking a lot of stress so just a small nut and bolt will do the job just fine. Be sure to use an oversized washer on the rubber side so you don't pull the bolt right through the rubber when you tighten it.

 

[jaimejaime]

I totally get what you mean. I'm sure I can find something at HD. I'm thinking like the rubber feet I have under the piano...

Thank you so much, Mesa. It's an excellent idea, and I can't wait to install it.

Meanwhile, I think I might prop the weir open with a broken chop stick just to ensure it doesn't pop into the pool while I'm gone.

 

[jaimejaime]

OK, since I'm getting ready to go out of town for a while, and didn't have time to start drilling and do the full fix, I took one of those small, round, rubber disks that you put under piano legs, and super-glued it directly to the door.

So far, so good.

The disk also adds just enough weight to the door to not only keep it on the skimmer side, but since the majority of it is glued to the door, it seems a lot more stable than the prior fixes I tried to apply to the stop.

Fingers crossed...

Thanks, again!!

 

[Mesamav]

I hope that works well for you. Let us know what you ultimately come up with....

 

[jaimejaime]

I *think* it should work fine, so long as I do something to prop the door open when there are significant waves in the pool that cause the door to crash hard against the stop. Krazy glue goes only so far...

My stop has a lot of ridges in the back (facing the skimmer), so it wouldn't be possible for me to attach something flush to the back, which is why it made more sense to attach it to the door.

I still like your idea the best, Mesa. It sounds much more solid and long-term, so when I get back in town, I'm going to start working on that fix.