Intex pool through wall skimmer vacuum question

[PapaX5]

I agree. I'm going to get mine as high as I can to maintain water level too.
Might be able to avoid replacing the return eye. Should all work out fine, at least thats what I keep telling myself.

 

[shoes8163]

Ok, going to try and attach the pic again.
This is the "before" pic with the plan for the skimmer and the plumbing in red.
1. Skimmer
2. Return
3. Fountain with 3/4" pvc reduced from 1 1/2" pvc from the return line
The black lines are where I am planning to place the valves.
Planning to cap off the old intake.
Thinking about starting a new post with the "plans" to see if anyone throws any red flags.
[attachment=0:1gfp7cec]Skimmer Plan.jpg[/attachment:1gfp7cec]

Hello PapX5, I'm considering adding a thru-wall skimmer to my 15' x 48" Intex to replace the "in-water" round skimmer that came with the pool. I upgraded to the 14" Intex Sand Filter Pump this season and will be replacing the 1 1/4" return port with the 1 1/2" return port with the directional adjuster that came with the pump, so I get a better clockwise circulation. Right now, the jet shoots through the middle of the pool and the surface stuff to the left of the jet gets trapped there. I'm kind of stumped as to how to cap off the existing inlet. I do have the little black "derby hats" that came with the pool to be used to cap off the ports, but I think those would be too easy to pop off accidentally. Thanks for any tips you can offer and good luck with your retrofit!

 

[PapaX5]

Shoes8163,
Good luck to you as well. Right now it looks like I am only going to have one existing "port" that will not be used. For me that will be the original intake. Since I leave a hose attached to the waste port of my pump, I have the cap available. My plan is to use the rubber gasket and cap from the pump port and close of the intake port on the pool. I think that will work anyway.
If not, I will build another connector out of pvc and just cap it off.
Hope that helps, maybe someone else can chime in that has more experience with this stuff.
I love all the ideas I have gotten from this forum.

Tim D

 

[shoes8163]

Tim D., great suggestion! I do have an unused cap from the Intex pump/sand filter system, as I've plumbed in a backwash line as well. Thanks for the tip!

 

[cmilliorn]

Hi I just installed my 22x52 intex and immediately wished I had a skimmer. The bugs on top are a pain to skim after just two days im annoyed. Anyway I was curious to see how yours turned out as well as those of you who just did it did you have any problems? If someone has a setup that works easy and fantastic with the diver dave series of cleaners (we got wanda) I would love to see it. I would be willing to throw $5 at someone if they wouldn't mind showing me pictures of their setup, where they got it and what all they did to make it work! Thanks again!

 

[PapaX5]

Finally found some time to get started on my hard plumb project. Didn't get far but did get a couple of connections made up. Will be trying to do the return side and fountain tomorrow afternoon. Looked all over the place to find some flat rubber washers to go in the custom fittings just for insurance against leaks. Could not find them anywhere. Ended up buying a small piece of rubber and cutting them out myself. Will try to get some pics posted in the next couple of days showing the new plumbing, the fountain, and my custom cut rubber washers. Hope everyone else that was embarking on the through wall skimmer and hard plumb is having great success.

Tim D

 

[PapaX5]

Finally got a break in the rain and worked on the skimmer and hard plumb project. Settled on 1 intake and 1 return.
The fountain works great, I have to dial back the return a little to get the fountain to make it to the middle of the pool but that is no problem at all. Skimmer is working great, and (crossing fingers) no leaks so far. The homemade rubber gaskets worked like a charm.
Here are some pics of the finished project. It will be immediatley obvious that I am no plumber, had to take it down once and adjust with a sleeve to make it all line up.

 

[TweakMO]

Have you had any problem with putting screws where the seam is? I am doing the same thing. I want to keep water level as high as possible. I have the 22'x52" intex ultra with intex sand filter / 2650 pump. ordered the Hayward SP1091WM. It looks super nice and well built.

I know the answer to this question is on here somewhere, but my pool is full. Is there a way to save the water? I was thinking of having the hole sealed on the back side, cut it, have it dump into large container and hose it back to the pool, then it would stabilize...is that idea hard to do? Will the water pressure be ok to cut, or do i just need to drain well below cut marks, and just forget all these crappy ideas.

Hard Plumb, then Landscaping will be next after this.

btw...AWESOME forum...great material on here. been reading through here for months.

 

[TweakMO]

Never mind, I found the thread talking about how to install a "Thru The Wall" Skimmer. That is how I will do it. Cut the Butterfly Gasket into, mount everything, then cut out the rectangle.

Man, this forum keeps getting better and better the more I read!!! And the coolest thing, is that all this hard labor and research is ALWAYS for someone else...ie your kids, grandkids, family, etc...

Thanks to all for your insights.