Black grease in skimmer

[easttn]

Keep getting the black greasy looking substance in the skimmer. Mostly at the water line but some where the basket or attachment for the vacuum hose meets the skimmer below the water line. Ive read its a pretty common problem and couldnt find a definitive answer on what it is.

Anyone ever try the scumball thing to get rid of it or anything else?

 

[Richard320]

Magic Eraser

 

[Patrick_B]

Ok, but what is this substance?

 

[harleysilo]

I think mine is sunscreen.

 

[easttn]

I cleaned it off yesterday and now its right back in the same spot. I cleaned it off with straight bleach although its right at or below the water line (dilution). There was barely some black still there when I was done because it would not come off.

I was thinking about why it is only in the skimmer and I would presume it is oil of some kind because if I watch the water flow in the skimmer the very top layer (which would be oil) does not seem to get sucked down and if you had an oil on the top of the water it would just stagnate in the skimmer because it can not go out of the skimmer or will not go down the hole. If that is true then there will always be an oil build up in the skimmer.

 

[rdw1961]

I always thought it was pollen in my skimmer. When the solar cover is on my pool, it will take several days to build up, but when the cover is off and more water surface is exposed, it will build up rather quickly in the skimmer.

 

[redhdgirl417]

Ditto on sunscreen....I get it too, just scrub it off.