The Hydro Tools skimmer has arrived, and none too soon, as you can see from my photo! Hopefully tomorrow I'll have this thing installed, and I covet anyone's advice on where exactly to locate it. I have decided to keep the original Intex outlet/suction line and will tee it into the skimmer line, just to keep my options open. The pool inlet/return is also original, although I toyed with the idea of switching them. Decided against it, for now. Should I go with Location A, top-dead center of the panel between the two existing openings; Location B, above and to the left of the outlet; or Location C, above and to the right of the outlet? Or even farther away from the pool inlet/discharge? Any TFP experts who wish to chime in are welcome!
Final input on skimmer location
- Thread starter CeeElGee
- Start date
Where the the debris on your pool normally float to (with the breeze, kids playing...)
Are B & C directly above where the water flows into?... or out of the pool? Just making sure I don't make any bad assumptions.
Are B & C directly above where the water flows into?... or out of the pool? Just making sure I don't make any bad assumptions.
Is the return on the left of *A*?
If so, I'd put the skimmer box at *A*. I was looking and it seems to me if you go further away from *A*, you may create dead space between the skimmer and the return so if it were mine, I'd keep them closer.
I don't have an Intex so I'll defer to those who do!
If so, I'd put the skimmer box at *A*. I was looking and it seems to me if you go further away from *A*, you may create dead space between the skimmer and the return so if it were mine, I'd keep them closer.
I don't have an Intex so I'll defer to those who do!
In my AG pool, the water returns about 6 feet to the left of the skimmer, when facing them from inside the pool. This allows me to aim the return water to the left (as seem from inside the pool) to make the water circle around in a counter clockwise rotation. This brings the water to the skimmer before it is pushed by the return water. The water between the skimmer and return can get less flow unless the rotation is stronger.
Yes, the pool inlet, or return, is the line to the left of the photo. The line to the right is the current outlet or suction line. I thought about the dead spot theory as well, and it makes sense given my flow pattern, which is fairly strong thanks to the Hayward pump. If I aim the fish eye to the left, I can get a fairly circular clockwise pattern. That would lead back to the skimmer in the center panel.
Here is one:
thru-wall-skimmer-install-above-seam-with-intex-hoses-t63895.html
(Skimmer in panel to the right of original outlet.)
thru-wall-skimmer-install-above-seam-with-intex-hoses-t63895.html
(Skimmer in panel to the right of original outlet.)
Today i finally took the plunge! My son was off golfing with his grandfather, so I took the girls and the pup outside to do the work. It took me a couple of hours, and as Johnny Bench used to say, "No runs, no drips, no errors!" (Unless you count dropping one of the screws into the pool 
) I went with Location A, obviously, and I plumbed in the original outlet. Good thing, because with the weir attached it starves the pump unless I supplement it with the second outlet/suction line. Without the weir, it sucks like mad and I don't need the second line. I wonder if after I remove the weir to use the vacuum adapter I just won't bother putting the weir back on.
As you can see from one of the photos, when the pump is off, the weir swings back into the pool, kind of negating the effect of keeping debris in the skimmer. The Hydro Tools is a good product and everything went together OK. The biggest problem was getting enough goop out of my old tube of silicone to go around the outside gasket. By the way, Hydro doesn't give you the option of cutting or not cutting a butterfly gasket. Theirs is just two pieces from the get-go. I did the entire job without lowering the water or getting in the water. Wasn't that difficult. Just did the upper five holes first, then the lower five holes as some water leaked out before everything was tightened, then tightened more after the square-ish hole was cut. So glad to have that done.
) I went with Location A, obviously, and I plumbed in the original outlet. Good thing, because with the weir attached it starves the pump unless I supplement it with the second outlet/suction line. Without the weir, it sucks like mad and I don't need the second line. I wonder if after I remove the weir to use the vacuum adapter I just won't bother putting the weir back on. As you can see from one of the photos, when the pump is off, the weir swings back into the pool, kind of negating the effect of keeping debris in the skimmer. The Hydro Tools is a good product and everything went together OK. The biggest problem was getting enough goop out of my old tube of silicone to go around the outside gasket. By the way, Hydro doesn't give you the option of cutting or not cutting a butterfly gasket. Theirs is just two pieces from the get-go. I did the entire job without lowering the water or getting in the water. Wasn't that difficult. Just did the upper five holes first, then the lower five holes as some water leaked out before everything was tightened, then tightened more after the square-ish hole was cut. So glad to have that done.
You need to raise the water level up to that screw just above the waterline. That will eliminate the issue you have with the weir.
The only issue you may have with removing the weir in that without it the skimmer may form a vortex and suck air into the pump.
I don't remove the weir to connect my vacuum. I just turn the weir outward into the pool and stick the hose in on top of it.
The only issue you may have with removing the weir in that without it the skimmer may form a vortex and suck air into the pump.
I don't remove the weir to connect my vacuum. I just turn the weir outward into the pool and stick the hose in on top of it.
Bama Rambler said:
OK, I'll tweak it sometime. I'm sure it's about to rain again, which will bring the water level back up to that mark.
Bama Rambler said:
That is also where I run my water level, and it will work great there.
Congrats on getting it done. Nice job, and a nice high and tight location. Because of it, you can run your water level with only one row of blue squares exposed, and be right in the skimmer's sweet spot. Perfect !
