First winterization using an Aquador - a few questions

[TurboBoost]

Hey all!

Sad to say, it's end of season here in WI.

This year, I installed an Aquador, since my house uses a well and I'd rather not put excessive strain on it next spring. I've currently got my winter cover on and the water level towards the lower mark on the skimmer, but am noticing that the Aquador seems to not be sealing. I've tried removing it, cleaning the flange, lubing the channel of the lid, and it still leaks.

Anyone have similar issues with leaks like this?

Also, if I can't get it to seal, is there any harm in draining the pool water level to the bottom of the skimmer (below the vacuum port) but NOT 6"? I will leave the bottom of the skimmer open. All of the equipment is still hooked up, so I can drain more water if needed, but I prefer to drain as little additional water as possible.

Last but not least... I read about someone who used a plastic barrel instead of a pillow under the cover. I didn't research it too much but I had a barrel and no pillow. So I currently have that under the cover. Does anyone see a problem with this/should I take it out?

Edit: While grilling dinner, I was also wondering how common it is for the winter covers to "seep" water through. It has been dry here, but there's a small amount of water on top of the cover.

 

[Newdude]

Which one are you using ? The one that uses the faceplate screws to secure it or the rubber gasket / push in model ?

Either way, if the skimmer is warped from UV exposure, they will leak. I couldn't for the life of me understand the bad reviews on these until I inherited an aboveground moving and tried the push in one. The new plate was perfect but the 17 year old skimmer was no longer plum or square and it immediately made sense.

The skimmer which had appeared fine from a distance was a different animal as soon as I had the plate to compare it with closeup. Even only being off by just a little, the drips filled the skimmer in an hour or two.

I imagine the screw in ones are capable of correcting a slight imperfection with many points securing them.

 

[TurboBoost]

Which one are you using ? The one that uses the faceplate screws to secure it or the rubber gasket / push in model ?

Either way, if the skimmer is warped from UV exposure, they will leak. I couldn't for the life of me understand the bad reviews on these until I inherited an aboveground moving and tried the push in one. The new plate was perfect but the 17 year old skimmer was no longer plum or square and it immediately made sense.

The skimmer which had appeared fine from a distance was a different animal as soon as I had the plate to compare it with closeup. Even only being off by just a little, the drips filled the skimmer in an hour or two.

I imagine the screw in ones are capable of correcting a slight imperfection with many points securing them.

This one is an Aquador model 1020. It has a face plate that screws to the skimmer, replacing the old face plate. The Aquador face plate has a lip around the edge, which the cover snaps onto. I tried fiddling around with it some more last night, and it still seems to be leaking. I was really excited about this at first, but now I'm not so sure.

I'm currently weighing my options for what I should do. It looks like I've got a block off plate from the previous owners of the house, but that has screw holes around the entire outer edge, so it seems like it'd be difficult to install that without lowering the water level. I could just let it keep leaking, but I don't really like that idea either. Seems at this point that lowering the water level to below the vacuum port may be the best idea.

If anyone else agrees, does anyone have input on the topic of not lowering it the full 6" and leaving the bottom of the skimmer open?

Also, wondering if anyone has thoughts on the use of a plastic barrel instead of a pillow? The last thing is my cover has water on it. I guess that may be a non issue, since it'll inevitably get wet anyway. I was hoping to keep it as dry as possible to easily blow the leaves off it, but maybe I can just skim them off instead.

 

[phonedave]

I used to have a screw on plate. It was a stainless steel plate with a rubber backing. You removed every other screw from the skimmer faceplate and then used them to attach this plate.
That worked really well, and never leaked. I changed my skimmer when I changed my liner and started using a pop in type. It is a plastic oversized plate with a piece of memory type foam attached. The foam is slightly bigger than the skimmer opening. You kind of flex the plate and wedge it into the opening. I have no issues with that type of plate either.

I just changed pools and now have a wide mouth skimmer, and am currently using the pop in type plate for this winter.

Some people have issues with pillows deflating, so they use a barrel. While a barrel is less squishy than a pillow (to take into account ice pressure) it should still have enough give, and can also pop up out of the ice. I myself have never had an issue with a pillow deflating. A barrel also takes more space to store.

I routinely leave my water above the bottom of the skimmer, but unless we have a dry winter with not much snow accumulation, the snow on the cover ends up pushing that water out, and I open with water below the bottom of the skimmer.

Covers will start to leak, it is just a matter of time. If it is not too bad you can still keep using it. However, if you are running a pump to get water off of your cover, then you need to be careful. Some people put a frisbee, plastic plate, or bucket lid under their pump so it is not sucking water right through the cover.

 

[VinnyinNJ]

I'm new to the Aquador as our old pool had a screw on plastic winter plate with a gasket arount the perimeter. Last year(first year) I put pool lube grease around the Aquador plate. I work in a different field repairing stuff with orings and seals and it's amazing how much a little bit of grease works wonders. I didn't do that this year but it may help your situation. Also, the Aquador is really difficult to put on, it looks like it's on but it needs to pop into the channel properly; with it difficult to put on it is also difficult to take off ... maybe it's not on properly.

Winter covers can seep, the older they get the more they will seep. They do deteriorate over time and when you take the cover off in spring you'll see light shining through the weave. I get 3 to 4 winters from them and then replace them.

 

[TurboBoost]

Thank you all for the replies.

I will probably give the Aquador another go tomorrow, remove it and then try reinstalling. This time, I'll try putting it on starting at the bottom around the vacuum port, then working my way up. My theory being that it'll be easier to ensure a good seal on the part that's submerged if I start with it rather than starting at the top. If I can't get a good seal, I'll just bring the water level down to the bottom of the skimmer and call it a day.

It sounds like I'm okay to leave the barrel. I noticed it's not perfectly centered under the cover, but I'm guessing that won't be an issue.

Also, thanks for the tip on putting a frisbee under my cover pump! I hadn't considered that, but that seems like a must now that I've thought about it.

 

[JoeSelf]

How did you make out? Starting at the bottom is the way to go. You have to get it all the way on for it to seal. I had to use my hip when installing mine to keep the pool wall & skimmer from moving. Sometimes I used the handle of a screwdriver for some extra pressure. If is a 6 in 1, take out the bits. Ask me how I know.

 

[Mdragger88]

*A quick tip I saw about the aquadoor cover- soak it in warm water before putting it on. Along with using some lube all around.

 

[Mdragger88]

I bought one of those plastic & foam skimmer mouth insterts so we’ll see how it fares.
If it doesn’t work I’ll just return it & lower my water to a few inches below the skimmer. That’s always been plenty for me as I keep my cover pumped off pretty well.

 

[JoeSelf]

Wish I would have know about the warm water.