No built in skimmer diverter. Any options?

[Orion7319]

This is a continuation from another thread I don’t want to hijack.

If your skimmer has only one hole as you state and you have a main drain in the deep end then you have a direct run to your equipment pad from your md. You should have a valve to control the md flow. If you leave the valve open say about 10% it'll help when the skimmer is full.

@Orion7319 You could get one of these: Amazon.com: SR-500PS Stingl-Safety Vacuum Release Systems, 120/240 VAC, DPST Dry Contact: Industrial & Scientific

Or replace your motor with one like this: BG128A Century Guardian SVRS Pump Motor 1 HP 56J 3450RPM 115/230 Volts - - Amazon.com


Both monitor sudden changes in vacuum and shut down the pump, not only protects the pump from running dry but also protects your swimmers from suction entrapment.

@Orion7319 You should be doing this anyway in order to get proper flow through your pool, otherwise, debris will collect on the bottom and require more vacuuming.

@Orion7319 If you have been thinking about upgrading to a VSP most new VS pumps also will give you SVRS.. I would consider that on the basis of saving energy too .. in your situation it sounds like a win / win.

 

[Orion7319]

I have one of these VS pumps now. I don’t believe it has SVRS. I do have two valves at my equipment pad which is below the waterline of my pool. It has two valves, one to the skimmer and another to the main drain. I have them both wide open.

https://www.pentair.com/content/dam/extranet/pentair-pool/residential/brochures/pool-pumps/superflo-vst/superflo-vst-brochure-english.pdf

 

[Jimrahbe]

O,

Why do you need a diverter in the skimmer? There are thousands of pools out there with no operating main drain and they all work just fine.

I always suggest running with the main drain set to off, or only about 5 or 10% open, and the skimmer set to full open..

This is because I want to best skimming suction that I can get when running a VS pump at a low RPM.

I run my IntelliFlo at about 1200 RPM most of the time, because that speed is about 200 RPM greater than what it takes to close the SWCG's flow switch and that speed also allows my skimmer to work fine.

On second thought... Maybe I just don't understand your question??

Thanks,

Jim R.

 

[Orion7319]

O,

Why do you need a diverter in the skimmer? There are thousands of pools out there with no operating main drain and they all work just fine.

I always suggest running with the main drain set to off, or only about 5 or 10% open, and the skimmer set to full open..

This is because I want to best skimming suction that I can get when running a VS pump at a low RPM.

I run my IntelliFlo at about 1200 RPM most of the time, because that speed is about 200 RPM greater than what it takes to close the SWCG's flow switch and that speed also allows my skimmer to work fine.

On second thought... Maybe I just don't understand your question??

Thanks,

Jim R.

I have a ton of pine trees in my neighbors yard next to my pool. When it storms or when high winds come though I literally get large mats of straw floating in my pool. It’s like someone took a bail of needles and dumped the whole thing in my pool. When this happens and I’m not home to deal with it, the skimmer becomes completely blocked and the pump runs dry, which I would think that it wouldn’t do because of the main drain, but it sucks air I think. When it happens it’s so bad that I’m considering turning the skimmer completely off and just relying on the skimmer robot I bought. I’ve almost burned up the motor on my old pump before. I don’t know if this new Pentair VST has any protections against this sort of thing. I have a blink camera trained at the pool. I usually have to call a relative to shut my pump off when I see it happen. I also have to put the safety cover on the pool when I leave for vacation. It’s kinda a pain to deal with. One of those diverters would really help me out, but my pool isn’t plumbed for it.

 

[Jimrahbe]

O,

Seems like I've seen a home made guard that prevents that problem..

Let's see what Pat has to say.. Calling @Texas Splash

Thanks,

Jim R.

 

[Texas Splash]

Yes, there are products out their if you Google or search our forum for "skimmer guard" or "leaf guard". Some store bought and some DIY. Anything to give a bit of a buffer zone to prevent the skimmer from becoming 100% blocked of water flow. The item I show below was my own DIY for another purpose to keep kids from blocking the skimmer, but it also kept junk away to a point.. Others have been made primarily for that purpose.

 

[Orion7319]

Also these trees make other aspects of maintaining this pool more difficult then they need to be. As an example, I maintain my FC at least one point above where the chart says I need to maintain it at with the CYA ratio. Sometimes despite this I get some CCs in my pool, usually just around 0.5. The CC never seem to burn off which I assume must be because the pool getting so much shade during the day. I have to resort to breakpoint chlorination “shocking” the pool to clear it when that happens. Also even though I have a salt pool, my pool doesn’t seem to like having a CYA of 70. I just seem to have an easier time with it when I keep it at around 50 or 60, but I’m still playing around with it because this is only my second season in this house.

 

[Orion7319]

Yes, there are products out their if you Google or search our forum for "skimmer guard" or "leaf guard". Some store bought and some DIY. Anything to give a bit of a buffer zone to prevent the skimmer from becoming 100% blocked of water flow. The item I show below was my own DIY for another purpose to keep kids from blocking the skimmer, but it also kept junk away to a point.. Others have been made primarily for that purpose.

That is so awesome!!! And so why didn’t I think of that! Thanks I’m going to look into that, I might not have to put my safety cover on when I leave for vacation this year.

 

[Orion7319]

Thanks for the replies. I didn’t know such things existed. I just bought this. I would have tried a DIY solution, but this is probably just going to live on my skimmer all the time and I wanted something that didn’t look out of place.

Amazon.com: CMW Skimmer Wizard - Skimmer Guard, Check Out Our Video Below, Fully Assembled (Basket is 20"x 13"x 5"deep, to fit All Skimmer Openings): Garden & Outdoor

Amazon.com: CMW Skimmer Wizard - Skimmer Guard, Check Out Our Video Below, Fully Assembled (Basket is 20"x 13"x 5"deep, to fit All Skimmer Openings): Garden & Outdoor

www.amazon.com

 

[ckwinters]

Here's one I built last fall to keep at least one skimmer from clogging due to leaves in the fall and locust tree flowers in the spring. I put the lip around the bottom to capture degree when I'm left it out.

 

[BassPlayingDude]

Maybe cut down some of those trees... "thin the herd" a bit...

 

[BassPlayingDude]

That thing looks boss! Let us know how it works please!

 

[BassPlayingDude]

Another cool toy is the skim-around Bernoulli basket.

 

[ckwinters]

And now here is the pict!

 

[BassPlayingDude]

Nice build

 

[Orion7319]

Maybe cut down some of those trees... "thin the herd" a bit...

I can’t they don’t belong to me. They are about a foot or so on the neighbors side of the fence. Otherwise I would.. I do like the feeling of being in the woods though, but I wish there weren’t so many pine trees.

 

[Auburn02]

I'm a little perplexed about how even a 100% clogged skimmer would cause the pump to suck air if you have a functional main drain that is open. Path of least resistance and all that. Are you sure the main drain line is clear? Like if you close off the skimmer valve at the pad, does the pump draw from the drain or does it start to run dry?

It's possible I just don't get it and maybe it's quite common for this to occur, but I'm curious as I have a similar setup - no diverter through the skimmer (the main drain inlet is just capped in the bottom of the skimmer), the skimmer and main drain run on separate lines to a 3-way valve just before the pump which I keep selected to mostly skimmer - but I can "block" the skimmer by turning the valve to 100% main drain/0% skimmer and it does just that, pulls from the drain. No air to the pump.

 

[Orion7319]

I'm a little perplexed about how even a 100% clogged skimmer would cause the pump to suck air if you have a functional main drain that is open. Path of least resistance and all that. Are you sure the main drain line is clear? Like if you close off the skimmer valve at the pad, does the pump draw from the drain or does it start to run dry?

It's possible I just don't get it and maybe it's quite common for this to occur, but I'm curious as I have a similar setup - no diverter through the skimmer (the main drain inlet is just capped in the bottom of the skimmer), the skimmer and main drain run on separate lines to a 3-way valve just before the pump which I keep selected to mostly skimmer - but I can "block" the skimmer by turning the valve to 100% main drain/0% skimmer and it does just that, pulls from the drain. No air to the pump.

I have no idea why it would do that either. Your post just had me double check the valves and everything is still fine. I had the lines pressure checked by a company that came out when I had my liner replaced to find a leak. The lines tested good. My leak was where the skimmer attaches to the back of the pool wall. Apparently there was a gap, so it was sealed with epoxy and the leak went away. I haven’t seen the pump run completely dry with my new variable speed pump that I had replaced late last summer but it has come close to it. Like you, I would have thought that if the skimmer gets clogged it would pull from the main and not suck air though the skimmer. That doesn’t seem to be what happens though. My pump is below the skimmer and the water line. I only have one skimmer. Perhaps there is something “special” about my pool that causes this, I really can’t say.

 

[BassPlayingDude]

Maybe there is a suction-side air leak in the piping to the main. Try setting valves skimmer full off,main full on and see what happens at the pump.

 

[chiefwej]

I'm a little perplexed about how even a 100% clogged skimmer would cause the pump to suck air if you have a functional main drain that is open. Path of least resistance and all that. Are you sure the main drain line is clear? Like if you close off the skimmer valve at the pad, does the pump draw from the drain or does it start to run dry?

It's possible I just don't get it and maybe it's quite common for this to occur, but I'm curious as I have a similar setup - no diverter through the skimmer (the main drain inlet is just capped in the bottom of the skimmer), the skimmer and main drain run on separate lines to a 3-way valve just before the pump which I keep selected to mostly skimmer - but I can "block" the skimmer by turning the valve to 100% main drain/0% skimmer and it does just that, pulls from the drain. No air to the pump.

When a skimmer is jammed full of debris it can interfere with the weir. Path of least resistance is its easier for the pump to suck air than water. Then prime is lost.