Poolskim or Skimmer Robot?

[babyrocket]

I've had a Solar Breeze NX2 for several years, and when it works it is great. The problem is that it has had several problems over the years that have been well documented on this forum. I've had it fixed under warranty, and later had it refurbished by the manufacturer for $150. It's dead again and I'm getting well into leaf season.

My choices are to get whatever the best skimmer is these days (Ariel, Betta, ???) or I've also read good things about the Poolskim. What's the latest thinking on this? Is there a skimmer out that's obviously the best, or is the Poolskim a better though lower tech solution?

Thanks!

Patrick

 

[TPain311]

Following your thread, Patrick. I'm in the same boat. I've had Solar Breeze NX2 for only 2 seasons. Wheels won't turn anymore, and before that, it got stuck in one corner of the pool and couldn't get itself out anymore. Discontinued product and they won't fix it anymore.

Ariel reviews are poor. Most are viewing it as a downgrade from NX2. Weak battery, won't last as long, doesn't pick up as much debris, and doesn't have the puck space anymore for tablets which I thought was great.

I've been researching high and low for a good solar skimmer. I think the technology is in its infancy. You don't hear about things lasting beyond a couple seasons.

 

[babyrocket]

I went ahead and ordered a Poolskim on Amazon and it's getting here tomorrow. I figured for $120 I'll give it a shot, reviews look pretty good and there isn't much in the way of moving parts to break down. Once I've gotten it installed I'll come back here and let you know how it's doing.

 

[tcat]

Poolskim works great, but certainly doesn't get everything, especially if wind is blowing the wrong direction. I use these bags with it which are much better than what it comes with.

Amazon.com : Fine Mesh Replacement Bag with Pull & Lock Cord, Reusable 5.5" X 14" Leaf Bag for Pool Leaf Vacuum Large Pool Leaf Sucker Leaf Catcher Leaf Gulper (1 Pack) : Patio, Lawn & Garden

Amazon.com : Fine Mesh Replacement Bag with Pull & Lock Cord, Reusable 5.5" X 14" Leaf Bag for Pool Leaf Vacuum Large Pool Leaf Sucker Leaf Catcher Leaf Gulper (1 Pack) : Patio, Lawn & Garden

www.amazon.com

I also had a Breeze for 3 or 4 years, but thought the basket too small and a pain to deal with. Quit working so I thought Poolskim was all I needed. During this time of year, I'm changing my mind. Too much oak pollen & leaves. Looking to buy the Betta and buying the 2 year warranty to get free shipping on returns. Bought this net a few weeks ago which is great at getting the bulk of everything out. "Ultra fine" is really just "fine". Not silt, but does catch the larger oak pollen grains. It's stiff, so takes a bit getting use to, but if you turn it inside out, the edge works good on the bottom.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00UMB42YM/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1

 

[babyrocket]

It arrived yesterday and I got it installed. Not working the way I had expected unfortunately, but I'm hoping I can find a tweak to get it working. When the pump is turned on, the Poolskim works great for the first few minutes then seems to stop attracting debris. The "vortex" doesn't seem strong enough to move debris (mostly oak pollen) down to the bottom, and as a result it fills up the unit without pushing the debris into the bag. If I take the bag off, it doesn't even push debris out the hole. I've already put a restrictor on the other return; haven't turned the pump to a higher speed yet.

Any ideas?

 

[tcat]

It arrived yesterday and I got it installed. Not working the way I had expected unfortunately, but I'm hoping I can find a tweak to get it working. When the pump is turned on, the Poolskim works great for the first few minutes then seems to stop attracting debris. The "vortex" doesn't seem strong enough to move debris (mostly oak pollen) down to the bottom, and as a result it fills up the unit without pushing the debris into the bag. If I take the bag off, it doesn't even push debris out the hole. I've already put a restrictor on the other return; haven't turned the pump to a higher speed yet.

Any ideas?

Eventually all the stuff sinks and gets sucked into the bag. But thinking about the Betta2 for the oak pollen.

 

[pookiesunshine]

It arrived yesterday and I got it installed. Not working the way I had expected unfortunately, but I'm hoping I can find a tweak to get it working. When the pump is turned on, the Poolskim works great for the first few minutes then seems to stop attracting debris. The "vortex" doesn't seem strong enough to move debris (mostly oak pollen) down to the bottom, and as a result it fills up the unit without pushing the debris into the bag. If I take the bag off, it doesn't even push debris out the hole. I've already put a restrictor on the other return; haven't turned the pump to a higher speed yet.

Any ideas?

I have a poolskim and am not thrilled with it, but i do use it during heavy debris periods, usually early spring and fall. I would definitely try higher speed. You might try it at the other return as well. Mine seems to work better at the middle return instead of at the ends. I tried ends first since my skimmer is in the middle, about 5 feet from the "middle" return.

 

[babyrocket]

So I dug into the iAqualink setup and figured out how to raise the filter pump speed from the iPhone app, and moving it from the default 2000 to 3,150 did the trick. The poolskim now creates the proper vortex to attract debris and push it into the bag and I'm a happy camper. I'll just run it at the higher speed for an hour or two as necessary, and maybe update the schedule to do that automatically in the morning and/or evening once I see what works best. Thanks for the help!

 

[tcat]

Yes, faster is always better. I run at 2750 for an hour before and after my 8 hours 1750 run. 1750 sucks, but not much, especially after a few weeks of pollen building up in the filter.