Snake skimmer line

[IASteve]

I have an inground pool and one skimmer doesn’t have as good of flow as the other one. I was going to snake it, but the line underground looks corrugated, not a PVC pipe. I stuck a borescope down there, but couldn’t get it far down the line due to the elbow. For reference, the pool was built in the early 90s.

Is it okay to to snake this type of line or could it damage it?

 

[Texas Splash]

Is it okay to to snake this type of line or could it damage it?

Hummmm, good question. We can ask @Poolbreh for starters. Curious, have you considered pushing water through with a bladder (i.e. Drain King or equivalent)?

 

[Jimrahbe]

Steve,

Let me guess... The weak skimmer is further away from the equipment pad compared to the strong skimmer..

If that is the case, I doubt the skimmer line is clogged as that is how they work.

You need to adjust your valves so that the strong skimmer get less suction and this will increase the suction at the far skimmer.

I would NOT snake a flex line.

Thanks,

Jim R.

 

[AQUA~HOLICS]

 

[Poolbreh]

If you use a bladder use Drain jet the clothe bladder. My mistake I think I’ve recommended drain king in the past, they are made of rubber and break easily. You should use a leaf trap if you are vacuuming any large debris.

 

[1poolman1]

I have an inground pool and one skimmer doesn’t have as good of flow as the other one. I was going to snake it, but the line underground looks corrugated, not a PVC pipe. I stuck a borescope down there, but couldn’t get it far down the line due to the elbow. For reference, the pool was built in the early 90s.

Is it okay to to snake this type of line or could it damage it?

If you were to get a normal plumber's snake past those hard 90s you might not get it out again. They are made for "sweep 90s" that are used in drains.

 

[kjdiver]

It appears that I have a similar problem, pretty sure I could see the location where the corrugated pipe has been crushed using a borescope. This skimmer still works to some extent despite the damage. At present, I have decided to tolerate this issue and I don't think it leaks. I suspect that your problem is also due to a crushed pipe, rather than a blockage. Attempting to clear the pipe with a snake sounds like it could cause significant damage. Note: I am not an expert, just sharing my experience.

 

[IASteve]

Thanks for the replies. I might try the jet drain. The reason I think it’s a clog is because it is significantly less suction, i get debris in my skimmer basket that shouldn’t be there, and if I drop an item like yellow plastic in the skimmer, it doesn’t make its way to pump basket immediately. It shows up weeks later, if at all. I’ve had the house for 7 years and it’s been in this condition since I’ve owned it.

I don’t use this skimmer to vacuum.

I do know the junction between the skimmer outlet and the line was cracked, causing a leak. I repaired this with that underwater 2-part epoxy and Marlig Fix-A-Leak a few years ago and that stopped the leak. At this point, I would rather band-aide it than bust up concrete.