What do I have and what can I replace it with?

[treimche]

T,

You can either skim, or you can vacuum, but you can't do both at the same time.

Most old pools have one line connected between the skimmer and the pump.. Without the skimmer hose plugged in to the bottom of the skimmer, the skimmer will function like it should.

Normally, when the skimmer has two pipes at the bottom, one is either plugged, or it is connected to the main drain. If going to the main drain, it means the main drain is not working at all unless there is a floating diverter valve in the skimmer, that floats down and connects the main drain pipe to the pipe that is coming from the pump. You obviously don't have a floating diverter, and for now I would not worry about it.. Main drains are not really needed at all.

Thanks,

Jim R.

So if I want to skim, I just unhook the hose for the floor vacuum (I don't know the terminology for that device), and it will skim the top of the pool?

One of my next tasks is going to be taking the filter out to inspect and clean it.

 

[Jimrahbe]

T,

Yes... Remove the hose going to your Suction cleaner and the skimmer should start to work.

Notice the little door that is between the skimmer basket area and the pool?? This is called a 'weir door' and it is what makes a skimmer.. Skim. You will notice that it only lets the surface water flow into the skimmer and along with the surface water, all the floating debris.

Skimmers are not magic, and they will not clean your pool right away... Just be patient...

The water should be in the middle of the skimmer's mouth.. The lower the water the better it will skim, and the higher the water, the less the skimmer will work. Keeping the water in the middle is a happy medium.

Thanks,

Jim R.

 

[treimche]

T,

Yes... Remove the hose going to your Suction cleaner and the skimmer should start to work.

Notice the little door that is between the skimmer basket area and the pool?? This is called a 'weir door' and it is what makes a skimmer.. Skim. You will notice that it only lets the surface water flow into the skimmer and along with the surface water, all the floating debris.

Skimmers are not magic, and they will not clean your pool right away... Just be patient...

The water should be in the middle of the skimmer's mouth.. The lower the water the better it will skim, and the higher the water, the less the skimmer will work. Keeping the water in the middle is a happy medium.

Thanks,

Jim R.

Thank you for your explanation. It really makes sense. I'm guessing experimenting is best, but what is a good method or schedule to use to keep debris out of the water. Skim one day and vacuum the next, just flipping back and forth? Or skim more often than vacuum? I'm in SW Florida with lots of bugs, but we do have a screened in enclosure for the entire pool. I think the previous owner left a pool cover in the shed but we haven't used it at all.

 

[HermanTX]

Yeah we are prepared to spend some money on this stuff, but just not sure how much. Hoping I don't have to go sell a kidney on the black market.

I'm browsing these Pentair pool heaters and learned that they make these units with heating and cooling. I wonder if people in Florida use the units that will heat and cool the pool. The reason I ask is because the place we are staying at for the summer here in Fort Myers has 2 pools, and during the hot part of the summer (I'm told it has been warmer than normal here all summer), the pool water was very very warm. Not even refreshing at all. We were wondering if people cool their pools in the summer or maybe add a little shade to the pool cage for the hot part of the year.

Thanks for the links too Jim. I will hopefully be learning how to install this stuff myself too.

When you purchased the house did the seller provide a home warranty that included pool equipment? YOu may be able to use that to offset some cost. However those home warranty processes are tricky.

 

[treimche]

When you purchased the house did the seller provide a home warranty that included pool equipment? YOu may be able to use that to offset some cost. However those home warranty processes are tricky.

Thanks for asking. The seller put a clause in the contract that the pool equipment was being sold "as is". So we knew going into it that we would need to replace some equipment. When we made an offer on this house, we factored in replacing pool equipment, and ended up pretty happy with the purchase price.

 

[Lake Placid]

Thank you for your explanation. It really makes sense. I'm guessing experimenting is best, but what is a good method or schedule to use to keep debris out of the water. Skim one day and vacuum the next, just flipping back and forth? Or skim more often than vacuum? I'm in SW Florida with lots of bugs, but we do have a screened in enclosure for the entire pool. I think the previous owner left a pool cover in the shed but we haven't used it at all.

Vacuum when the pool needs it...i.e. there’s debris on the floor that will only come up by using the vacuum. This could be 1 time a week, twice a week etc. It’s really your preference based on what you see in the pool. Skim the rest of the time when you’re not vacuuming. Also using a leaf rake or netting the surface of the water for debris on a regular schedule can also impact you vacuum schedule. Again it comes down to your preference and what you see in regards to the condition of your pool.

 

[treimche]

When I disconnect the vacuum hose from inside the skimmer, should I put a basket in there? If so, I will have to buy one since I haven't seen one around here.

 

[ajw22]

When I disconnect the vacuum hose from inside the skimmer, should I put a basket in there? If so, I will have to buy one since I haven't seen one around here.

Yes, you need a basket in the skimmer to capture any large debris and protect the pipe from getting clogged.

 

[treimche]

Bought a new skimmer basket today and also cleaned the filter. I don’t know how dirty a pool filter usually looks since I’m used to cars, but I thought the filter was pretty dirty. I discovered the pressure gauge on the filter housing is stuck and doesn’t move.

Anyway, I wanted to ask, since this existing pump is an old Pentair, can I easily replace it with a new variable speed pump? It looks fairly simple and everything I’ve seen says to go variable speed. Is variable flow worth it? Or just spending extra money to essentially achieve the same end result?

 

[Newdude]

VS is the way to go. Variable flow isn't an issue for most of us. We raise the speed a hair to start to account for the filter getting dirty and losing a little flow. The VF pump adjusts flow a hair on the fly.

We would happily take it if the VS wasn't available or was more expensive, but wouldn't seek out the VF.

Do you have 220v out there ? For VS pumps you want to go large and run the pump slow with the same flow as the little pump.

 

[treimche]

Thanks for the detailed response. I don't think there is 220v out there, but could be wrong. What would I be looking for?

 

[wireform]

Show us pictures of your electrical swithes/panels as they'll give us a clue. If you don't have automation I'd recommend one of the cheaper vsp's like black and decker 3hp vsp. You may need to replumb a little to make it fit the new one but that would be all.

 

[treimche]

Show us pictures of your electrical swithes/panels as they'll give us a clue. If you don't have automation I'd recommend one of the cheaper vsp's like black and decker 3hp vsp. You may need to replumb a little to make it fit the new one but that would be all.

Here’s a few pics. I haven’t opened the one smaller black box to look inside but I can if needed.

 

[treimche]

I got 3 very different quotes from 3 different local pool companies and wanted to see what you professionals think of the prices. All 3 are very different, and I would be changing/removing items. The one from Aqua Brite has 2 different heaters on it so that he could show me the price difference, and yes I know I don't need 2 different heaters.

 

[treimche]

While trying to decide if we want to have a licensed professional install all of this, or if I should try to DIY, I'm just not getting anywhere. We definitely like the idea of warranty, but as @Jimrahbe stated, you could almost buy 2 of some of these items if I bought from a website like Polytec pools and installed myself.

There's so many options for pumps, heaters, and automation that I don't even know what to look for.

One of the quotes I got has a heat pump from a local company that seems to be priced nicely. I like the fact that they're about an hour from me and I could get parts to repair it if needed. XW Series Pool Heaters – Built Right Pool Heaters 135k BTU for about $4600.

 

[ajw22]

Built Right Heat Pumps have a good reputation. Built Right was acquired by Fluidra, parent of Jandy, in January 2021. Fluidra policies are not supportive of DIY so beware if things change at Built Right.

 

[treimche]

Yeah I read in the built right warranty that is has to be installed by a licensed contractor, then they have a 5 year warranty.

Can a Pentair automation system control the built right heat pump?

 

[Homebrewale]

When I disconnect the vacuum hose from inside the skimmer, should I put a basket in there? If so, I will have to buy one since I haven't seen one around here.

While you're buying a skimmer basket, buy a skimmer vacuum plate. That way you keep your skimmer basket inside the skimmer while vacuuming. The skimmer basket will catch the larger debris instead of the pump basket.

 

[ajw22]

Can a Pentair automation system control the built right heat pump?

Yes, using the Fireman’s Switch.

Pentair UltraTemp Heat Pumps can also use RS-485 control with Pentair automation.

 

[treimche]

While you're buying a skimmer basket, buy a skimmer vacuum plate. That way you keep your skimmer basket inside the skimmer while vacuuming. The skimmer basket will catch the larger debris instead of the pump basket.

Great tip. Thank you.