Low skimmer suction

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D

Deltadog

Well-known member
Sep 8, 2022
46
TN
Pool Size
21000
Surface
Plaster
Chlorine
Salt Water Generator
SWG Type
Pentair Intellichlor IC-40
new pool install, PB not helpful with getting skimmers suction improved. I have attached pic of plumbing too.

Stating the an obvious, but the skimmer will pull better @ 3200 RPM than 2000 RPM. I do have to close down the main Ellipse drain 3/4 closed. Small leaves and debris float right by the skimmers. To get good suction in any speed. Question I guess is this system working properly ? If so, What RPM and for how long should I run at that RPM to get good skimming function. Thanks for any help
 

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The issue is likely not the pump. What/where is the water level in the skimmer? 25% up from bottom, 50%, 75%? Take a pic. Also are there weir doors on your skimmer?
 
I can only give you one data point but I do have very good suction on my skimmers, both day and night. I have the valve that sets main drain / skimmer balance (your second photo) to maybe 10% max from main drain, 90% skimmers (yours looks more open to main drain than mine but I can’t say how material that is). My pump runs about 2,000 rpm during the day and 1,300 at night. I run it 24/7. If you set yours similarly and it still doesn’t skim, I’d think something is wrong. Has your builder had a look in person to try to diagnose the basics? To sort of common sense the problem, skimmers should skim and if they don’t the builder should figure out why not and fix it. if a line is clogged with leaves or something, that would be on your dime, but it sounds like it’s new and just isn’t working.
 
dog,

As pointed out by Poolstored, the most important thing is to make sure your skimmer has a weir door. The weir door is what make a skimmer... well, skim. Some pool builders actually take them out... :(

Not sure if this this your first pool or not, but if you are used to single speed pumps, skimming with VS pump is different. You might be used to almost seeing a whirlpool when looking down into your skimmer, that is not want you see with a VS pump. I think your expectations are the problem. Skimming requires a little patience. The leaf that floated by this time will get captured next time.

I see that you have a SWCG, whatever speed you need to close the cell's flow switch, should be good enough to skim.

I have three saltwater pools without heaters, and they all run 24/7 at 1200 RPM most of the time. I like making a little chlorine all the time and skimming all the time. None of them have surface debris for more than a few minutes.

I too like to run with main drain shut off or just open 5 or 10%. Skimmers full open.

I also like the returns pointed so that the water in the pool swirls like a giant toilet bowl, but obviously much slower. :mrgreen:

Thanks,

Jim R.
 
Thanks all for the advise. This is my first pool, and pool on only 2 months old. PB not to concerned. Attached is my photos of water level on skimmers.

1)No doors
2)As you can see one skimmer has water a little high up, almost to top, seem the skimmers are not the exact height?

The debris that floats by the fist time is often not picked up the 2nd or 3rd pass.

Additional info, when I was using a vac, I would have to plug one skimmer to get enough suction from the other to vac the pool.

Thank for any additional help.
 

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Deltadog said:
Thanks all for the advise. This is my first pool, and pool on only 2 months old. PB not to concerned. Attached is my photos of water level on skimmers.

1)No doors
2)As you can see one skimmer has water a little high up, almost to top, seem the skimmers are not the exact height?

The debris that floats by the fist time is often not picked up the 2nd or 3rd pass.

Additional info, when I was using a vac, I would have to plug one skimmer to get enough suction from the other to vac the pool.

Thank for any additional help.
Click to expand...
You need weir doors.

Water should be 1/2 of the way between top and bottom of skimmer openning.

When these two are corrected, you will get fine skimming even with 1000-1400 rpm, likely, on your VSP.
 
PoolStored said:
You need weir doors.

Water should be 1/2 of the way between top and bottom of skimmer openning.

When these two are corrected, you will get fine skimming even with 1000-1400 rpm, likely, on your VSP.
Click to expand...
Thank you. I will get doors. Looks to me like one of the skimmers has just right height Of water, the other has about an 1” to much? Thoughts? Can’t get them equal doesn’t look like, because the skimmers look to be installed at slightly different heights. Poor attention to detail by PB?
 
Dog,

I just noticed that you only have one pipe marked Skimmers, but you have two skimmers.

That is now how it should have been done. Each Skimmer should be connected back to the equipment pad with its own valve. Sigh!

This means your skimmers are most likely in series, which is another reason they are not working well.

Both skimmers should have been installed at the same level. Your pool builder did you no favors.

The higher the water level, the less skimming action there will be, (Assumes weir doors were there to make the skimmers work at all.)

Ask you pool builder for your weir doors, I'm sure they came with the skimmers. You might also ask how they are plumbed, as in... How does your far skimmer connect to the near skimmer or equipment pad.

Thanks,

Jim R.
 
Thanks Jim,

I believe they are connected in series, as the farthest skimmer as less suction than the closest skimmer. Very disappointed as this was not a cheap project and not sure the solutions.
 

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Deltadog said:
Thank you. I will get doors. Looks to me like one of the skimmers has just right height Of water, the other has about an 1” to much? Thoughts? Can’t get them equal doesn’t look like, because the skimmers look to be installed at slightly different heights. Poor attention to detail by PB?
Click to expand...
Yes, unfortunately. Is the lower skimmer closer or further from the pump?
 
Deltadog said:
Thanks Jim,

I believe they are connected in series, as the farthest skimmer as less suction than the closest skimmer. Very disappointed as this was not a cheap project and not sure the solutions.
Click to expand...
Another thought,

Concerning pump/filter? Seems like they installed a rather large pump for my pool. Pentair VSF (pic below) and filter Pentair SD-80.
 

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Deltadog said:
Another thought,

Concerning pump/filter? Seems like they installed a rather large pump for my pool. Pentair VSF (pic below) and filter Pentair SD-80.
Click to expand...
That's a good thing. Larger filter goes longer between cleanings. Larger pump can move same amount of water with less electricity usage.
Deltadog said:
Further
Click to expand...
Unfortunate. The general recommendation is to run the lowest skimmer 1/2 up the face plate and let the other skimmer be what it will be. The weir doors will make a marked improvement. Get those up first. My guess is that with those and water 1/2 way up lower skimmer, you will be fine.
 
Deltadog said:
Concerning pump/filter? Seems like they installed a rather large pump for my pool.
Click to expand...

Dog,

Well, at least your pool builder got the pump right. :mrgreen:

The IntelliFlo is the gold standard of pool pumps. There is nothing wrong with having a large VS pump, as you just run it at whatever speed works best for you. Generally, the slower the better for reduced electrical costs.

Thanks,

Jim R.
 
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PoolStored said:
That's a good thing. Larger filter goes longer between cleanings. Larger pump can move same amount of water with less electricity usage.

Unfortunate. The general recommendation is to run the lowest skimmer 1/2 up the face plate and let the other skimmer be what it will be. The weir doors will make a marked improvement. Get those up first. My guess is that with those and water 1/2 way up lower skimmer, you will be fine.
Click to expand...
I will let you know when i get them on
 
Jimrahbe said:
Dog,

I just noticed that you only have one pipe marked Skimmers, but you have two skimmers.

That is now how it should have been done. Each Skimmer should be connected back to the equipment pad with its own valve. Sigh!

This means your skimmers are most likely in series, which is another reason they are not working well.

Both skimmers should have been installed at the same level. Your pool builder did you no favors.

The higher the water level, the less skimming action there will be, (Assumes weir doors were there to make the skimmers work at all.)

Ask you pool builder for your weir doors, I'm sure they came with the skimmers. You might also ask how they are plumbed, as in... How does your far skimmer connect to the near skimmer or equipment pad.

Thanks,

Jim R.
Click to expand...
May still have access to pipes going back to pool, not all the way but 10-20 feet before they get to pad. (Yard still under construction) Would Installing a Y in the skimmer line and then bringing 2 pipes on separate valves into pump solve the problem?
 
Jimrahbe said:
Dog,

Well, at least your pool builder got the pump right. :mrgreen:

The IntelliFlo is the gold standard of pool pumps. There is nothing wrong with having a large VS pump, as you just run it at whatever speed works best for you. Generally, the slower the better for reduced electrical costs.

Thanks,

Jim R.
Click to expand...
Weir doors installled, a little better flow.. PB is coming to install and Pentair Clean and clear cartridge filter.
 
Jimrahbe said:
Dog,

Ask him why you have two skimmers and only one pipe at the equipment pad..

Ask him how the skimmers are plumbed..

Thanks,

Jim R.
Click to expand...
I have, he advised; It looks like the the two skimmers join 1 single line in a “T” right under the pool decking. Then the single 2” skim suction line goes all the way back to the manifold.
 

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