Cleaning debris from suction inlet in skimmer, ideas?

[Roxanne1]

Hi!
Apparently there are some long needle pine trees somewhere on our property we've recently moved to. After vacuuming and removing the hose from the skimmer suction inlet I found a bunch of pine needles, three needles clumps, hanging out at the bottom bend. I tried to stick my fingers in to remove them. I very gingerly tried bbq tongs. I tried forceps. I've had no success. It is not totally clogged. There is still good suction. They need to come out though, preferably out the path they went in. Any creative ideas on how to remove these? They were sucked up by the vacuum. There were so very few, I thought the vacuum could handle this. I won't do that again, instead I will net them out. How have you removed them?

Thanks!!
Roxanne

 

[pabeader]

shop vac?

 

[Roxanne1]

Thanks Paebeder! For some reason I didn't think I could apply negative pressure there. But that's ok?

 

[Richard320]

Thanks Paebeder! For some reason I didn't think I could apply negative pressure there. But that's ok?

Open up the pump strainer and flush backwards with a garden hose from there.

 

[Roxanne1]

Thanks Richard!
Sorry for this tediousness... So I pull out the strainer basket and take a garden hose and direct the water into the pipes and eventually toward the filter?

 

[Richard320]

Thanks Richard!
Sorry for this tediousness... So I pull out the strainer basket and take a garden hose and direct the water into the pipes and eventually toward the filter?

Nope. You open the p[ump lid and lift out the basket and stick the hose into the opening where the water normally comes into the pump and flush backwards out the skimmers. If you wrap the hose with a rag you can wedge it in pretty tight and any pine needles in the plumbing should get pushed out where you can grab 'em. .