skimmer sock

[my2kidsmom]

I had lots of people say we needed this. So I went the cheap way and used a knee high. OMG the stuff that is coming through the filter. Since I started using it, the surface area of my pool is MUCH cleaner. When I take it off to rinse, I am amazed at the layer of gunk. What is that stuff? Could it be "baby algae" or just some sort of organic material? Typically my pool looks very clear and my FC has been holding steady. I was just wondering if this is a precursor to an algae outbreak.

Thanks

 

[JasonLion]

This time of year there is an amazing amount of pollen in the air, which is what your skimmer sock is catching.

 

[my2kidsmom]

Since I am leaving town for several days and will not be here to clean the skimmer sock, I guess I should take it off until I get back. Even after just 24 hours, it was so coated! I think if it's still this bad next week, I'll clean it twice daily. No wonder my sinuses are so clogged!

 

[Butterfly]

Pam, you are right, take that sock off while you are gone

I clean mine 2X day now, but I have needed to clean them as often as every hour

It is amazing what a skimmer sock keeps out of your filter. Not only that, you get to SEE it and be amazed by it all! Oh yeah, our poor sinuses!

I buy my skimmer screens (socks) from WallyWorld. They are a finer mesh and really catch everything!

 

[fuzzy_dba]

...I guess I should take it off until I get back..

Definitely take it off while you are gone!

I keep a 'stockpile' of them and change the twice a day since I have a pool that's surrounded by 60-80' oak and maple trees. It makes cleaning the skimmer easier right now 8) .

Terry in NC

 

[mvtton]

I bought skimmer socks from Wally World. They worked great, too good in fact. When I checked 2 hours later they were so full of pollen they had been sucked down to the bottom of the skimmer, and almost no water getting through. I had to wash them off every hour for a day before I could leave them unattended for a while.
Is that bad for your pump?

 

[fuzzy_dba]

I had to wash them off every hour for a day before I could leave them unattended for a while. Is that bad for your pump?

Pumps are not designed to run very long without a supply of water, usually just until the priming takes hold which is a few minutes from my understanding 8) .
Can you set your intake on the pump so it pulls some from the skimmer and some from the main drain? That way the pump will never run out of supply water: If the skimmer fills up with "gunk" (a technical term!) the pump pulls more from the main drain but the pump is never starved for water.

 

[SCpoolOwner]

The skimmer socks are definitely the real deal. After the nasty pollen wars of early April, I can now leave them unattended for a few days without rising it off. I used to buy them from Walmart but now I get them online.

 

[amjohn]

I have had similar experience with skimmer socks. For those of you with a sand filter, you can try the D.E. trick. It worked so well that right now I am not using a sock at all, and my water is clearer than it was with the nasty disgusting sock that required constant cleaning. I still have my 4 cheapo socks (one died a horrible death) and will still use them under some circumstances, such as our neighbor mowing his pasture for 4 days straight or when we mow our pasture or during the worst of the pollen wars. But so far, the little bit of DE in the sand filter has taken the place of the sock for me.

 

[jjdurrant]

Love my skimmer socks.. so knee highs really work? I may switch as the skimmer socks are $15 for 5.

 

[my2kidsmom]

What is the D.E. trick?

 

[JasonLion]

If you have a sand filter, you can add a little DE to the filter after each backwash to improve filtering.

 

[mickey4paws]

If you have a sand filter, you can add a little DE to the filter after each backwash to improve filtering.

I bought some food grade DE a few years ago to kill bugs. I still have quite a bit of it left and was wondering if I can use it in my sand filter, or do I need to get pool grade DE instead?

 

[JasonLion]

Food grade DE won't work nearly as well. Pool DE is heat treated, which gives it lots of sharp points that help trap dirt and debris.

 

[mickey4paws]

Food grade DE won't work nearly as well. Pool DE is heat treated, which gives it lots of sharp points that help trap dirt and debris.

Ok, thanks, Jason. Bummer though since I have so much of the food grade kind left. It works great on killing insects but the downside is every time it rains out, you have to treat again.

 

[Tengage]

I read the manual that came with my Pentair 520 cartridge filter and they said to add DE to the skimmer as well. I didn't but maybe I should. I wonder what "first time operation" means, I've been operating for 2 days now.

http://www.pentairpool.com/pdfs/CleanandClearPlusOM.pdf
NOTE
For first time operation on new pools introduce into the system .75 pounds of diatomaceous earth per every
100 square feet of filter area (a one-pound coffee can equals .5 pounds of diatomaceous earth). Mix the diatomite
with water and pour it into the skimmer after the pump is primed and the system is operating. This will enhance
the filtration of your water.

 

[chem geek]

As you can see from the Unicel cartridge cleaner instructions in this post, not all cartridge manufacturers think that using DE is OK. Their specific quote is as follows:

NOTE: Unicel does not recommend the use of diatomaceous earth (DE) with cartridge filters. DE particles will become trapped in the body of the media and shorten cartridge life. If desired, a cellulose fiber (synthetic DE) can be used in moderation.

 

[Tengage]

Excellent, I will leave the DE out of my filter as well regardless of what the manual says. I was hesitant to add 4 pounds of DE to my cartridge filter anyway.

I think I will try the sock though.