Somewhat Newbie with Skimmer Questions

octanefam

0
LifeTime Supporter
Jan 11, 2015
50
Puyallup, WA
This is our second year with this Intex pool and somewhat no problems from last year. We said this year we wanted to get away from the over the wall Intex basket and go with a Hayward inside mount or whatever you guys/gals call it:)

I have searched the forum and I'm now just confused.... I'm just looking for the best options for doing this. Do I go with a wide mouth or the standard Hayward. What is the best way to plumb it? So I have the return which i'm good on what about the suction port is that still used with using the Hayward skimmer? I have seen photos of the Hayward skimmer going straight to the pump and others are using the suction port as well??? Pictures would be fantastic!

Please help:):)

Thank you!
 
It is not very clear what you are wondering about. Standard or widemouth is just a matter of looks, they are basically the same. The widemouth has an attachment and requires a larger cut in the liner but looks better IMO. Most people hardplumb the skimmer in parallell with the suction port using valves. That way you can adjust the circulation depending on if your solar cover is on, if you are vacuuming, if the water is low or high etc. Lots of pictures of this setup available.
 
It is not very clear what you are wondering about. Standard or widemouth is just a matter of looks, they are basically the same. The widemouth has an attachment and requires a larger cut in the liner but looks better IMO. Most people hardplumb the skimmer in parallell with the suction port using valves. That way you can adjust the circulation depending on if your solar cover is on, if you are vacuuming, if the water is low or high etc. Lots of pictures of this setup available.

If you hard plumb do you have to be concerned of the movement the pool will make when you have 5 - 10yrs in the pool:D I ordered my wide mouth last night.
 
If you hard plumb do you have to be concerned of the movement the pool will make when you have 5 - 10yrs in the pool:D I ordered my wide mouth last night.

I just soft/hard plumbed my intex. While there are many that have successfully hard plumbed with no issues from the vinyl pool sidewall moving, I addressed this issue of "horse play and moving sidewalls" by including a few sections of FLEX PVC in my set up. I'm thinking they can absorb some movement and help keep all of the joints nice n tight. I installed the standard hayward skimmer last year and decided to get rid of the intex hoses and upgrade to better plumbing this year. I tied in the original intake on the suction side and plan on using that as a dedicated vac port. On the return side I added a return about 10" off the bottom of the pool to help get better circulation, and will be adding a fountain as well. I am filling my pool right now and can send you a pic of the set up tomorrow if you like.

Greg
 
I just soft/hard plumbed my intex. While there are many that have successfully hard plumbed with no issues from the vinyl pool sidewall moving, I addressed this issue of "horse play and moving sidewalls" by including a few sections of FLEX PVC in my set up. I'm thinking they can absorb some movement and help keep all of the joints nice n tight. I installed the standard hayward skimmer last year and decided to get rid of the intex hoses and upgrade to better plumbing this year. I tied in the original intake on the suction side and plan on using that as a dedicated vac port. On the return side I added a return about 10" off the bottom of the pool to help get better circulation, and will be adding a fountain as well. I am filling my pool right now and can send you a pic of the set up tomorrow if you like.

Greg

Picutres would be great if you dont mind.

Thanks!
 

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Thanks! I guess the real issue is the return. Since I have a skimmer and the outlet is just a backup to the skimmer, the flow rate isn't critical.
Another option is to get a Hayward return (I have one that came with my skimmer). I could use that to replace the Intex return jet. It would connect directly to 1-1/2" PVC (or at least more simply than the Intex return).
I'd feel a lot better getting all the Intex parts replaced. They make great pools and decent pumps and SWGs, but pretty lousy plumbing in between.
 
Yes, I realized that the attachments didn't come through. I have exceeded the amount of space allotted for storage, and I can't seem to delete what is there to free up space. I will try contacting a moderator to fix this issue.
 
Post your pics on an external hosting site like Photobucket and then just post the links here.
 

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