Is raising the skimmer necessary?

[KeysNole]

We will be installing new travertine on top of our existing pavers. This will raise the patio 1.25". We are pouring a new beam to use 1.25" coping. This will raise the level of our pool a few inches. The new waterline tile will reflect this.

Is replacing and raising our pool skimmer necessary? The company helping us with the remodel wants $1000 to do so.

Would the pool not perform well with the added water height (without any other adjustments to the skimmer)?

Maybe just keep the pool at the same level, and let the waterline tile/coping sit a bit higher?

Thoughts would be appreciated.

 

[Dirk]

Hi Keys! Welcome to TFP!

I'm posting to bump your thread, and mainly 'cause I want to hear the answer to your question!

I've read here that a skimmer works best when the water line is halfway up the opening. Some amount higher or lower will start to compromise the skimmer's efficiency (meaning it won't suck up things off the surface as well). Something like that there. Someone in the know will happen along shortly to confirm or correct that...

I can't think of any good reason your coping can't just be higher relative to the water, though there might be one. Maybe it'll look funny? It'll be a little bit harder to pull yourself out, I guess.

A bigger concern to me would be the first step (if you have steps). That's an extra 2" to the first step, which may not sound like a lot, but it is. Especially if your other steps were built well. By that I mean, if the top of each step was equidistant from each other, and the deck, say, 10" high for example, and then the last step out is now 12", you might not like that. And getting in will be 2" harder for us elder-kneed folks. It would be a project to adjust your steps, for sure, but just be aware of it. If your steps were not built all that well, and maybe the top step has always been too short, then this project will correct that. Easy enough to measure to find out what to expect.

If a set of stairs, say between floors, were built that way, where all the steps were the same except one step was 2" higher than the others, people would trip on that step every time. There are building codes to guard against that. I forget the spec, but a person will trip on a step that is only a very little amount different in height from the others. I think that phenomenon is quite a bit less likely in a pool, but I expect still somewhat possible...

 

[tomfrh]

If you’re raising your water and tiles by that amount I’d also raise the skimmer otherwise you’ll slow the skimmer down.

 

[sktn77a]

If you’re raising your water and tiles by that amount I’d also raise the skimmer

^^^^^ What he said. If you're raising the water level, then yes, you need to raise the skimmer

 

[KeysNole]

Thanks for the replies. We could alleviate this issue by using a remodel coping...not sure if we want to go that route. Decisions, decisions!

 

[duraleigh]

I don't know this is the answer but I would be tempted to think you could compensate simply by making an extension for the weir.

If you elevate the water level in the current skimmer, an extension of the weir door should minimize any change. Not perfect perhaps but VERY doable and I think VERY effective.

 

[KeysNole]

I don't know this is the answer but I would be tempted to think you could compensate simply by making an extension for the weir.

If you elevate the water level in the current skimmer, an extension of the weir door should minimize any change. Not perfect perhaps but VERY doable and I think VERY effective.

I thought about the same thing...I know the reviews are mixed on the "Skim A Round," but it seems like a weir extension plus Skim A Round might work. We are actually putting a water feature over where our skimmer currently is. Water feature will not be run all the time, but the skimmer is about to be encased in serious amounts of cement. Need to make our decision and stick with it.

 

[JamesW]

The water level needs to be within the mouth of the skimmer. If the water is too low, the skimmer will suck in air. If the water level hits the top of the mouth, you won't get any skimmer action.

So, you have a little bit of flexibility, but not a lot.

Do you have a picture of the existing skimmer showing the current and proposed water level?

 

[sktn77a]

If the water level hits the top of the mouth, you won't get any skimmer action.

This is the problem. You have about 2" to play with and even that would give you zero wiggle.