Question about above ground pool skimmers

[Guest]

This is the skimmer I have (bottom of it) and they make a vacuum plate for it so I can use the pump to vacuum stuff off of the bottom of the pool. How does that work even tho those rubber flaps there allow water INTO the skimmer? You would lose suction there. I have a vacuum head, 18' hose and a pole, but I connect my vacuum to my pump via 3 way valve! I am almost considering buying a vacuum plate for it if anyone here can convince me that it would work better than my current configuration or as good. I just dont see it sucking that much water through the hose OVER the skimmer like that. My skimmer works but it doesnt look like it sucks that much water over the top!

 

[Melt In The Sun]

 

[NWMNMom]

Is this that over the wall hook on skimmer? If so, way back when we had our Intex we would jsut disconnect the skimmer hose from the wall intake and mount the vac plate directly to the wall intake. I did use a leaf canister. Perhaps the current model has a way to isert the vac plate into the skimmer unit?

 

[Guest]

It is an over the wall hook, but my pool has a ring that you inflate. My vac is made to hook up at the wall intake but its such a pain in the Rear to reach in over the wall disconnect the skimmer and screw in the vac plate. All over the wall with out disturbing the inside of the pool so it can be vacuumed successfully!

Intex makes a vac plate for it but I just dont see how it would work with that rubber in the bottom to prevent full suction.

 

[NWMNMom]

I'm guessing the rubber "flaps" are meant to prevent pump cavitation if the skimmer turns and doesn't sit right in the water? Does that skimmer have the insert "hat" type thing that floats to keep it level with the top of the water line? I'm guessing the vac plate would replace the "hat" thing and just allow the entire skimmer to drop below the water line - no air then, rubber flaps would be compressed by vac plate itself and not come into play at all. I'm only guessing here based upon the old Intex we had with the over the wall skimmer (we had the blow up ring type back then - the metal frame ones didn't exist yet)

 

[Guest]

Ok now I see how it works. There are 4 screws on the bottom and I got bored after swimming and took mine apart. It releases the rubber flaps which is one part and it releases a locking screw nut type thing INSIDE of it. After searching intex's web site I fount these....

Vacuum Body...it screws into that locking screw nut inside of the skimmer.

Vacuum bag. Fits inside of the vacuum body.

Vacuum Cover!

With all 3 together you basically have a leaf canister which goes INSIDE the skimmer and screws into it. I just have to buy those 3 and I am set. The way I am vacuuming my pool everything goes straight to the filter. Which can slow it down a bit if there is a lot of debris. And I HAVE to change the filter out after vacuuming every time. Would make connecting my vac to my pool easier!