skimmer/concrete gap and repair

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241comp

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May 21, 2008
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I'm refurbing an older pool and have come up against a problem that I'm unsure how to fix. The way the skimmers were built in this pool, the plastic of the skimmer bucket ends about 6 inches below the concrete pool deck (about the same level as the top of the skimmer entrance). The concrete had a (round) hole formed above the skimmer which supports the skimmer lid and essentially extends the height of the skimmer. The problem is that on both skimmers, a gap has formed between the skimmer bucket and the concrete above leaving a way for water to escape if it is above the level of the plastic skimmer bucket (due to waves or overfilling the pool). The gap is only about 1/8" on one side but is 1/2" to 1" on the other side and has significant space behind it due to erosion. I suspect it was like this for the previous owners for a while and they never did anything about it.

What is the proper way to fix this - fill the void with concrete then patch the gap with epoxy putty? Give up and have the pool filled in? Call a professional? Other solutions? Thanks!
 
While I'm a pool newby, I do have considerable experience fixing things. The first thing that comes to mind is to fabricate a tubular sleeve that extends the bucket high enough that water can't leak outside the skimmer bucket.
 
I really like cobra's idea. Even if you don't get the sleeve perfectly waterproof, simply minimizing the spillover should be sufficient.

Something has settled for that gap to appear. Is your decking still as it was? Any cracks?
 
Sleeve idea sounds good but I'm not sure what to construct it out of or how I would connect it to the existing bucket in a waterproof manner...

The decking immediately around the pool appears to be OK. There is some additional concrete (patio-ish) after the immediate concrete surround (not connected - abutting) which has settled some and has a few cracks. The pool walls and floor did not appear to have settled or pulled away from the concrete at all. Possibly this flaw has existed the entire life of the pool?
 
How about a sheet of flat rubber 1/16 thick cut to fit and then epxied in place.

Then to waterproof the seam, cut a 1" wide strip of the same rubber and epoxy it over the seam.

PS - be sure to put the lid on.....it'll be functional, not beautiful :shock: :shock: :shock:
 
hydraulic cement

If the concrete is stable I would probably pack the void with hydraulic cement. If the concrete is unstable this may not be a good idea because hydraulic cement does not have any "play". In this case maybe filling the void with sand and then toping it with a mastic could work and still provide a little "play" if the concrete continues to shift.
 
I believe the concrete is stable. It was poured in (I think) 1986 and the pool deck does not appear to have any cracks or subsidence since then (22 years). The patio around the east end of the pool deck (separate concrete pour) does have some cracks and settling but not the immediate pool deck.
 
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