Aqua Genie skimmer with chlorine feeder not working

[rsalzman]

Hi! Very much a newbie. I moved into my home last September, and while the previous homeowner was kind enough to let me help close the pool, this is my first opening. I have a 20x40 in-ground vinyl pool. I had a local pool company open--which really only meant they removed the winter cover and dumped in my shock and algacide...then left. I haven't been able to reach them since. That was a week ago this past Monday. I have vacuumed several times, backwashed when needed, refilled and am almost there! My question though, is that I have two Aqua Genie skimmer/return units that have "auto" chlorine feeder trays inside. One of the feeder tubes is no longer feeding water to the tray though. I've removed the tubing, and water is coming out of the small pipe near the weir opening, but not up through the tube that leads to the tray. I cleaned the tubing with a small brush, can see through it, but I guess there just isn't enough water pressure coming out of that little pipe to push it up through the tubing to the tray??? Any advice? Thanks...I have tried searching this issue and haven't found anything so I'm sorry if this is repetitive.

Have a great holiday weekend!!!

 

[Bama Rambler]

We don't have many Aqua Genie owners around here and even less with the feeder option. So suffice it to say that we don't have a lot of experience with them.

None of the manuals or parts diagrams I've found show how the feeder tube hooks up so I'm having to do some guessing. From the operating description it has to connect to the pressure side of the unit and to the tray. You say you have some water coming out of the feeder tube port. Have you tried cleaning out the port with something?

What is your filter pressure running?
Are there any valves in the suction or return sides that select between the skimmers?

Can you post pics of the equipment pad and the Aqua-Genies?

Having said all that, the tablets you're using are adding CYA to yoru water all the time and soon it will be so much that you'll start having algea outbreaks. Spend some time reading Pool School and learning about how to properly maintain your pool.

 

[rsalzman]

Thank you for replying!!! Sorry it took me a while to get back to you. My filter pressure is running right around 13, and there no valves in the suction and I don't seem to have return sides that select between the skimmers. It looks like a pretty simple system, with plumbing to the two skimmers along one long side of the pool, to the pump (and no switch or any way to switch to skimmer only). Pump goes directly to sand filter. Sorry, I'm not very technically inclined when it comes to these things. There is also no main drain in the pool, and the returns are directly under the skimmer weir, as part of the Aqua Genie assembly, so no other return jets in the pool. I'll take pics and post later--it's raining outside right now. Thanks again!!!

 

[Bama Rambler]

I'd try to clean the port that the feeder tube goes into.