PoolSkim

techguy

0
TFP Expert
LifeTime Supporter
Jul 21, 2010
2,682
Antelope, CA
I bit the bullet and ordered up a PoolSkim. It should be here next week.

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I have a large crepe myrtle (next door) that drops white blooms all day, everyday, and lots of bees (dead and alive) on the surface of my pool. I will let you all know how it works out.

I am getting this in part to the fact that when my AquaBug is running, the skimmer is not able to clean the surface of the pool. The PoolSkim works on the return side; so, I should be able to clean and skim at the same time. My hope is to run the PoolSkim for an hour or so in the afternoon, before getting in the pool, and not need to scoop out leaves, blooms and drowning bees.

Edited for grammar and clarity.
 
I have the "Pooldevil Pro Automatic Pool Surface Cleaner" from Amazon.com.
It is hooked up just like the PoolSkim. but is sitting closer to the inside. My pump is running on slow all the time, I use knee highs as the skimmer sock, and love it.
 
I love mine! It works very well. I have a neighbors crepe myrtle that drops blooms in the pool all summer long. It cleans the blooms up very nicely. If you have some pool lube use that to dry fit the pipes together. You have to figure out the combination of pipe pieces and angles to position it correctly in the water. When you fine a combo that works mark the pipes with pencil so you can line it up correctly again if you dislodge something while fastening it together.
 

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The white crepes are in the neighbors yard, the purple dwarf ones are in my yard. I trim back the white one but the crepe still blows in. I also get pistache leaves and pepper pods from the other neighbor's yard.

When it's 104, the shade they provide is nice (and necessary).

I added an offset umbrella to the other corner of the pool to give some mid day shade.

Edit for grammar.
 
PoolSkim arrived yesterday but it was a Fathers Day gift, so it waited until today. I had some challenge getting the threaded fitting attached to the return fitting. It is currently in the pool, installed a little deep, but it's working great. It basically cleared the surface within 30 minutes or so.

Photos later.
 
techguy said:
PoolSkim arrived yesterday but it was a Fathers Day gift, so it waited until today. I had some challenge getting the threaded fitting attached to the return fitting. It is currently in the pool, installed a little deep, but it's working great. It basically cleared the surface within 30 minutes or so.

Photos later.

No, photos now! :wink: I'm currently debating whether to add a through-the-wall skimmer or the PoolSkim to my Intex Ultra Frame (if I can get an aftermarket return fitting that will fit the PoolSkim). Do you, by any chance, have both on your AGP?
 
I have a steel walled AGP. I have read about many people that add a thru the wall skimmer to an Intex. I have seen you can get a Hayward wall skimmer and standard return fitting for about $30. If you converted to a thru the wall and the Hayward return fitting, you could then use any standard above ground pump/filter as opposed to an Intex. I would open a new thread if you want to discuss that as opposed to burying it in this thread.

As for my comment about the threaded fitting, I let the US distributor know I had a problem with the adapter fitting and she sent me a new fitting. I will install it next week, when I return from Disneyland. The PS uses 50MM (metric) fittings and pipe. The adapter I am talking about adapts from the wall fitting to the 50mm PS fittings.

I have noticed that the PS has changed my pressures on my pump. My clean pressure has been 10PSI but it is now close to 19 or 20 psi. If I remove the PS, it drops to 10 PSI. I am considering adding a second return fitting (with valve and slit eyeball) or adding a valve and fitting to the PS to relieve some of the back pressure, but control the effectiveness of the PS.

Any suggestions about adding a second return to a 21 foot round AG pool? If I did add it, would adding it behind or very near my ladder be a good idea? This would be about 10-15 feet from the existing return.
 
As for effectiveness, the PS cleans the surface of the pool very quickly. I am moving a ton of water through the PS.

It is also an effective chlorine addition point. If I slowly pour the CL into the top of the PS, it mixes with the vortex of water inside the PS with 100% of my return water (about 50 GPM).
 
techguy said:
As for effectiveness, the PS cleans the surface of the pool very quickly. I am moving a ton of water through the PS.

It is also an effective chlorine addition point. If I slowly pour the CL into the top of the PS, it mixes with the vortex of water inside the PS with 100% of my return water (about 50 GPM).

That's an interesting comment, because one of my reasons for believing I needed a skimmer was for adding chemicals.That would be a plus. Unfortunately, I'm also going to need a way to add D.E./cellulose fiber to my D.E. filter. Still working through the problem. It might all wait until next year after lowering the water level for the winter. If I do anything like a skimmer/PoolSkim before I get some decent solar heaters working, I'm gonna catch you-know-what from The Boss :wink:

You said it was 50mm. Do you know, are the goofy Intex fittings in millimeters as well? I was at Lowe's last night with my little blue Intex strainer cover that screws onto the Intex fitting, and it is neither a 2-1/2" or 3" thread.
 
Intex fittings are proprietary to my knowledge and only work with Intex. Hence my suggestion you get a Hayward skimmer and return. When you get these installed, you can use any standard pool accessory.

One nice thing about the PoolSkim is that is allows me to skim and vacuum at the same time. Without it, when I was using the Aquabug, I didn't have any surface skimming action. The vacuum hose plugs into the bottom of the skimmer.
 
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