Alterative to Skimmer Gizmo

[teddyc29]

I have a 30’ Above Ground pool with 15’ of underground pipes going to the pump etc. in the garage. It is a Radiant Metric brand pool and they recommend to drain the pool down and cap off the pipe connected to the skimmer. I had a local pool company close it last year and they drained the pool below the skimmer / return jet. They then drained the lines and put antifreeze in them. Then the skimmer and return jet were capped off with a threaded plastic plug.

I noticed that water could get into the skimmer and I was concerned it would build up, freeze and crack it. When I questioned the company that closed it, they gave me a green Gizmo. I disconnected the underground pipe from the bottom of the skimmer, Undid the skimmer plug and put the Gizmo in the plugs place. I even dumped water into the skimmer to make sure the water did not leak through the Gizmo. I then reconnected the underground pipe and considered it good.

This past spring before the pool was opened I unscrewed the underground pipe from the bottom of the skimmer and it was full of water. Thankfully everything seemed ok so there does not seem to be a leak. But I question how well the Gizmo actually sealed.

I would prefer to have a plastic plug in the skimmer for a good seal. Does anyone make a Gizmo that does not screw into the skimmer?

Thanks for your help.

Teddy

 

[JohnT]

The gizmo needs teflon tape on the threads to seal well. You can just cram an empty antifreeze jug (with lid) into the skimmer opening to absorb pressure from ice and fill the rest of the space with cut up pool noodles.

 

[mariane]

JohnT. That's interesting. And now I'm curious. Why does that help? I was wondering: Wouldn't the water level be below the skimmer opening anyway and so then would this be in case water levels rose from the ice dam, or if snow and rain settled in the skimmer? How's my rational?
I just leave the skimmer open on the bottom with the winter cover covering the top so no rain or snow gets in it.

 

[johnsjets]

JohnT. That's interesting. And now I'm curious. Why does that help? I was wondering: Wouldn't the water level be below the skimmer opening anyway and so then would this be in case water levels rose from the ice dam, or if snow and rain settled in the skimmer? How's my rational?
I just leave the skimmer open on the bottom with the winter cover covering the top so no rain or snow gets in it.

The question was answered from the perspective of an INGROUND pool user. The idea being that the effects of water freezing inside the skimmer box would be mitigated by the contraction of the plastic gizmo as the water inside the skimmer freezes and the ice begins to expand. The foam pieces of noodle were inserted to decrease the amount of space for ice buildup and to further increase the contraction buffer...a double barrel approach. I personally prefer to just plug the skimmer and use a 2 liter plastic bottle, with ballast, in lieu of the gizmo, with some antifreeze added to the skimmer box for good measure. I feel there's less of a chance of the plug seal giving way over the winter, as opposed to using a plastic gizmo, which imho, would be more prone to cracking or in some way unseating itself. But, I'm sure many have used the gizmo for years without any problems.

Not sure with above ground pools. I suppose if the skimmer joint was totally clear to allow water to drain, there shouldn't be a problem with just leaving the bottom plumbing undone. Chunks of ice from a growing ice dam might still work it's way into the skimmer potentially posing a problem. Perhaps an expert on agp's can offer some advice.