Pool Skimmer Leaf Filter

[milsay]

Hello,
As apart of my 2015 Design and Technology course I am to design a product for an issue. I have chosen an issue that many people may have with there pools. When using the skimmer many people may find that a lot of leaves are getting caught in the skimmer and you are constantly having to clean out the skimmer which can be very annoying at time. So i am currently designing a product but before that I wish to get peoples opinions on this topic. Below is an attached survey, I would be great if you could complete this and return ASAP. Sending through the completed surveys to [email protected] would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks Lachlan.

Yes/No Answers
Do you have a pool? (If so please continue)


Do you use skimmer function?


Does your skimmer box get blocked up with debris that swirls down into the skimmer box?


Does the skimmer box then become clogged with a lot of debris and obstructs the normal flow of water and possibly causing damage to the skimmer basket?


Have you seen a product which stops this debris going into the skimmer box, therefore avoiding the problem stated above? (if yes please state where you have seen it)


Do you believe a product which wouldn’t suck this debris into the skimmer basket be of an assistance to you? (if not are there any other possible solutions)


Other comments

 

[JasonLion]

There exist a variety of products that deal with this in a variety of ways. PoolSkim is my favorite.

Regardless, the leaves need to go somewhere, and where ever that is, it needs to be cleaned out regularly.

 

[Beadedbiker]

Why on earth would you want to design something that stops leaves going in a skimmer. You do realize its whole function is to skim the leaves and debris off the surface to keep the pool clean right?

I think most people would rather empty a plastic basket full of leaves than spend a day vacuuming them off the bottom of the pool and spend the extra money on chlorine that their presence in the pool calls for.

 

[zethacat]

Skimmer, vacuum, makes no difference to me. They are both automatic. But if there was a product that could disintegrate the leaves with lasers, I might be interested.

 

[JasonLion]

disintegrate the leaves with lasers

 

[milsay]

There exist a variety of products that deal with this in a variety of ways. PoolSkim is my favorite.

Regardless, the leaves need to go somewhere, and where ever that is, it needs to be cleaned out regularly.

The skimmer in our pool very similar to that of poolskim. What I would design would be an attachment to the skimmer to stop blockages occurring and have a more efficient flow of water into the pump.

This is what I am planing on designing.
http://imgur.com/a/lvdyv

 

[milsay]

Why on earth would you want to design something that stops leaves going in a skimmer. You do realize its whole function is to skim the leaves and debris off the surface to keep the pool clean right?

I think most people would rather empty a plastic basket full of leaves than spend a day vacuuming them off the bottom of the pool and spend the extra money on chlorine that their presence in the pool calls for.

The product I'm designing isn't redesigning the skimmer it is just an attachment for the skimmer so that leaves don't actually enter the skimmer basket but a separate basket. The point of this is to improve the efficiency of water flow.

This is what I am planning on designing .
http://imgur.com/a/lvdyv

 

[pooldv]

I think you would need a "giant laser".

 

[milsay]

Bump

 

[EVChargeGuy]

As Jason stated, I think you’ll find products already available that function in a like manor to your drawing, PoolSkim being one of the better known & liked.

- - - Updated - - -

I think you would need a "giant laser".

Or maybe a ring of little lasers?

 

[Griswald]

A Dyson for pools???

Leaves are not a real problem, but if you could come up with a way to keep the bugs and spiders out of the skimmer basket, my wife would fund your company just to get one! Amazing how long those little bugs can live in water, just to latch on to your hand when emptying the basket.

 

[milsay]

That is slightly what I'm planning on doing keeping the leaves, bugs and anything else that may usually find its way into the skimmer box will be diverted into another box which due to the way it will be designed will keep the leaves spinning around and stop them blocking up the bottom of the skimmer box like it usually would.

 

[jblizzle]

I am not sure how you are going to keep the water velocity high enough that the leaves do not get stuck in the middle grid. Certainly would not be high enough for the 2-speed and VS pumps running on low speed.

Of course if you have an equalizer line or the 2nd hole in the bottom of the skimmer is plumbed to the floor drains (as both of my pools have been), if the skimmer basket get completely full and blocked off, the water is automatically pulled through the equalizer or from the floor. No reduction in flow rate, just reduced (non-existent) skimmer functionality until you clean the skimmer basket (which should be done as often as required to prevent such problems in the first place).

 

[milsay]

Yes that could be an issue but i have been looking at a few similar products on the market but are used in a different context in the pool which use the same sort of spinning motion to stop the leaves from blocking up. Here is one of the products I looked at.

http://www.poolexpress.com.au/Genuine-Zodiac-In-line-Leaf-Eater-p-17110.html