DIY skimmerguards for leaves

[SouthernAlaPool]

I'm about 100 miles or so dead south of you and I made it last winter with pool open-----------in spite of that freakish 4 day period when it NEVER went above freezing. Run the pump, run the pump, run the pump! Did I mention run the pump?
Better if you cover the equipment pad to break wind and keep freezing rain off stuff. I am hard pvc plumbed and wrapped mobile home style electrical heating tape with foam insulation foil backed taped around it. Other tips include a plywood box around the equipment with a 100 watt bulb on a drop light cord. You get the idea. If leaves are a problem like mine are, they can clog a skimmer basket in about 15 seconds. I rigged a mesh vegetable sink strainer basket in front of my skimmer with aluminum wire so I can run the pump while freezing or any other time without worrying about starving the pump and still filter. Gonna use that next week while I'm headed to Vegas too. My luck, everything will decide to start dropping next week. Your only other concern is a loss of power to run the pump during bad weather outages. Best excuse I could find to buy "HER" a generator!

Hi @woodyp , I just noticed your comment about the leaves and a mesh vegetable sink strainer, in front of your skimmer. I have a Huuggeee leaf problem so am wanting to try anything to help. But I can't figure out how such a small strainer (at least not based on my own sinks strainer) is going to help. I guess yours is larger and I need to start there, but can you help me understand how you mounted it perhaps...onto the front of your skimmer I assume in the pool area?
Any other ideas welcome...as I have Oaks near my pool..in South Alabama and I need to keep netting them all year. I have tried cover, but either way I fight the leaves so I just let them in the pool last year and got them that way. But need to find better options. Thanks

 

[ajw22]

Post pictures of the skimmers you want to guard and of your pool.

Skimmer Guards - Further Reading

www.troublefreepool.com