Before I read this I was on my way to work thinking about attaching a heavy fish hook to the eye of the fish tape from the equipment side. It's like 5ft away on the equipment side. We can feel it.
Imagine Illusion 40 Complete 10/19/21
- Thread starter Casey
- Start date
- Jul 20, 2007
- 137
- Pool Size
- 30000
- Surface
- Plaster
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Jandy Aquapure 1400
If it’s a straight shot, a plumbers auger may work, may need to sharpen the tip. Hopefully it will screw into the ball. Are you below waterline? Keep in mind what you will do if the ball does come out. You will need to stop the flow.
Last edited:
- Jun 1, 2018
- 16,019
- Pool Size
- 26000
- Surface
- Vinyl
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Hayward Aqua Rite (T-15)
I like the thing @wireform posted - in my above ground pool the skimmer basket has notches & is locked in place - also theres not far to go or replace if something got stuck.
Hopefully it didn’t burn the pump up running it dry.
Hopefully it didn’t burn the pump up running it dry.
- Oct 25, 2015
- 5,815
- Pool Size
- 28000
- Surface
- Plaster
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- CircuPool RJ-60 Plus
If it's a straight shot and you think it was a soft ball consider putting a corkscrew on the end of a broom stick. Make sure it's securely fastened. Then push the handle down 'till it touches. Gently turn 'till it catches then once you're in keep turning and ease it out. Think about a wine cork that's trying to come apart in the bottle. The big advantage of this method is when you're done all you need is a bottle of wine to celebrate... you already have the corkscrew!
holy Crud! I thought mine were bad. This is another level of gunk!
Decoy205
Silver Supporter
We have that and used it yesterday. He could fit on it buy it wouldn't stay on. Last night I bent a heavy duty fish hook with a torch and let it cool down. I want to try and poke it to see if the barb will attach. If this doesn't work then I'll wait for the sewer jetter which is coming Tuesday. I'm getting frustrated with evert failed attempt. I'm probably going to tear pump apart and check the impeller too.
I'm starting to seriously consider running the new line. I'm seriously almost out of options and I'm probably not going to be able to work tonight due to weather n thunderstorms in the forecast. My brother wants to add a clean out to the new main skimmer line but I don't think it's a good idea due to losing head space. I know every fitting will slow it down. Should I tell him no and if I ever deal with this again I can just cut the section? I'm already lengthening the line so I'm going to lose some. Ugh.... I'm over it.
- Jul 21, 2013
- 65,308
- Pool Size
- 35000
- Surface
- Plaster
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Pentair Intellichlor IC-60
Don’t worry about adding a bit of head with a clean out or fitting. Your VSP can compensate for it. It may just mean running your VSP 50 RPM faster.
The clean out should also help with winterizing the skimmer line.
You are the poster child for why I always recommend getting two skimmers.
You have more craziness then you deserve.
I wanted 2 skimmers so bad and he wouldn't do it and I didn't fight for it. I also had a tight budget n no more room to throw some Benjamin's around. I swear to everything holy that I said that I should have fought harder for one.
Well guys. The line cavitated and needs replaced. I have to run a brand new skimmer line. I just want to take a moment and laugh so histeracally. Like reeeeeeeally?! Ugh...
- Oct 25, 2015
- 5,815
- Pool Size
- 28000
- Surface
- Plaster
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- CircuPool RJ-60 Plus
If you're going to replace the line I'd cut it in the middle then blow each end with a vacuum cleaner blower to figure out which half has the plug in it. This way you only have to replace half the line. You can do this again and only replace 1/4. So sorry you're having this much trouble, I really thought you'd be able to retrieve it.
Chris
Chris
The lines are tucked under the pool lip and has 8ft of concrete over top of it.
We took 2 50ft paracords and tied both ends to a nut. Took the fish tape and inserted it into the skimmer and ran it out the pipe at the equipment pad. Tied the paracord to eyelet in fish tape and pulled the nut through the obstruction hoping to grab it. Nothing. Tie another nut to it and pulled cord back through it, nothing. My brother added one more nut for 3 total on the cord. When he got to the obstruction it became very clear. He could hear the nuts hit evey ripple inside the flex hose. It collapsed. It's a total failure.
The line is under 8ft of concrete. I'm not busting concrete up. It's getting a whole new line on the outside perimeter. The cavitation is very close to the steps of the slide.
We took 2 50ft paracords and tied both ends to a nut. Took the fish tape and inserted it into the skimmer and ran it out the pipe at the equipment pad. Tied the paracord to eyelet in fish tape and pulled the nut through the obstruction hoping to grab it. Nothing. Tie another nut to it and pulled cord back through it, nothing. My brother added one more nut for 3 total on the cord. When he got to the obstruction it became very clear. He could hear the nuts hit evey ripple inside the flex hose. It collapsed. It's a total failure.
Attachments
This episode leads me to something I think many in the pool construction phase can benefit from if they're not too far along and that is the following: in the last few weeks we had two episodes of something going into the skimmer pipe with only 50% success in retrieving it. The first was a rock that ended up on the wrong side of the skimmer basket which had a happy resolution and this saga that Casey is going through with an unsuccessful resolution ending to be rather costly. My thinking is when the pool plumbing is going in, just like we recommend if you have two skimmers to run the pipes home run to the pad individually so not to compromise both skimmers should one be out of service, I would also recommend that if the pool has the main drain directly ran to the pad, I would then utilize the second port on the skimmer and run a spare pipe parallel to the first one, pressure test it, plug it with a threaded plug at the skimmer and glue caped stub at the equipment pad. In an event such as Casey's you can switch to the second line and call it a day.
- Jul 21, 2013
- 65,308
- Pool Size
- 35000
- Surface
- Plaster
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Pentair Intellichlor IC-60
It sounds like Casey’s skimmer clog was compounded by the use of flex PVC. I think if her pool had rigid PVC there would be a different outcome.
It is rare to see a rigid PVC line fail. We often seem to see flex PVC lines eventually collapse.
I think it is over design to run backup rigid PVC lines from a skimmer. But with flex PVC it would be a different story. Although given the choice of two runs of flex PVC or one of rigid PVC I would take one run of rigid schedule 40 every time.
It is rare to see a rigid PVC line fail. We often seem to see flex PVC lines eventually collapse.
I think it is over design to run backup rigid PVC lines from a skimmer. But with flex PVC it would be a different story. Although given the choice of two runs of flex PVC or one of rigid PVC I would take one run of rigid schedule 40 every time.
- Jan 4, 2016
- 5,392
- Pool Size
- 44000
- Surface
- Plaster
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
If you run two lines, use both lines.
Also, always install the grates that I recommend earlier.