Hi everyone! I don’t normally clean the filter basket but my husband got stuck at work and it was pretty full. There was a mouse in the skimmer and it somehow fell in the skimmer line (I was terrified). We have an old buster crabbe with an aqua genie so there is only one skimmer. It seems to be working just fine, but I didn’t see the mouse appear in the second filter’s viewer. I’m guessing its stuck somewhere in the line. Is there anything I can do? I don’t want this to cause a problem.
Mouse went down skimmer
- Thread starter Neotericisis
- Start date
It is not likely to be stuck if you are still getting good flow. Should be in the pump basket. Unless it was in the skimmer for awhile and it has already liquefied 
Bleach! Lots and lots of bleach! That is after you turn off your pump and open that basket to see what you find you poor thing you!! Ewww
Wahhhhhhh! I don’t think it liqufied as the sucker was pretty whole when I was trying to fish it out last night (the water swirls were keeping it afloat and I only had a kabob stick (which I used to lift the cover). I wasn’t fast enough and down the pipe he went. I checked the pump filter last night and this morning and I didn’t see anything. I did some research and I may try a “drain king”, which is a device that you hook up to a hose that can flush debris from the pipe backwards- so from the skimmer pipes back into the pool. I am currently over chlorinating my pool as I’m convinced the little bugger is stuck in an elbow somewhere. I am not equipped for this-oye!
Last edited:
- Apr 10, 2018
- 6,535
- Pool Size
- 18375
- Surface
- Plaster
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- CircuPool RJ-45 Plus
You can try a garden hose first. Wrap a rag around the end and get as good a seal as you can from the pump side. Try to force it back in the direction of the skimmer. If that doesn't work, go with the Drain King or similar device.
Last year, a small gopher got stuck head-first in the bottom intake port of my suction cleaner. I had to pry it out using BBQ tongs. I'll never forget the sound of bones crushing as I yanked it out. Luckily, it came out in one piece.
Last year, a small gopher got stuck head-first in the bottom intake port of my suction cleaner. I had to pry it out using BBQ tongs. I'll never forget the sound of bones crushing as I yanked it out. Luckily, it came out in one piece.
You may want to shut off the pump and open the pump basket and make sure he is not in there or the pump pot. If he's not in there then I would open up the filter on the off chance he made it that far. If both have been cleaned out and given the all clear, do the drain king thing from the pump side going back into the pool with the skimmer basket removed.
The drain kings only work if it's stopped up IMHO..I had a little snake get in mine but I turned on the pump for 10 seconds and got him out of the pump basket..he survived and crawled off 
Wobblerlorri
Bronze Supporter
- Apr 16, 2019
- 2,010
- Pool Size
- 4024
- Surface
- Vinyl
- Chlorine
- Liquid Chlorine
Ish! I do not miss my in ground with the frogs and the mice and the birds and snakes and stuff....
The little bugger showed up in the pump filter basket this morning! I was grossed out, but grateful. Thanks for all your help guys!
I found a baby frog in my skimmer this afternoon, he was tired but alive