Hello! I am new to the forum - I have an I ground pool (Ester Williams) that was put in, in 1961. The pump works, the sand filter works (we changed out the sand) but the skimmer does not have any suction. I thought the pipe was clogged as it had been 9 years since we last opened the pool. I have put a snake down the pipe (from the filter to the skimmer) and used a wet vac to suck out anything that may be clogging the pipe from the skimmer. However, nothing came out of the pipe. I cleaned out the basket to the skimmer, the basket in the pump and backwashing works just fine as well. Other than taking out the concrete to visually inspect the pipe, what should I do?
No Skimmer suction - Help!
- Thread starter Rensi
- Start date
Rensi,
Welcome to TFP... a great place to learn all about Ester and her pool...
It is impossible for the pump to work, if the skimmer is not working, unless there is another way for the pump to get water...
A couple of pics of your equipment pad will help us help you...
Do you have a single pipe coming out of the ground and going into your pump, or do you have several pipes with valves to select each one??
Thanks,
Jim R.
Welcome to TFP... a great place to learn all about Ester and her pool...
It is impossible for the pump to work, if the skimmer is not working, unless there is another way for the pump to get water...
A couple of pics of your equipment pad will help us help you...
Do you have a single pipe coming out of the ground and going into your pump, or do you have several pipes with valves to select each one??
Thanks,
Jim R.
Yes! I will post some pics! There is a drain at the bottom of the pool which brings water to the pump and filter.
sktn77a
Gold Supporter
You put a snake down from the pool equipment (pump, not filter?) to the skimmer? And it's still not sucking? Then something's not right. When you say you used the shop vac and nothing came out, you mean no plugs of leaves, etc, or do you mean it was completely blocked? Do you have a main drain? Do you get water pumping in from the jets? do you have multiple holes in the bottom of the skimmer or just one?
Need more info, including more pictures so we can see all the plumbing.
So what happens to the pump's operation when you use each of the following valve settings...
All main drain and no skimmer at all...
All skimmer and no main drain at all...
50% main drain and 50% skimmer...
In general, if the pump runs well from the main drain, it will almost always run from the skimmer unless there is a major issue...
If this were my pool, I would put a garden hose with a Drain King on it, inside the pump and set the valve to fully shut off the main drain. I would then force water from the pump back into the skimmer.. If you get poor flow, I would then reverse the operation and force water from the skimmer into the pump with the lid open.. I would work back and forth, reversing the flow until I cleared the line.
Thanks,
Jim R.
All main drain and no skimmer at all...
All skimmer and no main drain at all...
50% main drain and 50% skimmer...
In general, if the pump runs well from the main drain, it will almost always run from the skimmer unless there is a major issue...
If this were my pool, I would put a garden hose with a Drain King on it, inside the pump and set the valve to fully shut off the main drain. I would then force water from the pump back into the skimmer.. If you get poor flow, I would then reverse the operation and force water from the skimmer into the pump with the lid open.. I would work back and forth, reversing the flow until I cleared the line.
Thanks,
Jim R.
