I am a new pool owner and getting familiar woth my pool. I have been to pool school and have been good at keeping chemical levels well maintained. I noticed a hole in the back of my skimmer a little above where the water level is. Is that an overflow pipe or something. I am thinking of plugging as it seems the motion of the water causes slosh to go into the hole. It is about as big around as a fifty cent piece
Overflow pipe or what
- Thread starter Moonshoxx
- Start date
ms,
The skimmer comes with that hole plugged.. So, if it is open it has to be connected to something. It is either an overflow, or a fill line. I have a regular overflow drain and that hole in one of my skimmers is where my fill line is connected.
If this is a new pool, that you just had installed, you should talk with your pool builder and ask what it is for... Do you have any unknown 3/4" pipes sticking out of the ground near your equipment pad? If it is an overflow drain, it is way too small to be of any value in a heavy rain. If it is a drain, I would want to know where it goes. Does it just dump water into the dirt, or is it connected to a drain system??
Got any construction pics, showing the Skimmer??
Thanks,
Jim R.
The skimmer comes with that hole plugged.. So, if it is open it has to be connected to something. It is either an overflow, or a fill line. I have a regular overflow drain and that hole in one of my skimmers is where my fill line is connected.
If this is a new pool, that you just had installed, you should talk with your pool builder and ask what it is for... Do you have any unknown 3/4" pipes sticking out of the ground near your equipment pad? If it is an overflow drain, it is way too small to be of any value in a heavy rain. If it is a drain, I would want to know where it goes. Does it just dump water into the dirt, or is it connected to a drain system??
Got any construction pics, showing the Skimmer??
Thanks,
Jim R.
Thanks jim. Not new construction just new to me. Nothing at pad. I have a separate auto fill. Inwas thinking of just plugging if no harm could come from if just not sure what to use
ms,
If it is just an overflow, and you don't want an overflow, just plug it.
You just don't want the water to overflow the pool and get under the coping.. As long at that does not happen, then there are no issue to not having an overflow.
Many pools do not have a dedicated overflow line.
Jim R.
If it is just an overflow, and you don't want an overflow, just plug it.
You just don't want the water to overflow the pool and get under the coping.. As long at that does not happen, then there are no issue to not having an overflow.
Many pools do not have a dedicated overflow line.
Jim R.
Jim any other idea what it could be. I would gate to plug and damage somethig but if it is a drain i am losing water as it sits roght at water line
- Nov 12, 2017
- 12,663
- Pool Size
- 12300
- Surface
- Plaster
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Pentair Intellichlor IC-40
My over flow is quite a bit above my water line, and would only come into play when needed. Where is your current water line relative to your skimmer opening? Is it high? Or right in the middle of the skimmer opening? Here's what I'm getting at. If your water level is a little high and your auto-filler is anything like mine, you can adjust the autofill to drop the water level a little. Then your water will be at the correct level and the water loss out the overflow will be minimized if not eliminated.
Alternately, if the water level is in the correct place, and the overflow hole cooperates diameter-wise, you would add a short piece of PVC and an elbow and increase the height of the overflow level. See what I'm getting at? The new overflow level will be higher, to minimize your water loss, but still set below the underside of the coping, so it does its job. Now that might get in the way of working with the skimmer basket, but we can come back to that.
My autofill/overflow system allows adjustment of each, so I can dial in water level minimum and maximum.
Point being, I wouldn't plug up an overflow if I could avoid it. When you need it, you really need it, and it'll be raining like cats and dogs when you do. Otherwise, you'll be out in the rain with a hose and/or a pump trying to figure out how to keep your pool from overflowing...
First, let's figure out where your water level is relative to the skimmer opening. You have to measure, you can't eyeball it, because the water will refract what you're looking at and give you a false idea of what's what.
Then stick a running garden hose up to your overflow hole and see what happens. Does it all come shooting back? Or does it come out somewhere? If so, where? Is that a good place to drain pool water, or will it cause more problems than it will solve?
Report back what you come up with...
Alternately, if the water level is in the correct place, and the overflow hole cooperates diameter-wise, you would add a short piece of PVC and an elbow and increase the height of the overflow level. See what I'm getting at? The new overflow level will be higher, to minimize your water loss, but still set below the underside of the coping, so it does its job. Now that might get in the way of working with the skimmer basket, but we can come back to that.
My autofill/overflow system allows adjustment of each, so I can dial in water level minimum and maximum.
Point being, I wouldn't plug up an overflow if I could avoid it. When you need it, you really need it, and it'll be raining like cats and dogs when you do. Otherwise, you'll be out in the rain with a hose and/or a pump trying to figure out how to keep your pool from overflowing...
First, let's figure out where your water level is relative to the skimmer opening. You have to measure, you can't eyeball it, because the water will refract what you're looking at and give you a false idea of what's what.
Then stick a running garden hose up to your overflow hole and see what happens. Does it all come shooting back? Or does it come out somewhere? If so, where? Is that a good place to drain pool water, or will it cause more problems than it will solve?
Report back what you come up with...
Attached is a picture. As you can see, it is right at the waterline. Water currently is right at half skimmer.View attachment 86547
- Nov 12, 2017
- 12,663
- Pool Size
- 12300
- Surface
- Plaster
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Pentair Intellichlor IC-40
- Nov 12, 2017
- 12,663
- Pool Size
- 12300
- Surface
- Plaster
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Pentair Intellichlor IC-40
OK, got it.
- Are you quite certain your water level is halfway up the skimmer opening? Did you eyeball it, or measure it some how?
- If something stuck out from that hole, would it impede lifting the skimmer basket out to clean it?
- Next step is to stick a running hose up to the hole and see if and where it comes out in your yard.
- Are you quite certain your water level is halfway up the skimmer opening? Did you eyeball it, or measure it some how?
- If something stuck out from that hole, would it impede lifting the skimmer basket out to clean it?
- Next step is to stick a running hose up to the hole and see if and where it comes out in your yard.
ms,
I can't think of anything that hole would be for other than an overflow or a fill line...
As I said, mine is a fill line... But, in between fills the hole is above the water line and will fill up with junk, bugs, and even small snakes.. Had one stick his head out when I was cleaning the skimmer basket. Scared me to death... I don't care how small it was, it was still a snake...
I now plug mine between fill ups... Just a PVC cap and half an inch of PVC pipe sanded down to fit into the hole. You could do the same thing, and if later you found you wanted the overflow back, you could just remove the plug.
Thanks,
Jim R.
- - - Updated - - -
And yes... I have to remove the plug in order to easily remove the skimmer basket...
I can't think of anything that hole would be for other than an overflow or a fill line...
As I said, mine is a fill line... But, in between fills the hole is above the water line and will fill up with junk, bugs, and even small snakes.. Had one stick his head out when I was cleaning the skimmer basket. Scared me to death... I don't care how small it was, it was still a snake...
I now plug mine between fill ups... Just a PVC cap and half an inch of PVC pipe sanded down to fit into the hole. You could do the same thing, and if later you found you wanted the overflow back, you could just remove the plug.
Thanks,
Jim R.
- - - Updated - - -
And yes... I have to remove the plug in order to easily remove the skimmer basket...
- Nov 12, 2017
- 12,663
- Pool Size
- 12300
- Surface
- Plaster
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Pentair Intellichlor IC-40
I looked all around the house and street. I have no clue where itncould be discharging
- Nov 12, 2017
- 12,663
- Pool Size
- 12300
- Surface
- Plaster
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Pentair Intellichlor IC-40
OK, but it's not shooting back at you, and going somewhere? Perhaps the sewer, or a landscape drain, or gutter/downspout drainage system. It'd be prudent to find out where it goes, or trust the original pool builder ran it somewhere that is OK.
So there was two ways to go about saving your overflow system (assuming you want to), and raising the level of it. But one of them required finding the other end. So down to one:
With some pliers (needle-nose maybe), grab a hold of the sheared-off scrap there and see if you can finish tearing it off. Gently!! You don't want to tear into any more of the skimmer or weaken the joint between the overflow opening and the overflow pipe. If gently prying it back and forth doesn't loosen it off, then switch to a fine hacksaw blade and cut it off, being carefully not to scratch up the skimmer surface. Apply duct tape to protect the skimmer PVC if you have to. You're just cleaning up the overflow opening.
Then find a piece of PVC pipe of an outside diameter that will fit inside the overflow pipe. It can't be loose fitting. You might have to file/sand it down to get it to fit, and fit snuggly. Cut it to length, so that it sticks out from the wall about 3/4" with the pipe snugged into the opening.
Now fit a 90° elbow onto the portion sticking out, and point it up. That will raise your overflow level about 3/4" of an inch. You can then cut a small piece of PVC and slide that into the upward-facing elbow, to extend the overflow level to any height you want. Just enough to keep water from flowing out, and below the level of the bottom of your coping. As water rises in your pool, it will eventually run into the PVC and away from your pool, before it overflows.
As Jim does with his plug, you remove the whole thing to get the basket out.
I would glue only one joint, where the section coming out of the overflow opening goes into the 90° elbow, and nowhere else. That'll give you a good "handle" to pull the thing out when you need to. You want the part going into the opening to be able to come out of the skimmer, so no glue there. And if you don't glue the short vertical piece of pipe into the elbow, you can easily swap it for one of a different length, should you later want to adjust the overflow level.
If you can't find a diameter of PVC to fit the opening, come on back and I'll walk you through another way to go about this.
So there was two ways to go about saving your overflow system (assuming you want to), and raising the level of it. But one of them required finding the other end. So down to one:
With some pliers (needle-nose maybe), grab a hold of the sheared-off scrap there and see if you can finish tearing it off. Gently!! You don't want to tear into any more of the skimmer or weaken the joint between the overflow opening and the overflow pipe. If gently prying it back and forth doesn't loosen it off, then switch to a fine hacksaw blade and cut it off, being carefully not to scratch up the skimmer surface. Apply duct tape to protect the skimmer PVC if you have to. You're just cleaning up the overflow opening.
Then find a piece of PVC pipe of an outside diameter that will fit inside the overflow pipe. It can't be loose fitting. You might have to file/sand it down to get it to fit, and fit snuggly. Cut it to length, so that it sticks out from the wall about 3/4" with the pipe snugged into the opening.
Now fit a 90° elbow onto the portion sticking out, and point it up. That will raise your overflow level about 3/4" of an inch. You can then cut a small piece of PVC and slide that into the upward-facing elbow, to extend the overflow level to any height you want. Just enough to keep water from flowing out, and below the level of the bottom of your coping. As water rises in your pool, it will eventually run into the PVC and away from your pool, before it overflows.
As Jim does with his plug, you remove the whole thing to get the basket out.
I would glue only one joint, where the section coming out of the overflow opening goes into the 90° elbow, and nowhere else. That'll give you a good "handle" to pull the thing out when you need to. You want the part going into the opening to be able to come out of the skimmer, so no glue there. And if you don't glue the short vertical piece of pipe into the elbow, you can easily swap it for one of a different length, should you later want to adjust the overflow level.
If you can't find a diameter of PVC to fit the opening, come on back and I'll walk you through another way to go about this.
- Nov 12, 2017
- 12,663
- Pool Size
- 12300
- Surface
- Plaster
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Pentair Intellichlor IC-40
On second thought, I'll give you an alternate way now...
Do you think you have access, by digging, to the overflow pipe underground? If you can dig up the pipe, here's what'cha do.
Determine the diameter of the pipe, and buy four elbows and a short length of pipe of the same size.
Dig up a few feet of the pipe. Fashion a U out of the new elbows and pipe. The length between the elbows is not critical, but make the length of the U uprights just long enough to attach two more elbows, so that when assembled the elbows touch. Don't glue anything yet.
Cut into the existing overflow pipe and connect up your U shape, upside down. Leave it unglued so that you can see how it works, and so that you can adjust the overflow level.
What you're doing is creating a sort of dam that will keep water from flowing out of your pool until it reaches the overflow level. You adjust the overflow level by lengthening the two vertical pieces of your upside-down U.
You can bury the U, or put one of those round irrigation boxes over it so you can find it to adjust it. If you snug up the pieces, you could get away without ever gluing it. Or if after a season you determine it works well enough, you could glue it up then.
This second method will be more work maybe to dig up the pipe, but it has the advantage of keeping your skimmer clear so that you can get at the basket.
Do you think you have access, by digging, to the overflow pipe underground? If you can dig up the pipe, here's what'cha do.
Determine the diameter of the pipe, and buy four elbows and a short length of pipe of the same size.
Dig up a few feet of the pipe. Fashion a U out of the new elbows and pipe. The length between the elbows is not critical, but make the length of the U uprights just long enough to attach two more elbows, so that when assembled the elbows touch. Don't glue anything yet.
Cut into the existing overflow pipe and connect up your U shape, upside down. Leave it unglued so that you can see how it works, and so that you can adjust the overflow level.
What you're doing is creating a sort of dam that will keep water from flowing out of your pool until it reaches the overflow level. You adjust the overflow level by lengthening the two vertical pieces of your upside-down U.
You can bury the U, or put one of those round irrigation boxes over it so you can find it to adjust it. If you snug up the pieces, you could get away without ever gluing it. Or if after a season you determine it works well enough, you could glue it up then.
This second method will be more work maybe to dig up the pipe, but it has the advantage of keeping your skimmer clear so that you can get at the basket.
ms,
I am not sure of the value of Dirk's idea, as you really don't want you water up above the middle of the skimmer.. and that is exactly why the hole is where it is...
Jim R.
I am not sure of the value of Dirk's idea, as you really don't want you water up above the middle of the skimmer.. and that is exactly why the hole is where it is...
Jim R.
- Nov 12, 2017
- 12,663
- Pool Size
- 12300
- Surface
- Plaster
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Pentair Intellichlor IC-40
ms,
I am not sure of the value of Dirk's idea, as you really don't want you water up above the middle of the skimmer.. and that is exactly why the hole is where it is...
Jim R.
But this is for an overflow event, and the water level an inch or so higher, for the time it takes for the water to evaporate back down, should not be a problem, yes? It's the auto-fill that sets the normal level of the pool, not the overflow. That's how my pool works, anyway... My overflow level is about an inch higher than where the auto-fill stops filling.