Pentair Admiral Skimmer Pivot Tab Replacement

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M

mark_d

New member
Mar 20, 2022
2
Nashville, TN
Hey all! New pool owner and have been fighting an endless battle with leaves and critters and tree blossoms on the surface of my pool...well shame on me for not knowing just how important Weir doors are for a properly functioning skimmer 🤦‍♂️

Anywho, ordered replacement Weir doors for my Pentair Admiral skimmer only to find out that the tabs that keep them in place are broken (one in each skimmer, sheesh!)

They sell replacement pivot tabs lots of places (part #85017500) so i know they are intended to be replaced, but the existing tabs in my skimmer appeared glued or cemented in.

I've combed the TFP forums as well as product pages on various retailers websites that sell them and everyone seems to be in my same predicament - how to get the old tabs out!

From this product page:
Q: "One of the pivot tabs on my skimmer has broken. What is the best way of removing the remaining tab base? And what type of glue/adhesive do you recommend to use to attach the new tab?"
A: "The pivot tabs have a hole on the back to fit over a pin that is part of the skimmer body mold so there really is no way to remove the molded pc.. The tab base should not be glued in place & should just slide off of the molded skimmer body pin."

And then from this forum on TFP:
@dbooksta says:
"Well I did find that Pentair sells replacement plastic tabs for this style skimmer (part #85017500). The weird thing is that nobody in their company has any idea how these should be attached to the skimmer inlet body after an original one breaks off. This tab does fit the weir, but it looks like the inlet body would have to be precisely drilled and cut to receive the mini tab, and then some compatible adhesive used. After checking with every tech in their call center the rep I got gave up and suggested "ask a local pool company." Brilliant.."

The above is the last post in a now inactive thread.

Hard for me to tell if my tabs/skimmer was installed wrong, or I'm just not being smart :confused:

I'm at the point where I'm thinking it might be easier to snap the posts off the remaining good tabs and get a spring-loaded hinge style Weir, or maybe even just a floating Weir, but would love to exhaust the avenues for sticking with the originally designed function of these tabs/doors before resorting to that.

Any help would be greatly appreciated!
 
Google "spring loaded skimmer weir." They work well, are easy to install, and save the hassle of trying to make a near-impossible repair. I've used them for over 30 years and have one in my pool because it is easier to install than OEM.
 
Spring loaded do not need any kind of slot. They are friction fit. A pool will filter, but not really skim, without a weir. They also act as a check valve to keep debris in the skimmer box. But yes, there are thousands without them that stay clean.
 
Not true, they are effective at keeping floating debris inside when a pump shuts off or goes to a lower speed. Plenty run very effectively with no weirs, try it in your pool, that debris still stays within the confines of the skimmer.
 
The physics of water flow demand that the weir be in position for the skimmer to create the current that will allow it to actually skim. From the Merriam Webster dictionary: skim b: to remove (a film, a layer of scum, etc.) from the surface of a liquid

A pool will filter through the skimmer box but will "skim" when the weir is in place and forces the water to increase in speed as it allows the surface layer of water to flow over it. With a proper weir in place and the pump running at a high enough speed to cause it to fall toward the skimmer body, watch the water flow. Then, with a pool pole, force the weir to lay flat and notice the speed of the flow decreases as the water is pulled in. Total water flow doesn't change but the ability of the skimmer to catch surface debris diminishes. When the pump slows, or stops, they will rise and act as a barrier to keep debris from floating back into the pool.
 
Appreciate everyone's input - I went ahead and got 2 of the spring loaded variety (Blue Devil), as well as a floating weir to see how that worked (amazing, btw).

Speaking from my own experience, the weir doors are 100% necessary to effectively skim. I moved into this house 5 months ago and knew nothing about pool ownership and bought into the myth that weir doors are optional (even the woman at the pool store tried to talk me out of them when I went to buy the Blue Devil doors).

As I stated at the beginning of my original post, I've been fighting a war of attrition against surface debris and was about to give up and fill the Dang thing in until I saw another thread on this site talking about solar powered surface skimmers when someone said 'does your skimmer have weir doors?' - freaking lightbulb moment.

The first night I had my new spring-loaded weirs installed I ran the pump over night and went out the next morning to a SPOTLESS surface - you can literally see the debris getting sucked into the skimmer by the weir. That was never the case when i was just running my pump w/o the weir doors.

Why do people think they are optional and perpetuate this myth!? I could have saved myself months of heartache.

Anyone who happens upon this thread in the future, do yourself a favor and install weir doors if you don't have them.
 
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