Plugging an Aqua Genie return - DIY?

[AngryNick]

This is my first TFP post, my first pool, and my very first winterization. How do you plug an Aqua Genie?

We recently bought a house with a pool/frog pond/snake haven. It's an in-ground, 20x40 rectangular pool with vinyl liner and single Aqua Genie skimmer that the local pool guy was able to gently bring back to crystal clear beauty just in time for about a month of use.

Being as I know pretty much nothing about pool operation, I had him come back and do the closing and put the new cover on. In the process he said he didn't know how anything about the aqua genie skimmer and was confused about how plug it. (Apparently others have a screw in plug, while Aqua Genie has a flat, wide opening for return water.) The water level at closing was brought down below the skimmer, so no water would go back in the lines. He left with with instructions to put a sump pump on the top step to discharge any rain water and keep it below the skimmer. <--this is the part I don't feel good about.

I'm having a hard time with the sump pump plan. The only sump pumps I find have quite a bit of variance in what triggers them and my experience with them is that they are best for, well, sumps.

In researching Aqua Genie winterization, I find that there is a $30 cover that I can order to cover the whole face. But is there a cheap and effective alternative to plugging up that you have used to plug the return? Just looking for any suggestions you may have. Thanks!

(Not really angry, just a nickname I was given a long time ago)

 

[PoolguyinCT]

Really best to purchase & use the proprietary AG product

 

[hottubbrad]

We use a rubber gasket to seal the return fan jet. Take out the 6 screws, remove the summer gasket and insert a winter gasket. We keep them in stock and they are around $20 to our clients. Otherwise, Aqua Genie makes a solid plastic insert that replaces the fan jet. It also uses the 6 screws to attach. There is also a full cover that goes over the entire skimmer. It fastens with a threaded rod going through the mouth of the skimmer to a nut fastener. In Canada, we still use the return gasket with the full cover as a secondary defense. You cannot be too careful when winterizing. We also add some antifreeze after blowing out the lines in addition to a Gizzmo in the threaded hole in the bottom of the skimmer.

 

[PoolguyinCT]

We use a rubber gasket to seal the return fan jet. Take out the 6 screws, remove the summer gasket and insert a winter gasket. We keep them in stock and they are around $20 to our clients. Otherwise, Aqua Genie makes a solid plastic insert that replaces the fan jet. It also uses the 6 screws to attach. There is also a full cover that goes over the entire skimmer. It fastens with a threaded rod going through the mouth of the skimmer to a nut fastener. In Canada, we still use the return gasket with the full cover as a secondary defense. You cannot be too careful when winterizing. We also add some antifreeze after blowing out the lines in addition to a Gizzmo in the threaded hole in the bottom of the skimmer.

That begs the question, how are you pressure testing them? Thanks!