Pool Float Valve Keeps Valve (Mushroom Diverter) keeps shutting skimmer off

[PoolOwnerSJ]

Hello; first time poster.
My pool skimmer float valve keeps shutting the skimmer off after a few minutes of the pump running; the pool pump skimmer basket is full and the cartridge filter does not seem to have any air in it either. I tried cleaning out the lines with a garden hose, but this keeps happening. I tried raising the water level so it is over the middle of the skimmer weir, but does not seem to help. For now, I have removed the valve, so the skimmer is operable, but I would like to get the problem solved and put back the valve, so I do not burn my pump if the water gets below the skimmer line. Thanks in advance.

 

[jblizzle]

Did the float portion fill with water so it will not stay up and keep the skimmer open?

 

[Jimrahbe]

po,

How old is your pool?

Was it working before, and now it does not, or is this something that you just installed???

Have you every had the water drop below the skimmer? If so, how long does that take?

The water level should be right about the middle of the skimmer mouth or weir door.

Thanks,

Jim R.

 

[PoolOwnerSJ]

po,

How old is your pool?

Was it working before, and now it does not, or is this something that you just installed???

Have you every had the water drop below the skimmer? If so, how long does that take?

The water level should be right about the middle of the skimmer mouth or weir door.

Thanks,

Jim R.

Pool is about 15-20 yrs old; yes, it was working fine- never had a problem with it before; I have never let the water go below the skimmer and tried to maintain it in the middle of the weir door year round.
I let the pool kind of go this winter, because there was a lot of rain and leaves, though I kept the pump running. When I finally got to get the pool ready for use about 6 weeks back, I had a hard time getting it from green to clear despite multiple shocks and chlorine dumps. Because the pump was always full, I did not notice that the skimmer was not really pulling water. It was by accident that I noticed that the skimmer was not actually moving the water. Once I noticed the float valve was locking down, I removed it and got the pool back to normal. But I really want to get the float back in to avoid accidentally burning my pump.
Thx in advance.

 

[PoolOwnerSJ]

Did the float portion fill with water so it will not stay up and keep the skimmer open?

Yes; the skimmer fills with water; I only noticed this because I saw the water not swirling into the skimmer and felt under the float valve; I then turned the pump off and on and noticed that after a few mins of running, the float valve would lock down (which it is only supposed to do when there is no water in the skimmer) and water would stop flowing through the skimmer. I tried swapping the float with another float- that did not fix the issue- so not a faulty float. This is driving me nuts...

 

[Juliendm]

Yes; the skimmer fills with water; I only noticed this because I saw the water not swirling into the skimmer and felt under the float valve; I then turned the pump off and on and noticed that after a few mins of running, the float valve would lock down (which it is only supposed to do when there is no water in the skimmer) and water would stop flowing through the skimmer. I tried swapping the float with another float- that did not fix the issue- so not a faulty float. This is driving me nuts...

Hi there, did you find a solution to that issue ? Experiencng the same thing and figured removing the float completely fixed the problem. Just wondering what solution you found so I can try it. Thanks !