I've seen some posts on the Poolskim, and most people seem pleased with it. My concern is this: it seems like it would work in a smaller pool, but less so in a big pool. I have an L-shaped pool, 40 feet long and 24 wide. 30,000 gallons. I have two skimmers, one main drain, and 6 return jets (including two step jets). 2 HP pump. Would a Poolskim work well in a pool of this size? I don't want to get two, at $99 each. Can it really pull in leaves and pollen from 20 or 30 feet away? I can't get any type of circular rotation in my pool, maybe because of the L shape.
Poolskim -- experience in a larger pool
- Thread starter KNIGHTCAP
- Start date
KNIGHTCAP said:
I would think that it would benefit you if you didn't have a skimmer in both parts of the L I could see where this would benefit you in the short arm of the L in you pool...I bet that is where you have the most trouble with stuff not getting caught in the skimmers, I guess it would all depend where your returns are?
My pool is not as large as yours. For the summer I'm using only one Pool Skim so I can run the VF pump more slowing than when using two PSs, needed Fall through when I have the yard crew clean up the leaves and most of the trees stop dropping their spring debris.
I have only four returns. To get enough flow to the one Pool Skim I have closed off the return opposite it. The PS is located on one wall near shallow end. I've positioned one return on opposite wall down in deep end (opposite the one skimmer) to direct the flow diagonally across the pool from deep end to shallow return where PS is. The PS is on the same wall as skimmer with bag and flow pointing towards the deep end and skimmer. What passes the skimmer circles around the deep end and is then propelled across the pool towards the PS. Anything on that side of pool is pulled into the PS pretty fast. A little bit of stuff passes by the PS but with the diagonal flow from across the pool and down in deep end AND the pull from venturi action of PS very little actually makes it down to the skimmer unless it is blown in right at near the skimmer. (which in my case is pretty significant on windy days like today.) The return on middle of shallow end wall is pointed towards the PS. That flow picks up any debris that would ordinarily collect at the side steps between PS and end wall return. I have the returns pointed up somewhat so that there is a ripple affect on water surface but not up nearly as much as they could be positioned. This works quite well. I'm not concerned by circulation as the one main drain is always open and the Polaris runs several times a day so the only dead spot I have in the pool is on the steps which gets churned up all day by the dogs.
I've played around with where the PSs are located and when I need two or only one. Leaves don't float around my pool much time before they are caught by the PS or on some days by the skimmer too. On some windy days I might have to empty the skimmer sock several times a day and it only collects a fraction of what the PS captures. Some of my leaves float longer than others. Some sink pretty readily. The Polaris running for three hours 3X times a 24 hour period takes care of anything that hits the bottom. I've lowered my values a bit and do, now, allow a little debris to collect on the bottom for a few hours between Polaris cycles to cut down on electricity use some. In the past I've frequently run the Polaris 24/7 but that was before using PS so far less stuff makes it to the bottom of pool
So I have one return pushing many leaves about, guessing here, 25-30 ft across the pool even on high wind, variable direction windy days. BTW... the leaves really pack up the the PS bag so it holds much more than it looks like it would. Intermixed with the leaves and other plant debris is doggie hair and lots of dust and bugs that gets compresd between the leaves.The PS bag is kind of sticky/catchy so it does catch a lot of small stuff especially if there is plant debris for it to get caught in.
I have four PS bags. I purchased one PS three years ago (but didn't install it until last fall) and another this winter, and ordered two more bags when the leaves were really coming down, late Oct through end of Dec. They continued to fall through Jan too with much blowing around all winter because I failed to get the lawn crew out to do the final cleanup. One bag is much finer than the other three. I don't know if it was from the older PS or the newer as I didn't pay attention to the weave until I was taking pictures of them. So I don't which bag came with which PS. But the larger weave seems to catch just as well as the smaller. With all the microscopic dust we have blowing into the pool constantly and quickly caught by the PS I would expect to see some of it going through the bag but it doesn't.
I'm currently running VF pump for 2.5 turn overs per day, ~34 gpm, to get enough flow to PS. When I get a chance I'm going to reduce the eye size on one return so I can run the pump more slowly. When I use two PSs I close off one return and put a reducer eyeball on the other return that is < 0.25" to get enough flow to two.
Hope this helps. Making various adjustments until you get it just right certainly pays off. I've said, a few times, "I don't know how I mananged before the PSs." Here's how....... running Polais round the clock sometimes changing out bags several times a day.
And turning off the pump when I couldn't be here to empty the skimmer basket before it totally clogged up.
Have I mentioned lately how much I love my Pool Skims? :lol:
gg=alice
I have only four returns. To get enough flow to the one Pool Skim I have closed off the return opposite it. The PS is located on one wall near shallow end. I've positioned one return on opposite wall down in deep end (opposite the one skimmer) to direct the flow diagonally across the pool from deep end to shallow return where PS is. The PS is on the same wall as skimmer with bag and flow pointing towards the deep end and skimmer. What passes the skimmer circles around the deep end and is then propelled across the pool towards the PS. Anything on that side of pool is pulled into the PS pretty fast. A little bit of stuff passes by the PS but with the diagonal flow from across the pool and down in deep end AND the pull from venturi action of PS very little actually makes it down to the skimmer unless it is blown in right at near the skimmer. (which in my case is pretty significant on windy days like today.) The return on middle of shallow end wall is pointed towards the PS. That flow picks up any debris that would ordinarily collect at the side steps between PS and end wall return. I have the returns pointed up somewhat so that there is a ripple affect on water surface but not up nearly as much as they could be positioned. This works quite well. I'm not concerned by circulation as the one main drain is always open and the Polaris runs several times a day so the only dead spot I have in the pool is on the steps which gets churned up all day by the dogs.
I've played around with where the PSs are located and when I need two or only one. Leaves don't float around my pool much time before they are caught by the PS or on some days by the skimmer too. On some windy days I might have to empty the skimmer sock several times a day and it only collects a fraction of what the PS captures. Some of my leaves float longer than others. Some sink pretty readily. The Polaris running for three hours 3X times a 24 hour period takes care of anything that hits the bottom. I've lowered my values a bit and do, now, allow a little debris to collect on the bottom for a few hours between Polaris cycles to cut down on electricity use some. In the past I've frequently run the Polaris 24/7 but that was before using PS so far less stuff makes it to the bottom of pool
So I have one return pushing many leaves about, guessing here, 25-30 ft across the pool even on high wind, variable direction windy days. BTW... the leaves really pack up the the PS bag so it holds much more than it looks like it would. Intermixed with the leaves and other plant debris is doggie hair and lots of dust and bugs that gets compresd between the leaves.The PS bag is kind of sticky/catchy so it does catch a lot of small stuff especially if there is plant debris for it to get caught in.
I have four PS bags. I purchased one PS three years ago (but didn't install it until last fall) and another this winter, and ordered two more bags when the leaves were really coming down, late Oct through end of Dec. They continued to fall through Jan too with much blowing around all winter because I failed to get the lawn crew out to do the final cleanup. One bag is much finer than the other three. I don't know if it was from the older PS or the newer as I didn't pay attention to the weave until I was taking pictures of them. So I don't which bag came with which PS. But the larger weave seems to catch just as well as the smaller. With all the microscopic dust we have blowing into the pool constantly and quickly caught by the PS I would expect to see some of it going through the bag but it doesn't.
I'm currently running VF pump for 2.5 turn overs per day, ~34 gpm, to get enough flow to PS. When I get a chance I'm going to reduce the eye size on one return so I can run the pump more slowly. When I use two PSs I close off one return and put a reducer eyeball on the other return that is < 0.25" to get enough flow to two.
Hope this helps. Making various adjustments until you get it just right certainly pays off. I've said, a few times, "I don't know how I mananged before the PSs." Here's how....... running Polais round the clock sometimes changing out bags several times a day.
And turning off the pump when I couldn't be here to empty the skimmer basket before it totally clogged up.Have I mentioned lately how much I love my Pool Skims? :lol:
gg=alice
I have a 20 x 40 ft pool and have 1 Pool Skim in the shallow end. I have 5 returns, facing from front to back I have 3 returns spaced apart on right side wall going length of the pool. 2 skimmers on opposite (left side) and I have two returns on both front (shallow end) corners pointing diagonally.
I use my pump on low 99% of the time and makes my skimmers useless. I do not have leaves in my pool only very fine debris floating on top of water. I too have had to turn one return off (right corner) to get enough venturi action out of my PS.
I use a skimmer sock instead of the leaf bag due to no leaves and in 1 day, my PS collects all the debris, bugs and grass clipings into the skimmer sock. I now remove my PS and use it 2-3 days a week and replace with the return jet for better circulation. Another issue with my pool is that the PB put my skimmers on the south side wall and the wind blows S to N and eventhough my PS is on the S side it still has enough force to suck up all the debris.
One issue with my PS is that I have slip joint returns which means me return nozzles do not screw in, they are pushed in and are wedged in place. I had a hard time (also looks awkward) making my PS work with my return lines. Also the PS pipes and connectors are not normal Home Depot/Plumbing supply store sizes. (or at least when I bought it 2 years ago).
I would think if you put 1 PS in your pool you would want to place it either closest to the middle of the "L" or on the side that has the least skimmer action.
I use my pump on low 99% of the time and makes my skimmers useless. I do not have leaves in my pool only very fine debris floating on top of water. I too have had to turn one return off (right corner) to get enough venturi action out of my PS.
I use a skimmer sock instead of the leaf bag due to no leaves and in 1 day, my PS collects all the debris, bugs and grass clipings into the skimmer sock. I now remove my PS and use it 2-3 days a week and replace with the return jet for better circulation. Another issue with my pool is that the PB put my skimmers on the south side wall and the wind blows S to N and eventhough my PS is on the S side it still has enough force to suck up all the debris.
One issue with my PS is that I have slip joint returns which means me return nozzles do not screw in, they are pushed in and are wedged in place. I had a hard time (also looks awkward) making my PS work with my return lines. Also the PS pipes and connectors are not normal Home Depot/Plumbing supply store sizes. (or at least when I bought it 2 years ago).
I would think if you put 1 PS in your pool you would want to place it either closest to the middle of the "L" or on the side that has the least skimmer action.