After several occasions of discovering my skimmer basket floating sideways in the skimmer, even though it is weighted, I recently purchased a metal grate to place at the bottom of my skimmer to stop potential large objects from entering the pump. I notice on the packaging of this grate (it is called a "Basket Buddy") it claims to also act as an aluminum anode protecting from corrosion. I have no need for the corrosion protection but I'm wondering if this will result in undesirable metals in solution in my pool water. Should I avoid this?
Potential metals in water
- Thread starter MBPooldiy
- Start date
- Feb 6, 2015
- 7,855
- Pool Size
- 12300
- Surface
- Plaster
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- CircuPool RJ-45 Plus
I believe an anode (of any type) would need to be connected to the bonding grid to be effective.
In PHX, if you keep your water properly balanced to TFP recommendations, you shouldn't have to worry about corrosion.
In PHX, if you keep your water properly balanced to TFP recommendations, you shouldn't have to worry about corrosion.
Not worried about corrosion but just concerned that if I use the aluminum grate in my pool skimmer might that end up adding dissolved metals to my water. The reason I want to use the grate is to prevent some larger object (like a frog or snake) from entering my pool plumbing in the event the skimmer basket has floated out of place or I miss it when removing the basket to clean it.
- Jun 22, 2014
- 52,078
- Pool Size
- 17888
- Surface
- Fiberglass
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- CircuPool RJ-45 Plus
Some people will just use the typical skimmer sock fabric in the skimmer to catch the finer debris, then place a weight in the skimmer to hold it down when the pump is off.
- Feb 6, 2015
- 7,855
- Pool Size
- 12300
- Surface
- Plaster
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- CircuPool RJ-45 Plus
Amazon lists a plastic one if you're concerned about the aluminum.
Where in the valley do you live that you're concerned about snakes in your pool?
- May 23, 2015
- 25,740
- Pool Size
- 16000
- Surface
- Plaster
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Pentair Intellichlor IC-60
Put a rock in your skimmer basket, one about the size of a handball. Your basket will never float.
So actually I did try adding a rock, but with the sock it still floated, the sock turned inside out displacing the rock and when the pump turned on the basket was pulled down sideways making a mess in the skimmer. I did not want to try a bigger rock because it would have filled the skimmer basket and I was concerned that once any debris was collected it would block the flow. (I only have 1 small skimmer and lots of leaves during parts of the year).
Since posting this I actually did find something that has been working for me. There are handles that mount to the bottom of the basket, that stick up above the skimmer basket far enough that the skimmer cover stops the basket from floating completely out of the skimmer to where it can flip over. It is also convenient for removing the basket without having to get my hand too close to all the bugs and yuck. Got one of each of these and 2 baskets so I can quickly just switch them. After the switch I can then deal with cleaning out the second basket any time before the next swap. I sometimes find it easier to clean the basket after it has a chance to dry out.
- May 23, 2015
- 25,740
- Pool Size
- 16000
- Surface
- Plaster
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Pentair Intellichlor IC-60
You put the rock in the basket first and then skimmer sock over the basket and rock. There’s no need to use a skimmer sock anyway, they are over priced and clog up too easily. You can get a 100 pack of spun polypropylene hairnets on Amazon for about $10. They work better than skimmer socks and you just toss the whole thing in the trash after it fills up.
- May 3, 2014
- 62,744
- Pool Size
- 6000
- Surface
- Fiberglass
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Pentair Intellichlor IC-40
I use hairnets in the skimmer basket. My basket has never floated up. What causes that?
- May 23, 2015
- 25,740
- Pool Size
- 16000
- Surface
- Plaster
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Pentair Intellichlor IC-60
Depends on the type of plastic used to make the skimmer basket. It has to be more dense than water to overcome the buoyancy force or weighted enough to keep it down. My skimmer basket, even with the steel rod handle, isn’t heavy enough to stay down. So it will float when the pump is off if there isn’t a rock in it.