I have a 18'x54 above ground pool and had some questions about not dropping the water level below the skimmer and return if I plug both my return jet and use a Simpooltech Wide Mouth Skimmer Plug\plate. and possibly a gizmo, in the skimmer. Of course I would remove my hoses going to the skimmer and return and blow out as well as all the other equipment as I always do. Is it ok to plug the skimmer and return jet and leave the water level as it is for winter and put on our winter cover ?
Questions about closing pool
- Thread starter David Link
- Start date
That's exactly what I did when I used to have an AGP. I didn't use a Gizmo in the skimmer box because the hose wasn't connected, so no water/ice could build up in there. I just covered the top of the skimmer to keep some water and all debris out. The skimmer was wet inside, but no ice could build up. Water would always drain out of the open bottom, so no freeze issue. We were on well water, and I didn't want to lower the water level in the fall.
I made sure to get the winter cover secured under the top ledge with the red ratcheted cord, and I also used cover clips to keep the cover from flapping in the wind. We had a composite deck around about 1/3 of the pool, and I was able to remove 1 board per section that ran parallel to the pool to get the cover under the deck. Then I would reinstall that board and get a tight fit with the cover. Hopefully, if you have a deck, your boards run parallel and not perpendicular, and you can get the cover under the deck. No water bags on the deck. In the spring, I would always have clear water, just a couple worms found their way in. Just make sure the birds don't use the water on the cover as a bird bath, as they could puncture the cover.
I made sure to get the winter cover secured under the top ledge with the red ratcheted cord, and I also used cover clips to keep the cover from flapping in the wind. We had a composite deck around about 1/3 of the pool, and I was able to remove 1 board per section that ran parallel to the pool to get the cover under the deck. Then I would reinstall that board and get a tight fit with the cover. Hopefully, if you have a deck, your boards run parallel and not perpendicular, and you can get the cover under the deck. No water bags on the deck. In the spring, I would always have clear water, just a couple worms found their way in. Just make sure the birds don't use the water on the cover as a bird bath, as they could puncture the cover.
So SecoSteve you plugged the return and used a slimmer plug\plate and the left the water level where it was.
Hey Dave !! I moved and got an Above ground pool to close this last year. I found the right skimmer plate but even with all the rubber designed for a tight fit, it still leaked. Many online reviews bashed it for the same. I chalked it up to the 17 year old skimmer mouth warping in the sun and no longer being perfectly square, because the plug sure was.
I used it anyway and used a rubber stopper on the skimmer pipe/ outlet. Then I cut a pool noodle in pieces as tall as the skimmer and shoved them all in there and covered the top. In the spring it was full of water around the noodles but it was the 1/4 gap between them and couldn’t have expanded to do any damage.
There is an expert Zoom meeting this Saturday. Check it out or watch the replays for great tips from the pros.
www.troublefreepool.com
I used it anyway and used a rubber stopper on the skimmer pipe/ outlet. Then I cut a pool noodle in pieces as tall as the skimmer and shoved them all in there and covered the top. In the spring it was full of water around the noodles but it was the 1/4 gap between them and couldn’t have expanded to do any damage.
There is an expert Zoom meeting this Saturday. Check it out or watch the replays for great tips from the pros.
TFP Expert Discussion - Winterizing Your Pool
Come join us Saturday, August 28, 2021 at 11 am EDT/8 am PDT. Catanzaro (aka Dominic), bmoreswim (aka Kurt), jseyfert3 (aka Jonathan) and ajw22 (aka Allen) will be joining us for a discussion about Winterizing your Pool.
www.troublefreepool.com
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Yes, although the skimmer lid I used was the "tupperware" lid type that was designed with my skimmer, not an aftermarket skimmer plug like Dude mentioned. Hopefully, your skimmer has the lid that just snaps on.
