Skimmer cover

[Aquaman7]

Hello,
Last year when my pool was winterized the water was lowered to beneath the returns, however because of all the rain fall the water level increase to the skimmers and partially filled them.
Is there something that is sold to prevent water from entering the skimmer during winterization?

thanks

 

[ajw22]

The last 2 years I have needed to drop a submersible pump into my pool in January and February and drain water out due to all the rain we got in NJ. You should be prepared to drain water out in the winter if it is a wet winter.

Filling the skimmer box with cut up foam or pool noodles will provide space for ice to expand and prevent damage.

I have seen plugs that try to seal the skimmer mouth but they are unreliable and can leak.

 

[Newdude]

have seen plugs that try to seal the skimmer mouth but they are unreliable and can leak

+1. I tried on this year. The online reviews were terrible. It relied on a thick rubber gasket to seal the skimmer on the inside of the mouth. I can only guess that my 17 year old skimmer had warped in the sun and was no longer square. The plate sure was. It was as tight as could be but still leaked drips in the corners.

I filled the skimmer with pool noodle pieces and the little bit of water around them had no strength as a whole. That’s your concern, that the block of ice in the pool has 6 inches + in the skimmer and when the block of ice shifts it takes the skimmer with it and buckles the wall. Having next to no contact in the skimmer my block of pool ice broke free and left the skimmer in place.

 

[Aquaman7]

Aj good idea with the pump.
Newdude sounds like you were a few freezing nights from having a solid piece of ice in your pool and skimmer.
Last year I poured a 1/2 gallon of anti freeze in both skimmers. That helped as there was no ice build up but water still got into the skimmer.

 

[Newdude]

Newdude sounds like you were a few freezing nights from having a solid piece of ice in your pool and skimmer

It was a foot thick for about 3 weeks. Which is where the damage comes from if it shifts and has a good hold of the skimmer.

The pool noodles took the win for sure.

This year I should be back to a cement inground wall that’s a ton stronger than the above ground wall, but I’ll still load it with noods just because.

 

[Eauclaire]

After depressing the flap in the skimmer mouth, I add pieces of noodles there, as well as in the skimmer body. I also use a submersible pump to keep the water level below the returns, and skimmer mouth until the pool freezes in early November.

 

[ajw22]

I also use a submersible pump to keep the water level below the returns, and skimmer mouth until the pool freezes in early November.

Be careful leaving a submersible pump sitting on the pool surface. Some will begin rusting on the bottom and stain the pool.

 

[Kiss4aFrog]

When still in Wisconsin, after I blew out the lines and added some antifreeze down the skimmers into the lines I used a "Gizzmo" in the skimmers. As an extra precaution I'd take the gallon antifreeze bottle and crush it just enough to fit into the skimmer with the pour end down between the wall of the skimmer and body of the Gizzmo. It's free and cheap insurance as the bottle is going to crush before even the Gizzmo does.
Chunks of noodle sounds good too.
.

 

[Eauclaire]

Be careful leaving a submersible pump sitting on the pool surface. Some will begin rusting on the bottom and stain the pool.

Good point, I remove it from the pool immediately after using it. My pool is icebound from the first week of November until mid-May, ice thickness is 8-10 inches by late winter, and we receive 3.5 meters of snow, so not even a cover is left on the pool.

 

[Aquaman7]

When still in Wisconsin, after I blew out the lines and added some antifreeze down the skimmers into the lines I used a "Gizzmo" in the skimmers. As an extra precaution I'd take the gallon antifreeze bottle and crush it just enough to fit into the skimmer with the pour end down between the wall of the skimmer and body of the Gizzmo. It's free and cheap insurance as the bottle is going to crush before even the Gizzmo does.
Chunks of noodle sounds good too.

I also use the gizmo but on the box it says one time use. Is this true?

 

[Newdude]

I also use the gizmo but on the box it says one time use. Is this true?

I used mine for 8 winters and they were going strong when we moved. They were still holding air, ironically not that they needed to, just proving what great shape they were in after being frozen many times.

 

[Aquaman7]

I used mine for 8 winters and they were going strong when we moved. They were still holding air, ironically not that they needed to, just proving what great shape they were in after being frozen many times.

Yes. It didn’t make any sense that they would have to replaced every year. There nothing to them.