Skimmer doesn't seem to be working well

[Junior049]

Let me start off by saying I'm still fairly new to pool maintenance. This is our first home with a pool, and while we lived here about 6 months now, I still feel like I have a lot to learn.
I've noticed that the skimmer basket no longer catches much debris. After a windy day (or any day really), I come home from work to a pool littered with floating leaves and other junk, and the top of the water just looks kind of dirty in general. I find myself spending a lot of time skimming manually. The basket does not really seem to catch much debris these days. Here is a summary of the type of pool and equipment:

• IG concrete pool with aquabright eco finish
• 1.5 HP single speed pump
• Hayward C3025 cartridge filter
• Suction side cleaner/vacuum (connected via side port in pool wall) which I normally leave in the pool 24x7 (except if the pool is being used)
  • Cleaner suction seems strong and the cleaner is able to walk up the walls, keeps bottom of pool clean, etc.
• There is a 3-way diverter valve on the suction side labeled Main Drain and Cleaner ( MD+Vacuum.jpg)
  • The Cleaner side seems to be for the side wall port only (best I can tell)
  • The Main Drain side seems to be for the skimmer (best I can tell)
• There is a 3-way diverter on the return side which serves the eyelets and the waterfall.
  • I normally keep the waterfall shut off using the 3-way diverter valve (Return+Waterfall.jpg)

I noticed there are two openings at the bottom of the skimmer (Skimmer bottom.jpg), with what I believe is referred to as a diverter flap. Best I can tell, one opening is a line to the two drains at the bottom of the pool and the other is the suction line back to the pump. Only one of the holes seem to have suction on it anyway. The screw holding the flap was also fairly loose so the flap kind of moved around when the pump was off and I would take the basket in/out, etc.

Here is what I've checked or tried so far, and other relevant information:

• Filter cartridges were thoroughly cleaned last month and the pressure looks normal.
• We have 3 return eyelets and they all seem to have great pressure. They are pointed down toward the bottom of the pool (per the user guide for the Hayward Aquanaut 200 suction cleaner).
• Tried shutting off the side vacuum port that the cleaner is connected to but it didn't seem to increase suction on the port in the bottom of the skimmer.
  • Side note - if I start to close off the Main Drain valve the pump starts to lose its prime. I'm guessing that means the cleaner can't consume enough water to satisfy the pump? I normally keep this valve sitting right in the middle.
• I tried sliding the diverter flap to cover the drain hole (non-suction); didn't really seem to make a difference.
• Tried partially covering the suction hole to try and increase the pull toward the skimmer but it didn't seem like it really changed much

My suspicion at this point, is that maybe there are some leaves/gunk in the suction line from the skimmer to the pump. The skimmer basket and the pump strainer basket seem okay, and are not damaged in any way so I don't think anything large could have made it's way in. Also, a few months ago I installed a leaf trap inline on the hose that connects the suction cleaner to the side wall port. Prior to that, anything it sucked up would have gone straight to the pump strainer basket.

I guess at this point, my questions are as follows:

1. What do you think might be the culprit for poor skimming here?
2. Should that flap stay completely open and not cover either hole during normal operation, or should it be adjusted somehow? Does the screw need to be tightened so that it stays in place where I put it, or does the flap need to move freely?

I was considering purchasing a drain cleaning bladder and starting to try flushing the suction line at the skimmer hole and also by taking apart the 3-way valve there. In addition, I was going to try and check the pump impeller for debris/clogs. I'm definitely open to other suggestions so please let me know if you have any thoughts or recommendations.
Sorry for the long-winded thread; just wanted to try and explain everything in detail and try to find the best solution.

Thanks in advance for any insight!

 

[Jimrahbe]

jr,

Welcome to TFP... a great place to find the answers to all your "Why is my skimmer not working?" questions...

I am also in the Dallas area and I'd say half your problem is it is "just that time of year".. More stuff falls from the sky and the wind will often push it away from your skimmer.

If you have good pressure coming out of your returns, it is unlikely that your skimmer line is clogged.

I would do two things...

1. Turn your eyeballs back up and point them to make the surface of your pool swirl in one direction like a toilet bowl.. The idea is to try and drag as many debris past the skimmer as possible.

2. The next thing I would do is turn off the cleaner unless you are actively using it. By having the cleaner on all the time you are cutting your skimmer input in half. Turn the Main Drain -Cleaner valve so that only the Main Drain is on... (I believe this valve is mislabeled... it should really be Skimmer/Main Drain) I think that little flap allows some water to come from the main drain, but I have no idea how it works..

The other thing to check is the Weir door that is between the skimmer mouth and the skimmer basket... This little door needs to float up and down with the water level... If the door is stuck down or missing the skimmer will not function as well as it should...

Also make sure you keep your water level at about the middle of the skimmer... Too high or Too low a level will also effect how well the skimmer works.

Thanks for posting,

Jim R.

 

[Junior049]

Thanks Jim, this is helpful! And admittedly, a bit embarrassing on my part. It's funny how a mind will sometimes immediately start thinking about worst case scenarios. I mean, I was getting prepared and seeking out knowledge on how to clear a suction line, when I should have been thinking about some of the basics. I sometimes need a reminder to utilize the KISS principle more frequently, lol.

I forgot to mention in my original post that I checked the weir door and it seemed to be able to move freely and working as it should; dropping down when the pump is on and going up when off.
I took your advice on the eyeballs and the valve adjustment. First, I shut off the suction to the cleaner port. That alone seemed to make a noticeable difference. I'm honestly not sure how I didn't notice the change when I tried shutting it off the other evening. Although it was late and I was working in the dark, so....
One difference this time, is that I removed the hose and cleaner completely, which allowed the safety cover on the side suction port to close. When trying to shut that valve off the other night I still had the hose and cleaner connected to the port. I'm guessing having the cover closed helped increase the skimmer line suction that much more?

Next, I turned the eyeballs back up and tried to get them aimed so as to get the water flowing in a circular pattern (as best I could). I ran the pump for a few hours afterward and voila, the skimmer "magically" started working.
Thanks for the tips, I appreciate the help!

That being said, I do have a related question. One of the reasons I had pointed the eyeballs down to begin with is because I read (on multiple sites) that it is better to have them pointed downward to help circulate water below the surface and at the bottom that is typically "neglected". Those recommendations basically said that you don't want the water to ripple. They stated that, by having the eyeballs pointed down, you end up with less evaporation and chemical burn off, and that you also have greater water turnover than having them pointed up. And when I say up, they're not pointed directly up....just more straight with maybe a slight upward angle.

Personally, I prefer to see the water rippling and I think it looks much nicer. It certainly helped my skimmer situation as well. I was pretty disappointed with the appearance of the pool when the eyeballs were pointed downward, not to mention how dirty the surface would get. My question is, now that the eyeballs are pointing up, are there any concerns about having less circulation at the bottom?
Or is this where the suction cleaner comes in, and it's job is to help turnover and circulate the water on the bottom when in use?
Thanks again for all the help!

 

[Jimrahbe]

jr,

Have you ever put milk into coffee... Other than for a few seconds, did the milk just sit in once place or did it tend to make the coffee a uniform color??? I'm not saying that circulation does not matter at all, but for the most part, your pool is like a large coffee pot and if you dump chemicals in at one end, soon they will be the same level everywhere in your pool...

If you are concerned you can always point two eyeballs up and one down. And by up, I mean where you get a very slight ripple, not a geyser..

I am not a fan of water powered cleaners, but they do help circulate the water... I am a Robot kind of guy... I suggest you read this thread... https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=1&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0ahUKEwiiouaZ9aXaAhWNnoMKHYcJA1wQFggnMAA&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.troublefreepool.com%2Fthreads%2F120447-Doheny-s-Discovery-S200-Active20-Triton-owners-club&usg=AOvVaw35cFjdsfGNUS1pItB66-7m

Glad you got your skimmer working... and soon the season of "dead stuff falling into your pool" will be over...

Thanks,

Jim R.

 

[Junior049]

Have you ever put milk into coffee...

Nope, I'm a black coffee kind of guy....
I'm not necessarily concerned, just trying to get informed and wasn't sure if it made a hill of beans one way or the other. That is the challenge with research on the internet. There are widely varying opinions about the "right" and "wrong" way to do everything. In the end, I guess you just have to decide what works best for you and your situation. Thanks again for the help and advice.

PS - apologies for posting this in the wrong forum. I didn't catch that until it was too late. It happens....