Skimmer not working?

[Redsurprise]

So my new pool bottom seems fine. No debris, but leaves are collecting on the top of pool . Nothing seems to be going into the skimmer basket. Little leaves are especially attracted to the sides of my suction side cleaner . Any ideas why the leaves aren’t going in skimmer basket? Is it normal to have this many leaves on surface like that ?
Photos to show what I mean .

 

[ajw22]

Do you have a weir door in your skimmer?

What is the hose and blue canister in the picture?

 

[Redsurprise]

I’m not sure about the weir door. There seems to be a flap in the skimmer opening. The hose is my aquanaut 250 suction side cleaner (regret not getting pop ups) and the blue thing is a floating chlorine dispenser (tablets were put it at startup by pool company)

 

[wireform]

Let's see some pictures of the equipment pad and the valve positions. Also as @ajw22 ^^^
did you check the weir door? Is is stuck.

 

[Newdude]

A slight breeze will override even the best pool circulation. For those running schedules it can be even worse because if it's breezy for the pump run time, none/little was skimmed and then it all has 12+ hours to get waterlogged and sink. At least when running 24/7, you start skimming again as soon as the breeze stops.

Check the weir doors to ensure they're flapping away as said above.

Verify your valves are set to pull 90%+ from the skimmers if you have main drains also as said above.

Also verify your RPMs are enough to make some movement in the skimmers with the Weir doors bobbing/flapping. It's normal to not see a vortex, so check the doors instead. Mine for example work better at 1200 RPMs than they do at 700. Then I run 1500 because we like the look of the water running more, and the added bonus is the skimmers work great. (When it's not breezy in the wrong direction)

 

[Jimrahbe]

Red,

"Pop-ups" really have nothing to do with floating debris.. They would not have helped your current issue.

How many pool returns *eyeballs" do you have? How are they pointed? I like to position them so that the water in the pool swirls like a giant flushing toilet bowl, but obviously at a much, much slow rate.

Looking at your skimmer, where is your water level? It should be about the middle of skimmer's mouth. The lower the water level, the better it will skim, and the higher the water level, the less it will skim. The middle or slightly lower is a good compromise.

I assume you have a VS pump, is that correct? If so, what kind of pump and what speed is it running? If you have a small pump, or you have a heater, it will have to run much faster to allow the skimmers to work well.

Show us a couple of pics of your equipment pad..

Thanks,

Jim R.

 

[Redsurprise]

Water seems at right spot for the skimmer, less than half way up the opening.
I seem to have only 3 returns. Pump is 1.7 HP Tristan VS pump. I have been running it 8 hours per day. 4 on medium speed (75%) and 4 on high. That is what the pool company set it up as. Medium is from 2-6am and high from 10-2.

Watching these little leaves that litter my pool, they just go right by the skimmer opening and don’t get pulled in. The weir door doesn’t seem stuck but it also doesn’t move much/fluctuate the water inside the skimmer basket seems quiet/not really moving . Nothing much goes into that basket .

Here are photos of the equipment pad . I circled where the returns are they seem to be circulating the water around permitter .

 

[wireform]

Ok so here's your problem You have too much pull coming from your main drain and you need to cut the main drain and leave it only about 10 %open and the picture that I showed you with the red line that's where you going to move the skimmer handle to be on that red line. This way your skimmer is more powerful. Also your vacuum handle should be turned 180° when not being used.

 

[ajw22]

Also, raise your water level up to at least halfway up the skimmer mouth…

 

[Redsurprise]

I had the pool company out who PB has come out to start up pool and do startup chemicals. They said the plumbers forgot to take some seal out which is why nothing was moving in the skimmer. So have to wait until they come out to open what ever is sealed shut. Hopefully that fixes issues. Will add more water and adjust things once that part is fixed .

 

[Jimrahbe]

Red,

Since you have an automation system, you should add an actuator to your vacuum port. This would allow you to shut off the vac port when not in use.

My pump runs 24/7, at 1200 RPM and the cost for me to do that is less than $20 bucks a month.

The longer you run the pump, the better the skimmers will work..

As a test, shut off the main drain and vac port and let it run at 50% speed (you have a small pump) and see if that makes much difference.

Skimmers will never be perfect, but the goal should be to run them where the work the best they can.

Thanks,

Jim R.

 

[wireform]

I had the pool company out who PB has come out to start up pool and do startup chemicals. They said the plumbers forgot to take some seal out which is why nothing was moving in the skimmer. So have to wait until they come out to open what ever is sealed shut. Hopefully that fixes issues. Will add more water and adjust things once that part is fixed .

Perhaps you have a plug in the bottom of the skimmer. I'd recommend turn off your system completely so no pump is running, remove skimmer lid and basket and see if you see the hole in the bottom plugged probably an expandable rubber plug with a wingnut. Loosen the wingnut and pull the plug out.