Skimmer Use Gizmo or not?

[tpirovol]

Hi Everyone,

Last year I bought a gizmo and used it without disconnecting the hose and it worked great. This year I hired a new company and they told me not to use the gizmo and just leave the quick disconnect, disconnected and let the water come out of the skimmer box. We live in Canada so I drained down 6" below the return and plugged the return.

What should I do as leaving the hose disconnected and the gizmo installed is pointless.

 

[Mdragger88]

Just Leave it out -

 

[Pool_Medic]

Plug the hole in the bottom of skimmer. Stuff the body and mouth of your skimmer with cut up pool noodles. The majority of damage to AG skimmer occur when the skimmer gets full of ice and this weight causes a bend in the wall just below where the skimmer is cut out.

 

[Mdragger88]

I pump water off my cover throughout the winter so there’s never any water displaced in the skimmer. If it does happen to get in there & it’s open on the bottom it will drain out. There is no need for the gizmo.

 

[Pool_Medic]

That drain hole at the bottom of skimmer should be plugged because that water that escapes can and will undermine the substrate directly under where the skimmer is.

 

[phonedave]

Plug the hole in the bottom of skimmer. Stuff the body and mouth of your skimmer with cut up pool noodles. The majority of damage to AG skimmer occur when the skimmer gets full of ice and this weight causes a bend in the wall just below where the skimmer is cut out.

During the season my skimmer is filled with water, and does not pull off the pool. Ice is less dense than water. If my skimmer was full of ice, it would weigh less than it does when it is full of water.

Also, my skimmer is supported by the hard pipe that comes out of it. I realize that not everyone has this situation, but my skimmer is not going anywhere, nor it it exerting any pressure on my pool wall.

 

[Mdragger88]

During the season my skimmer is filled with water, and does not pull off the pool. Ice is less dense than water. If my skimmer was full of ice, it would weigh less than it does when it is full of water.

Also, my skimmer is supported by the hard pipe that comes out of it. I realize that not everyone has this situation, but my skimmer is not going anywhere, nor it it exerting any pressure on my pool wall.

Its not the weight of the ice vs water it’s that water expands as it becomes ice & this can/will crack the skimmer. The foam or a gizmo etc compresses when the ice expands vs a skimmer full of water. The same principle as a pool pillow to keep pressure off the walls when the pool turns to ice.

 

[phonedave]

Its not the weight of the ice vs water it’s that water expands as it becomes ice & this can/will crack the skimmer. The foam or a gizmo etc compresses when the ice expands vs a skimmer full of water. The same principle as a pool pillow to keep pressure off the walls when the pool turns to ice.

To quote you (emphasis mine) "The majority of damage to AG skimmer occur when the skimmer gets full of ice and this weight causes a bend in the wall just below where the skimmer is cut out."

I agree 100% that using something to absorb the expansion of the ice (gizmo, a hunk of noodle, a water bottle with some pebbles in it) is needed if you do not leave your skimmer open to drain, but you clearly said the weight of the ice pulls the skimmer down causing a bend in the wall - nothing about expansion or cracking of the skimmer housing.