Thru-Wall Skimmer Basket on Intex Easy Set Pool

[mailmanx]

Has anyone done this - successfully?

I installed the typical Intex floating basket skimmer. It has great potential, EXCEPT: It doesn't work while the kids are swimming because it gets knocked all to heck and the basket comes out. I know that the instructions say not to use it while swimming, but I wanted to see the result. Now I know.

The kids swim off and on all day. That leaves the night available EXCEPT: I always have a solar cover on the pool at night. Also, my overly-sensitive neighbor doesn't want to hear the pump on at night. My bedroom is closer to the pump than his and I can't even hear it when on. Go figure.

Therefore, I either have to avoid using a skimmer at all, or figure out some hack for a smallish thru-wall skimmer. I know that will be a challenge both because there is no doubler in the pool wall for that purpose and because the wall is not stiff enough to support the weight of an external skimmer.

If you have successfully done a hack like this, I'd love to hear how you did it. Pictures would be awesome. If nobody responds to this, then I may just experiment with it myself and post back here with my results. I figure I'll do the following:

1. Use extra vinyl pieces with vinyl adhesive to create inner and outer doublers.
2. Buy the smallest wall-skimmer I can find.
3. Install the skimmer through the new doubler and sandwich the gasket on both sides with a helping of vinyl adhesive that will squish down and squeeze out.
4. Install a pvc support up from the ground on the outside to support the skimmer without making it TOO rigid.
5. My system is hard plumbed, so I can connect a hose from the bottom of the skimmer into the pvc on the outside.

Your thoughts on this? I'd appreciate any advice you have!

 

[Pv2]

lots of us have done it - it is quite easy once you get over the instinct to not cut holes in your pool. LOL

look at the pinned thread for intex owners at the top of this forum. some older posts don't have pix available anymore but there are plenty of tips and instructions.

you don't need to do any of that extra stuff - no glue, just get a skimmer and use the gasket that comes with it. pre-screw the faceplate to the box or at least drill it out a little - the screws are super tight and hard to do over the top rail, even hard if you are doing it inside the pool. no support needed, you can hard plumb or use hose, these pools are tough.

 

[NJSwimmom]

lots of us have done it - it is quite easy once you get over the instinct to not cut holes in your pool. LOL

look at the pinned thread for intex owners at the top of this forum. some older posts don't have pix available anymore but there are plenty of tips and instructions.

you don't need to do any of that extra stuff - no glue, just get a skimmer and use the gasket that comes with it. pre-screw the faceplate to the box or at least drill it out a little - the screws are super tight and hard to do over the top rail, even hard if you are doing it inside the pool. no support needed, you can hard plumb or use hose, these pools are tough.

I’m also looking to add a thru the wall skimmer, and setting up my 12 x 24 Intex Ultra today/ tomorrow. Is it much easier to install/ cut the thru the wall skimmer before I add water to the pool? I don’t mind draining some of the water after the pool is filled but I’m wondering if it’s technically more difficult to install the skimmer with water in the pool? Also is there a specific skimmer model that would be recommended/ required for through the wall on an Intex pool?

 

[kne]

lots of us have done it - it is quite easy once you get over the instinct to not cut holes in your pool. LOL

look at the pinned thread for intex owners at the top of this forum. some older posts don't have pix available anymore but there are plenty of tips and instructions.

you don't need to do any of that extra stuff - no glue, just get a skimmer and use the gasket that comes with it. pre-screw the faceplate to the box or at least drill it out a little - the screws are super tight and hard to do over the top rail, even hard if you are doing it inside the pool. no support needed, you can hard plumb or use hose, these pools are tough.

OP has an Easy Set pool, the type with the inflatable ring around the top, not a metal frame if I'm not mistaken. I don't think I have ever seen a thread about installing a through the wall skimmer on one of those pools.

 

[Pv2]

I’m also looking to add a thru the wall skimmer, and setting up my 12 x 24 Intex Ultra today/ tomorrow. Is it much easier to install/ cut the thru the wall skimmer before I add water to the pool? I don’t mind draining some of the water after the pool is filled but I’m wondering if it’s technically more difficult to install the skimmer with water in the pool? Also is there a specific skimmer model that would be recommended/ required for through the wall on an Intex pool?

if the water isn't too cold it is easiest to do it when the water is just below where you are going to cut, but I know there have been people who installed before filling too.

 

[Pv2]

OP has an Easy Set pool, the type with the inflatable ring around the top, not a metal frame if I'm not mistaken. I don't think I have ever seen a thread about installing a through the wall skimmer on one of those pools.

ah, yeah that might make hard plumbing a little more challenging, but I am sure there has been at least one big easy set with one. I think it might have been in a landscaping thread. it was quite a nice set up with dark gravel or mulch around it.

one would want to be extra careful to not stab the inflated ring when cutting the hole.

 

[uglymug]

I read online where someone put a good size rock in the skimmer basket to keep it from floating out. Maybe that's a quick fix? I like the idea of these intex AGP skimmers and have thought about getting an additional 1000GPH pump to add one to our pool.

 

[mailmanx]

I read online where someone put a good size rock in the skimmer basket to keep it from floating out. Maybe that's a quick fix? I like the idea of these intex AGP skimmers and have thought about getting an additional 1000GPH pump to add one to our pool.

I thought this sounded like a great idea until I tried it. Turns out that the part of this skimmer that floats up and stays "just" under the surface has no bottom. It's the part that lifts up out of the casing and floats away when the kids are making waves. That leaves the bottom part of the skimmer in the pool where it pulls in water for filtration, but it does not skim.

ah, yeah that might make hard plumbing a little more challenging, but I am sure there has been at least one big easy set with one. I think it might have been in a landscaping thread. it was quite a nice set up with dark gravel or mulch around it. one would want to be extra careful to not stab the inflated ring when cutting the hole.

Correct, I have the pool with the inflatable ring. I have not found the thread yet with an Easy Set pool using a wall skimmer, but I'll keep looking. Today, I emptied the pump basket and was amazed at how much junk was in it, including plenty of hair from my girls. Therefore, I really need to get a working skimmer. Hard plumbing is not an issue. I already have it hard plumbed with 2" PVC to a large pump and filter. I was just afraid that cutting a square (or rectangular) hole without doublers would cause a problem with corners trying to tear out. If I cannot find info from someone else trying it, I may just take on the role of guinea pig and report back on the job.

 

[LFrankow]

On an easy set pool installing a sidewall skimmer will cost you at least 6" of depth, the ring doesn't hold up the walls so much as adds depth. I have had easy sets in the past and they will hold water up to the top of the sidewall without the ring being inflated.

 

[mailmanx]

That is an excellent point that I had not thought of. I'll ponder that for a bit and decide if that's worth it to me. THANKS!

 

[scout123]

I’m also looking to add a thru the wall skimmer, and setting up my 12 x 24 Intex Ultra today/ tomorrow. Is it much easier to install/ cut the thru the wall skimmer before I add water to the pool? I don’t mind draining some of the water after the pool is filled but I’m wondering if it’s technically more difficult to install the skimmer with water in the pool? Also is there a specific skimmer model that would be recommended/ required for through the wall on an Intex pool?

You want the water to be just below where you'll be cutting the hole. The water in the pool will stretch out the liner so you'll want to make your cut after you put water in your pool.

 

[mailmanx]

I have decided NOT to get a thru-wall skimmer. My girls love it when I have the water as deep as possible, like a couple inches up the ring. I am currently researching options to either buy or make a "floating" skimmer that will attach to one of the intakes with a few feet of flexible hose and just bob around in rough waters without being upset. I'm also considering, as some suggested, to secure the Intex skimmer so that it doesn't move around as much, but the idea of a floating skimmer currently has my curiosity piqued.

 

[barlidge]

I did mine back in 2012 and the pool was in use until 2018, didn't use it last year as moving house but will be setting it up again in the next couple of weeks, as you can see in this pic you dont have to lose water level by having a through wall.

Through Wall Skimmer on Rectangular Intex Ultra Frame UPDATE

Hi everyone, can I first just say what a great forum this is, loads of good info and mods on here and everyone seems very hepfull. Having searched the site I've seen quite a few through wall skimmers have been fitted to round pools and am wondering if anyone has fitted one to a rectangle one...

www.troublefreepool.com

 

[mailmanx]

Doing a thru-wall skimmer on an Easy Set pool with the inflatable top ring would affect waterline height more than it does on a "supported wall" above ground pool.

 

[zea3]

You could run the skimmer first thing in the morning for a couple of hours. If you know what time the neighbor gets up for work get a timer and set the pump to come on about 15 minutes later and let it run a couple of hours. That can be the time when you test and add your chlorine and the kids can swim the rest of the day.

 

[mailmanx]

That's a definite possibility. Thanks!

 

[barlidge]

Doing a thru-wall skimmer on an Easy Set pool with the inflatable top ring would affect waterline height more than it does on a "supported wall" above ground pool.

Yes, sorry I missed the easy set bit.