I don't know if anyone else will find this helpful, but on the last two pools built on our last two houses, I noticed the builder installed a (temporary) hose bib in the pool pad plumbing just after the pump, about waist high, for leak testing the system. In both cases I asked them to leave it installed as it would be a good place to pull water samples in my test bottle and it makes me go eyeball and service the equipment when I am over there. It's been my solution for the last 25 years or so. No bending, nothing gets wet. I have a kid fence around the pool and it keeps the door closed there too.
If you are in the process of building a pool, it's free.
Thanks so much to the people suggesting using hairnets in the skimmer. I cannot believe the crud those things collected! We have a major amount of carpenter ants, and their bodies are perfectly sized to get stuck in my skimmer basket, making me sit there and poke them all through in order to get the thing clean. It would take me 5-6 minutes just to clean the skimmer! Now it takes me about 30 seconds to replace the hairnet with a new one. Not to mention all the pollen it collects, and other junk that would have certainly caused me to do major backwashing. Such a simple but effective tip!
Any chance you can re-post these picture please?
I'd like to see how the hairnets are installed.
Can you snap a pic so i can have a visual idea? Thx
Here is something similar to what I purchased last year. I bought mine from eBay because they were a little cheaper but they are no longer available from the same seller. Search for 21" disposable polypropylene hair net.
Disposable Hair Net, Spun-Bonded Polypropylene, White, 100 per Bag https://www.amazon.com/dp/B002XK2FS0/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_oT.pBbAGA3DT8
Can you snap a pic so i can have a visual idea? Thx
I like to see a repost as well. Thx
Here ya go. I just snapped this pic just now. We’ve had some strong winds yesterday and today, and this is what was in it. The rock is used to weigh down the basket so it doesn’t float up to the surface of the skimmer. Just make sure the rock is larger then the diameter of the pipe at the bottom of your skimmer in case you drop it by accident.
And these are the exact hair nets you see in the picture. https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B0725HRKWK?psc=1&ref=yo_pop_mb_pd_title
Here ya go. I just snapped this pic just now. We’ve had some strong winds yesterday and today, and this is what was in it. The rock is used to weigh down the basket so it doesn’t float up to the surface of the skimmer. Just make sure the rock is larger then the diameter of the pipe at the bottom of your skimmer in case you drop it by accident.
And these are the exact hair nets you see in the picture. https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B0725HRKWK?psc=1&ref=yo_pop_mb_pd_title
I keep a long handled aquarium dip net lying on top of my skimmer cover. I found it is much easier to swirl the net inside the skimmer to remove debris than bending down to remove the entire basket. Added bonus - since the dip net makes it so easy to clean, the skimmer it gets cleaned several times a day.