The River Birch trees next to our pool are dumping leaves earlier than usual this year and I’m having to empty out the only skimmer basket at least 3-4 times a day, even if it isn’t windy. I’m tired of having to babysit the pool on windy days and was thinking about either running the pump 10 hours a day with the skimmer off or installing a skimmer guard to keep leaves out of the skimmer so I don’t have to worry about the skimmer clogging and damaging the pump. The problem I have with the skimmer guard is that I assume that it isn’t easy to attach it and remove it each time I want to use it. I would only want to use when I leave town or won’t be around to dump the skimmer basket out on a windy day so it needs to be easy to attach and remove. Turning the skimmer off seems like an easier solution but I’m concerned that running the pump through the main drain only for long periods of time could be potentially harmful to my older fiberglass pool. I also worry that the skimmer would end up clogging anyway as the leaves collect near the entrance of the skimmer or travel into the skimmer basket. I’d like to hear from people who have used a skimmer guard or ran their pump with the skimmer off in the fall to see if my concerns are justified. I’d like to go ahead and close the pool so I don’t have to deal with these nightmare leaves any more but the highs are is still in the lower 80s here.
Turn off skimmer or install a skimmer guard to help with nightmare leaves
- Thread starter poolnewbie4
- Start date
- Jul 21, 2013
- 65,729
- Pool Size
- 35000
- Surface
- Plaster
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Pentair Intellichlor IC-60
Have you tried running your pump with only your Main Drain to confirm it can provide sufficient water to your pump? Some MDs cannot carry the load alone.
If you do run with your MD alone you will still end up with a mess of leaves on the surface of your pool and probably a bunch sinking to the bottom and staining your pool from its tannin oils. At least with getting the leaves into the skimmer basket you minimize the leaves that sink to the bottom.
What Skimmer Guard are you considering?
www.troublefreepool.com
If you do run with your MD alone you will still end up with a mess of leaves on the surface of your pool and probably a bunch sinking to the bottom and staining your pool from its tannin oils. At least with getting the leaves into the skimmer basket you minimize the leaves that sink to the bottom.
What Skimmer Guard are you considering?
Skimmer Guards - Further Reading
www.troublefreepool.com
+1. I often went 50/50 for starving the pump concerns at the old place and what didn't go to the skimmers was leaf tea on the bottom. Sometimes the main drains were covered instead.
It was still worth it at times, but something to consider.
- Mar 5, 2020
- 3,221
- Pool Size
- 66000
- Surface
- Plaster
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Astral Viron V35
I have built the "Skimmer Leaf Trap" that is mentioned in the article that Allen linked to. Instead of the net from the instructions I used plastic gutter guards tied with cable ties to the PVC-tube frame.
I originally built it to stop ducklings from getting sucked into the skimmer, but now I also use it when going away for a couple of days so I don't have to worry about the skimmer basket overfilling.
Works great. But a bit clunky and needs a storage location when not in use where it's not in the way. When using it, I just tie to the nearby pool fence, instead of using a brick as mentioned in the instructions.
The gutter guard mesh is fine enough to stop pretty much every leaf, but course enough to not get clogged up by finer particles. The customised PVC-tube frame lets it sit really close to the skimmer opening, so not many leaves get past.
When away, I don't put a sock in the skimmer basket, so that small stuff (like birch seeds) go through to the filter rather than getting stuck in the skimmer basket.
I originally built it to stop ducklings from getting sucked into the skimmer, but now I also use it when going away for a couple of days so I don't have to worry about the skimmer basket overfilling.
Works great. But a bit clunky and needs a storage location when not in use where it's not in the way. When using it, I just tie to the nearby pool fence, instead of using a brick as mentioned in the instructions.
The gutter guard mesh is fine enough to stop pretty much every leaf, but course enough to not get clogged up by finer particles. The customised PVC-tube frame lets it sit really close to the skimmer opening, so not many leaves get past.
When away, I don't put a sock in the skimmer basket, so that small stuff (like birch seeds) go through to the filter rather than getting stuck in the skimmer basket.
- Mar 5, 2020
- 3,221
- Pool Size
- 66000
- Surface
- Plaster
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Astral Viron V35
Another thing that I do when away for longer with no-one having an eye on the skimmer basket: I remove the skimmer weir door. Then the skimmer doesn't skim in the first place, and leaves don't accumulate as much in front of the skimmer guard.
I just posted another design for a DIY skimmer guard. I think it should be easy to attach and detach.
www.troublefreepool.com
And speaking of nightmare leaves............at least one of my trees has iron in the leaves, so I get both iron and tannin staining. The chlorine (slowly) takes care of the tannin, but I have to blast the iron stains with Jack's Magic Blue Stuff.
Simple DIY Skimmer Guard To Keep Leaves, Seed Pods & Other Floating Debris Out Of Skimmers
We don't close our pool, so I use these in Fall and Spring. In addition to being much less expensive than the commercially available skimmer guard, the mesh is much finer and keeps small seed pods, catkins, etc. out of the skimmers. Materials List (per skimmer): Collapsible (or Expandable)...
www.troublefreepool.com
And speaking of nightmare leaves............at least one of my trees has iron in the leaves, so I get both iron and tannin staining. The chlorine (slowly) takes care of the tannin, but I have to blast the iron stains with Jack's Magic Blue Stuff.