What if the water level in my pool gets too high? Do the skimmers not work?

[Clyde]

Hello. Here in lovely Connecticut, we are experiencing the worst weather ever. It is cold and rainy every day (for the past few months).

My pool has been open 3 weeks. The pool guy set the water level at the proper height (a little less than halfway up the skimmer). With all of the rain, the water level is about 3/4 of the way up the skimmer.

What happens when the level of water is not at the ideal height? Do the skimmers not work at all, or are just not as effective? I really don't want to drain the water because we are having a raging pool party on Friday (weather forecast calls for nighttime temps of 55*, so the heater must be used), and I assume we will have splash out, and then next week the sun will finally arrive for a few days, before it starts to rain again mid-next week for the next several days.

Comments? Thanks

 

[pabeader]

As long as the surface of the pool is getting clean you are good. If the water gets too high, it only really effects the surface 'skimming' ability

 

[Richard320]

If the water gets so high that there's no air space above the skimmer weir, it won't skim. If it gets up to the coping, water could work its way behind things and cause problems in the distant future. Beyond that, no problem.

 

[Pool Tool]

Yes, you are right. With water up to but still under the top of the skimmer, everything will work as normal except that skimming efficiency will be reduced. You have probably noticed the weir door on your skimmer, that little flap that goes up and down at the mouth of the skimmer. That works with the skimmer to suck water from above the weir only into the skimmer or from the "top of the water" only. This increases the water's surface velocity near the skimmer, which pulls more of that floating junk into it. When your water levels are higher, the weir can't really function as designed reducing the skimming action.

So if you don't mind doing a little more manual cleaning, I would save that water for the cannonballs set for Friday.

Update - sorry for repeated info. I was sidetracked mid response.

 

[spinPHD]

As a contrast, you would be able to heat the water quicker if you drain some water.