Zodiac G3 With A Skim Vac Plate or Skimmer Sock In The Filter Basket?

[revitup]

I haven’t been able to use my (Hayward) Skim Vac skimmer plate with my Zodiac G3 vac. The plate sits high in the skimmer on the basket and I have not been able to cobble together the 45 or 90 degree elbows required to get it turned horizontal and out the skimmer opening and still remain reliably below the water line. The big issue is incorporating the supplied ‘FlowKeeper Valve’ in the mix. It has to stay below the water line because it opens to control suction by design and will suck in air and the pump will lose prime if it’s at all above the water line.

I can use the G3 and FlowKeeper without the Skim Vac plate, there’s plenty of room in the skimmer to insert the FlowKeeper valve vertically, directly to the skimmer suction opening, but of course then there is no skimmer basket, and skimmer sock, to catch vacuumed debris. I’m then depending on the pump basket to catch debris before it gets to the filter. That will catch the bigger stuff but not the same as a sock.

Note: I have another skimmer plate with a built-in/keyed 90 degree elbow but it does not extend up high enough to even exit the skimmer.

A couple of questions:

Has anyone used a skimmer sock on the pump basket? Any issues with that?

Any ideas on how to solve the problem and incorporate the Skim Vac plate with the Zodiac G3 and FlowKeeper valve?

 

[ajw22]

Why not give in and get a robot cleaner and be done with fooling around with suction cleaners? Your problems describe all the downsides of suction cleaners.

 

[revitup]

Why not give in and get a robot cleaner and be done with fooling around with suction cleaners? Your problems describe all the downsides of suction cleaners.

Yeah, maybe someday. So far I haven't been able to justify the hundreds of $$ for a decent one, we're supposed to be all about maintaining our pools cheaply here. Weighing the pros and cons, just doesn't make sense for me right now. My pool is small, I can manually spot vac in about 1/2 hour if needed, we don't really collect a lot of debris on the bottom, skimming is the priority for me. The Zodiac does a pretty good job. Dragging a robot in and out of the water to check and empty the integral basket, storage when it's not in use (the Zodiac just gets tossed in a deck 'pool box'), the continual maintenance it seems they require, the warranty claims. Then there's the cord strung out across the pool deck. I'm just not seeing it right now.

Still wondering if there is any issue with putting a skimmer sock on the pump basket.