What Is the Function of a Skimmer?
A skimmer is a key facet of your pool’s circulation system.
As water circulates through your pool’s pump, it is pulled in through the skimmer, and fed through the pump, filter and heater, before returning to the pool through the jets.
Your pool’s circulation system works to clean and heat the water. When it’s properly maintained, the circulation systems keeps your pool clean and in good shape, ultimately reducing your overall maintenance costs.
How Long Do Skimmers Last?
With proper water chemistry, your pool’s skimmer and jets should last for over 25 years.
Generally, the optimal time to replace the skimmer and jets is when you’re replacing the vinyl pool liner. By investing in new, high-quality skimmer and jet equipment during this process, you’ll be saving money in the long run, rather than replacement after a new liner is installed.
Does My Skimmer Need Replacing?
A skimmer will need replacing once its plastic components become brittle. Some of the most common issues we see are:
- Stress cracks, which lead to leaks. This is the most common issue that we see.
- Separation between the skimmer and pool wall.
- Shifting of the concrete pool deck, leading to cracks in the skimmer.
- Sinking of the concrete deck, putting extra stress on the skimmer, and ultimately leading to cracks.
- Leaky, rusty, or rotten plumbing beneath the skimmer, which is a common problem with older skimmers.
- Damage to the weir (the flap in the mouth of the skimmer). This leads to your pump drawing in air instead of water.
How Is a Skimmer Replaced?
The process we use when replacing a skimmer is as follows:
- The concrete from around the skimmer is cut, and then the skimmer is removed from the wall.
- We replace the underground piping to ensure no future leaks occur.
- The new skimmer is bolted, and firmly attached to the plumbing.
- Once the skimmer is properly attached and backfilled, we pour concrete around it using rebar reinforcements.
Which Skimmers Are Available Now?
UV Pools is proud to offer wide mouth skimmers. This new style of skimmer is rectangular, and moves the water more effectively than older square mouth skimmers.