No Suction In Pool Skimmer

Jammed Skimmer Suction Line

Skimmers have two main lines: return and suction lines. Since return lines only deliver clean water, a potential blockage would be located in the suction lines. A possible indicator for this issue is an unusually loud pump with low suction.

Solution

Once youve run a few tests and figured out which suction line is causing the problem, close the other intake lines. The clogged line should be the only one open. Remove the pumps lid, place your garden hose within to force water down the line, and dislodge the blockage with the waters pressure. This should free up the pipe. If the blockage persists, however, hire a professional to take a look.

Clear The Blockage With A Drain Cleaning Bladder

Drain cleaning bladders attach to your garden hose and are then inserted into the clogged line. When the hose is turned on, the bladder expands and pushes pressurized water down the pipe.

First, shut off your pump completely. Make sure your diverter valve is turned to the skimmer line.Then, remove your skimmer basket. Insert the hose with the bladder attachment into the suction hole of your skimmer. Push it in as far as it will go.

When you turn on the hose, the bladder will expand while its in the pipe. That pressurized water will push any debris and air to the pump.

If that doesnt work, try using the drain cleaning bladder in the pump. Make sure the pump is still off and the diverter valve is set to the skimmer line. Remove the pump basket and insert the hose with the bladder into the pumps intake pipe that flows back towards the pool. This will force pressurized water back into the skimmer. Keep an eye out for debris that blows back to the skimmer.

You will also want to use the bladder in the pump if you have a clog in your main drain line. Just make sure the diverter valve is turned to the main drain when you do this.

If nothing else works, it might be time to call a professional to come to unclog your lines. But dont give up right away: it can take several rounds of diverting water or using the bladder to unclog your lines.

How To Increase Suction In A Pool Skimmer

Unfortunately, Its relatively easy for a pool skimmer to lose suction power. Many factors can affect the suction of your skimmer, which can be frustrating. Luckily, you can increase your pool skimmers effectiveness in several ways.

You can increase suction to a pool skimmer by checking for leaks or blockages in the system. A full filter or skimmer basket will result in lower suction power. Additionally, water levels being too low or a leak in the line will cause low power too. Prevent blockages by cleaning your pool skimmer.

In the rest of this article, I will discuss the best ways to increase your pool skimmers suction power. For example, I will review the necessary water levels and parts to check if you feel your pools suction is less than adequate. So if you want to learn more about increasing a pool skimmers suction, read on.

Contents

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Your Pool Pump Is Pulsing Or Unusually Loud And The Pressure Is Low

If water is surging or pulsing in your pump, this may be a sign of a clogged pipe. But first, you have to rule out other potential problems, like air leaks. Check the o-ring on your pump lid. Then check to see if the impeller inside your pump is clogged. Be sure the pump is off when you check this. And if you need help troubleshooting your pump, be sure to check our other videos. It may also be time to backwash or clean your filter if you havent done that in a while. If you have just cleaned your filter, that may have caused an air pocket to form. Remove the pump lid and basket and stick a hose inside to fill up the line with water.

Thoughts On Inground Pool Skimmer Plumbing Diagrams

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How Much Suction Should A Pool Skimmer Have

Knowing how much suction your skimmer generally has is essential in diagnosing a skimmer problem. Of course, each skimmers suction power will vary slightly, but there is a simple way to tell if yours is functioning correctly. So, how much suction should your pool skimmer have?

A pool skimmer should have enough suction to move a vacuum around your pool and for you to visibly see water being sucked into the filtration system. If you place your hand near the skimmer box and dont feel any water movement while the skimmer is on, there is a suction problem.

Additionally, if the jets that return water to your pool are hardly putting out any water, this is a sign of poor suction. There is likely a clog somewhere in your pools filtration system. You will need to use the process of elimination to ensure the problem is resolved. A clog or air leak is highly likely, so checking the skimmer basket and pump filters is a great start.

The Skimmer In Winter

Whether youre closing an inground pool or winterizing an above ground pool, you wont want to skip the skimmer prep, or you could open your pool to a bit of a mess next season.

For an inground pool, once youve blown out the lines, youll need to insert a rubber plug or an ice compensator like a Gizzmo into your skimmer to keep it closed and prevent anything from sneaking into your filtration system over the winter.

Same goes for an above ground pool, but in that case, depending on the type of skimmer you have, you may be able to just install a cover over it.

Either way, make sure you take care of your skimmer so it can keep taking care of your pool when you open it back up.

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Pool Skimmer Water Height

I always use the pool skimmer as my gauge to ensure the water level is correct and to visually see how much water was lost since the last time I checked! Water evaporation in the summer and water lost to splashing is easily visible when you use a common measurement to quickly look.

So every day I walk outside to the pool and take a look at the skimmer and make a note of where the water level is and compare it mentally to where it was the day before, or the last time I checked. You can quickly see when water needs to be topped or quickly spot a possible problem like a pool leak.

The water level for my pool needs to be 1/2 to 3/4 of the way up the pool skimmer. If its much lower, the skimmer wont draw in enough water and will suck air. Not good! Water has to be high enough to flow into the skimmer inlet with no air present. This can negatively affect suction on the skimmer. You may need to add water to the pool if too much has evaporated which it will during the summer, with sunny weather.

If the water level is too high typically if we get torrential rain which we have experienced the water level is suddenly higher than the skimmer opening and wont properly skim. This wont negatively affect suction on the skimmer but it will stop the skimmer from skimming! So if you ever notice leaves floating throughout your pool or near the skimmer, it might be because the water is too high. You may need to drain water until you have the proper height.

How To Unclog A Pool Skimmer

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Pool skimmers are the deep cutouts positioned along a swimming pool’s walls that pull floating debris into their storage baskets. Some pools have several skimmers so that the water remains as clean as possible the pool’s pump system uses suction throughout each skimmer to circulate the chlorinated water. However, it is possible for one of the skimmers to become clogged with debris. Unclogging a pool skimmer requires some outside water pressure from a garden hose to loosen the debris so the pool can regain its water circulation.

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My Pool Cleaner Has No Suctions

Every swimming pool needs to be vacuumed regularly to avoid mold, cysts, stains, or algae build-up. If you notice your pool cleaner has no suction, there are lots of conditions that might contribute to that, and it might be a sign you need a new pool pump cleaner.

In this article, we will discuss why your pool cleaner has no suction, troubleshoot a pool cleaner and how to fix a pool cleaner with no suction. Lets get started.

Pool Circulation Problems Skimmers And More

Maintaining crystal clear water requires several things on the part of a pool owner: the proper chemical balance, maintaining effective circulation in the pool and routine cleaning and maintenance.

Maintaining adequate circulation is a multitiered process that involves much more than simply ensuring that the skimmer weirs are open. It includes many other things, like identifying and cleaning dead spots, optimizing the angle and placement of returns, appropriately sizing the pool pump and effectively and expertly addressing a number of issues that might arise from the many different pool components.

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What Are Pool Skimmers

Pool skimmers are like little buckets built into the side of the pool. They hold skimmer baskets, which perform a similar function to the handheld leaf skimmer, keeping leaves and debris from entering your pump and filter.

These are usually rectangular-shaped and are placed around the pool, toward the tops of the walls. The water level usually covers about the bottom half of the skimmers.

Theyre most often made of white plastic, and some have a door called a weir over the front that opens and closes according to the water level and movement.

Abc Can Keep Your Pool Clean And Ready For Swimming

If you wonder if something is amiss with your pool, your best bet is to work with a pool expert who can save you time and make any needed repairs, getting the job done right the first time. The skilled technicians at ABC Home & Commercial Services perform this type of work day in and day out. As a full-service provider, ABC can help with anything from regular cleanings to water testing to routine maintenance. With ABCs help, you can spend your weekends swimmng, rather than working on your pool.

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Do You Need A Skimmer Weir Door And How Pool Weirs Work

Short answer: not really, so dont worry about it if you dont have one installed. They tend to break easily. But theyre useful. A floating skimmer weir is a gate that keeps debris the skimmer collects from going back into the pool when the pumps off. It also regulates the amount of water entering the skimmer when the pump is running and helps trap the debris it collects.

Old And Calcified Sand In Your Pool Filter

Sand inside your filter can start to calcify, especially in water with high calcium hardness. Essentially, this means that the sand in your filter is not solid and it is more of a blockage than a filter. You will need to replace his filter sand. This sand usually needs to be replaced every 3 to 5 years.

Turn off the pump and open the filter housing to inspect the sand. If the sand is clumpy and hard, that may very well be the cause for the lack of suction. You should also replace the sand if it is low, or if it is mud-balling.

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How To Inspect And Clean The Skimmer Basket

Something that is easily overlooked by a lot of pool owners is the skimmer basket. The skimmer in the water intake to the pool pump and filter. Lets make sure there is no blockage or obstruction in the skimmer basket.

How often should you clean your swimming pool skimmer? The skimmer basket needs to be cleaned often, in cases where there is a lot of leaves around, you want to clean this daily. Is it not uncommon to find dead animals in the skimmer basket too, so removing those is important to prevent the spread of bacteria and viruses in the pool water.

Pro-tip, wear gloves, I have found a lot of creepy crawlies in my skimmer basket.

To inspect and clean your skimmer basket, first, switch off the pump. You can now remove the cover on the skimmer and looking inside you will see a second submerged lid. This lid is locked into place by pressing down and rotating it. To remove this lid, simple rotate it until it unlocks and then pull it out.

The skimmer basket is underneath this lid and held in place by it. Once you have removed this lid, you can pull out the basket easily. Clean out the basket, using a garden hose if you need to. Also, make sure that the basket is not damaged, then replace it by following the above process in reverse.

Pool Filter Has No Pressure

When the pump is off, or when the valve is set to recirculate or drain to waste, the filter pressure should be zero. If the filter pressure gauge reads zero or close to zero with the pump running, and the valve is in filter or backwash mode, something is wrong. Give the gauge face a flick with your fingernail to see if it pops up. Inspect the gauge dial or face for warping, which can prevent the dial from moving.

If you are certain that water is moving through the filter at a normal rate, either the gauge has failed, or there may be a clog within the air bleeder assembly that the gauge screws into. To check, shut the pump off and remove the pressure gauge with pliers or a small wrench. Run a stick or small screwdriver down into the hole to clear out any clogs or debris. This may be blocking the pressure gauge or air relief assembly. Pool filter gauges are inexpensive instruments that will fail in time. It never hurts to keep a spare gauge on hand.

If the water is not moving through the filter at a normal rate, there is most likely a clog or obstruction before the pool filter. It could be a clogged pump basket, impeller, pipe, or skimmer basket. It could also be a closed or broken valve before the pump. In some cases, the pump may have an air leak and is drawing in more air than water. This can reduce filter pressure .

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Why Your Skimmer Weir Or Floating Weir Is All You Need

1. The Skimmer Weir acts just like a door that allows debris to get sucked in, but does not allow it to float back out into the pool.2. When the pump turns off the Weir closes, keeping all the debris in the skimmer.3. The Weir floats at just the right height based on the skimmers suction. This is very important and why they work so well.4. The Weir forces the strongest water flow to the top of the water, acting as a dam to create more water flow at the top surface where all the debris is floating.5. Your skimmer Weir door is very important. When they can not be replaced, the next best option is a Floating Weir.Floating Weirs do not work as well as Skimmer Weir Doors because they are further away from the opening of the skimmer throat and the water flow is spread out beneath the surface.

Additional Troubleshooting And Best Practices

There are additional things to check before you proceed with repairs. Note that an unusually loud pump with low pressure may also indicate that the skimmer is struggling to create a vacuum to pull in water.

Once you have established that there is a blockage in the suction line, you can locate the blockage by running each pool line by itself and watching the filters pressure gauge, looking for a line with low pressure. However, it is important to remember never to run the pump with all valves closed.

When clearing a clogged skimmer suction line, it is important to leave behind the drain snakes. While they are invaluable in clearing a clogged drain, the right angle of the pool lines are difficult for drain snakes to navigate. You also do not want to expose your pool water to debris and remnants of the snakes past uses. Instead, use a bladder-type hose jet that can create a seal.

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