There is nothing better on a beautiful hot sunny day than getting out the old pool skimming nest before you take a refreshing dive in your pool. Manually collecting all those leaves just makes you really feel like you’re earned your dip.
Actually, no one says this, cleaning the pool is just not a fun job. Thankfully most pools can be equipped with skimmers that will ensure leaves, toys and general floating debris will not end up clogging up your filter system or cause you to get the pump repair firm out.
With your skimmer you also have a number of options for different types of swimming pool skimmer basket that will fit in them, and that is a key component. If you end up with a basket that doesn’t fit, you won’t actually be catching anything. Either too small or too large and you will end up with gaps that will allow debris to pass through the filtrations system and end up causing damage to your filter.
Of course, there are different types of skimmers, with the three main types being the in-wall option you will see in most pools, but there is also the type that floats along the top of the water or the robotic type that sucks up anything floating on the surface (not to be confused with a robotic pool cleaner which tend to suck up everything that has fallen to the bottom). So you need to make sure you are getting the right basket or sock for your type of skimmer.
What Sort of water do you have?
Or more accurately, do you use salt, chlorine, go natural or even use Nano silver (see here) to keep your water clean? This actually will have a bearing of what sort of filter basket you need, as. Some are not at all. Suitable for use with chorine and using them in a chlorine pool could cause them to disintegrate rapidly. And you do not want floating bits of plastic to end up in your pump!
If your pool is in full sunshine most of the day, you will also want to make sure that you are looking at a skimmer basket with a level of UV resistance, for the same reason, often the plastic may deteriorate if it is left in the sun too long. Many pools are under UV protective sunshades, so this may not be a concern for you. If you have a wall type that is fixed in a location which is pretty well protected from the full sun rays then you should also be ok, but it would pay to ask your pool maintenance firm just to be sure.
Should I install This Myself?
This is always a question to which people have to answer, “it depends”. Not all skimmers are created equal, some are very easy to replace the basket on, some are very complicated. If you are not sure, it is best to talk to a supplier. Often a pool maintenance company will be able to come out at replace the basket for you, but take the opportunity to watch them and ask any questions – or give them a call and say you aren’t sure how to replace your skimmer-basket, could they do it for you and show you how to for future reference. Or there are always YouTube videos if you are feeling game. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Swimming_pool_sanitation#Skimmers
Not all pools come with skimmers installed, so if you have just purchased a house with a pool and are at a loss as to what to do with it, your best bet will be to get a maintenance firm in to get everything set up for you. Make a list of the questions you want to ask about how much chlorine or salt, what php levels should be, how often you should backwash, how often you should clean your filter and how to change your basket.
Should I Use Socks?
Disposable socks are often a fantastic way to increase the life of your filter system. They are usually made out of a very fine mesh and are generally easy to install in your skimmer system. Most often you will find these available in bulk packs, so you can just use them to gather up all the debris them throw them away. Because they are made of fine mesh you do not want to reuse them, or at least not more than once, as the leaves and twigs that they catch make tiny holes as they get caught in the mess, and any holes mean that you are going to have debris going through the sock and into your filtration system.
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