Cutting New Skimmer Opening

by Karine
(Texas)

I have sunk a large oval AG into the ground (about 1 foot out) and it is working out well for many years. I laid thick lime stone around the pool area and it looks very much in ground especially after I build a waterfall on the far end (very amateur though).

I actually had someone build the pool for me but it had wrinkles and deep lines ever since the pool was build and seems to be getting more each year. These days I want a new liner with a flatter bottom and like to ask a question regarding my present skimmer.

My wide mouth skimmer is set low and I could actually gain several inches of water if I replaced the skimmer with an less ornate one( this skimmer has an approx. 3" top plate wasting a good 3" plus another 3" for being set too low on water) I feel that for a 52" deep pool I don't have a high enough water level and I like to fix this when I get the new liner.

How would I fix this? Would I cut above the hole and cover the area below the hole as well as the sides (will get regular not wide mouth skimmer)? If anyone has ever done this before I would love to have suggestions, thank you!

Hi Karine.

I would get a flat piece of metal like a cookie sheet, with the lip trimmed off, and tape over your existing skimmer opening. It would be possible to set the new skimmer over the same opening but

it might be easier to start in a new location. We move skimmer locations a lot, mostly due to the present location being rusted out and no longer strong enough to hold a skimmer.

Installing a square Hayward skimmer in a new location is pretty easy. Using the faceplate as a guide mark the top corner holes with a pencil. Drill these two holes with a 1/4" drill bit. We dig out a couple of nuts and bolts from the toolbox and bolt the faceplate to the inside of the pool. You can now use the faceplate as a guide and drill the rest of the holes. Drill through the faceplate and into the wall from inside the pool pushing out, the wall has more resistance from this direction.

When the holes are done I take a very sharp razor knife and score the square opening, again using the faceplate as a guide. Do this several times getting a fairly deep score into the sidewall. You can now remove the faceplate. With a hole saw, drill a hole in the center of the skimmer area. Now take a pair of tin snips and cut from the center of the skimmer to each corner. You have made four cuts and now have four pieces of metal that just need wiggled back a forth a few times before they snap off. This should leave you with a smooth skimmer opening with all of the holes in the proper location.

I then use a hammer on each side of the wall, hitting them together with the wall in between, to flatten out any rough edges.