Muskin Pool Skimmer Question

by Curtis
(Hickory, NC)

I was given a 1990 Sears Muskin 27' above ground pool recently, the pool was missing the skimmer and I ordered a standard replacement skimmer not knowing that the hole in the pool wall was around 7.25 in. X 8.75 in. roughly. I took me a piece of aluminum and bolted a plate over the hole and cut a new hole for the new skimmer and I thought that would work well.

It doesn't leak or anything but with the top ledge on the pool I cannot get the basket out or get the vacuum plate down in there, this pool has the upgraded top ledges and they stick over the skimmer lid. I do not want to cut up my top ledge for this. Is there another skimmer I can get or maybe an extension that will bolt on the skimmer. I have also thought about trying an in ground skimmer as they seem to be extended far enough that it will get me passed my top ledge. Any suggestions will be appreciated. Thanks

Hi Curtis

Doughboy pools introduced a large top rail before it gave thought to the skimmer setup. We would just have to notch up the downward part of the top rail on both sides of the the skimmer. We would then bend the small section of rail back out of the way and things worked fine. It was the lid that would not come off, a couple of notches and a bend fixed it. It took Doughboy a couple of years to realize the was really hokey. The came up with an extension for their standard skimmer. They called the skimmers "the standard" and the "deluxe" cause it had an extension. We started having to carry extensions and extra gaskets with us because the store personnel in charge of delivering the pools could never get it right, standard for the 4" and 6" rails, deluxe for the 8". Not too difficult, you would be surprised.

Anyway, you might reconsider snipping and bending the rail or you could look into the Doughboy Deluxe skimmer, it would mean a new opening, but it would extend beyond the normal skimmer.