Pool Skimmer Brand

by Kenny
(Belvidere IL.)

I have an above ground Hayward pool, approximately 30 yrs old, the skimmer basket and door flap are broke. I cant find one.

All the new skimmers are square, the old one is square with an oval at the bottom. The new baskets are all round, the old one is flat on one end then is oval shaped. I cant find one that will work.

Hi Kenny.

It sounds like you have a Doughboy brand skimmer. I would find a doughboy dealer near you and see if it matches. It sounds like it should. It is also possible it is a Lomart, they are very similar. A Doughboy dealer should also be able to get a Lomart skimmer if you need one.

The only other possibility I know would be an older Muskin skimmer, but it sounds more like a Doughboy or Lomart.

But, you say you have a Hayward pool. They would have only used one of their own skimmers. Hayward is a large, well known, manufacturer of pool parts. You could contact them and see if they have what you are looking for.

Many different brands of pools use Hayward filter equipment, including many Doughboy dealers. So if you are just seeing Hayward on the filter, and no where else, you probably do not have a Hayward pool. In which case I would look the pool over really good and try to find a brand name. Either that or post pictures and I could tell you exactly what you need.

Doughboy Cleaner Attachment

by Donna
(Texas)

I have a Doughboy pool 20 years old. I need to attach a cleaner and have not found a cleaner that works.

What do I need to attach the Barracuda I just bought.

Hi Donna.

Any cleaner should work, it's just a matter of finding the right hose adapter. On a Doughboy skimmer the correct way to hook up the cleaner would be to use the vacuum hose adapter and attach it to the front of the skimmer just like when you are vacuuming. The skimmer lid would also need to go down into the skimmer, again, just like vacuuming.

With a Hayward skimmer you would probably want to remove the flapper and go in through the skimmer opening to the base of the skimmer.

Any pool store should have adapters to adapt the cleaner hose to just about any situation you need.

Skimmer Below Filter Valves

by Mark
(Slidell)

I have installed a pool and it is in the ground about 2 feet. The pump and filter are still at ground level.

Will having the skimmer line going to the filter going up cause any problems with suction? The water line will be near the skimmer line intake.

Hi Mark.

The pump of an above ground pool system should be below the water line of the pool. These systems are meant to be gravity fed and when placed above the water level they need to be primed quite often.

It doesn't matter how far below water level, an inch or two is fine. And it should not matter if pipes rise above water level, it's the water in the pool and the top of the pump that matters.

If you do need to place it above water level, and you do have trouble with keeping it primed, you can always switch to an in ground pool pump. The impellers are designed differently and they are made to pump water uphill.

Skimmer & Vacuum

by Karen
(Winter Park Florida)

I have a Standard Thru wall skimmer and would like to know how to use the vacuum - suction side cleaner type.

Hi Karen.

The vacuum hose needs to fit into the opening at the bottom of the skimmer. I would normally remove the flapper and the skimmer basket. The hose can then go in through the front of the skimmer and down to the opening at the bottom. You probably have an adapter that will allow the hose to fit snugly into the opening, if not the suction should hold the hose in place.

Standard Hayward skimmers or Hayward type skimmers have vacuum adapter plates that are usually optional and sold separately at pool stores. With the adapter you should still remove the flapper, but leave the basket in the skimmer. The adapter plate fits over the basket and allows the hose to go straight through the skimmer opening and fit securely over the adapter fitting.

Leaking Skimmer

by Amy
(Westminster, MD)

I have an above ground pool. The skimmer is fine when the pump is off but as soon as I turn the pump on, water starts to leak out of the bottom part of the skimmer along the wall on the outside of the pool.

I have had the gaskets replaced and the screws tightened on the skimmer and faceplate. What could be causing the leak?

Hi Amy.

The vibration caused by the pump running is just enough to start the filter leaking. That means it is a very minor leak because it stops when the filter is off. It should be close enough to being fixed that a little more tightening on the screws should get it.

Since you have already changed the gaskets you do not need to do that again. Hopefully you cleaned the wall of any left over gasket and rust deposits before they were installed.

You should closely inspect the way the gaskets are fitting and make sure the alignment is perfect. Gaskets out of alignment are impossible to seal. Loosening all of the screws enough to move the gasket just a little one way or the other is often enough to fix a skimmer leak.

If nothing seems to work and the leak is still there, try this. Get some silicone marine sealer, put it on your finger and lightly coat the skimmer area where the faceplate and wall meet. Depending on the skimmer, you may or may not have exposed sidewall and gaskets inside the skimmer area. If you do this method works every time. A small amount of sealer bonding the faceplate to the skimmer and covering the wall and exposed gaskets is all you need. If the faceplate comes into the skimmer opening and covers the sidewall it is a little harder to seal this way, but still possible. You need to work the sealer up into the area inside the skimmer, against the faceplate.

The last two options are ones you will probably not need to use. The entire skimmer could be replaced or your existing one could be removed and reinstalled. Before reinstalling coat all the different surfaces with silicone.

More information about leaking skimmers can be found here.

Above Ground Pool Skimmer Installation