Exploring the Different Types of Pool Skimmers and Their Use

Having a pool in your home is amazing, but one of the most important things you need to do in order to use it on a regular and daily basis is to keep it clean. And this cannot be achieved without having the right pool skimmer. Pool skimmers look like a little bucket that is built into the side of the pool with a purpose to keep away any floating debris (leaves, twigs, etc) from the filter and pool pump. Generally speaking, there are two types of pool skimmers from which you can choose, in-ground and above ground.

The in-ground pool skimmers are the most commonly used types. They are placed around the pool towards the top of the walls, so the water level could cover only the bottom half of the skimmer. Some of these skimmers have a door or also known as weir over the front and when turned off, the collected debris in the skimmer basket can’t float back into the pool.

When it comes to above ground pool skimmers, they are two types of them. One that can be attached to the side of the pool with the help of a plastic arm, while the other model is known as a floating one. It can be attached to the pool’s vacuum so it can float around the water in order to collect debris. On the other hand, if your pool has a pre-cut opening in its wall, you can install an integrated pool skimmer. For that reason, you will also need to cut into the liner, so if you are not confident about doing that, it is best to consider installing one of the two aforementioned types of pool skimmers.

An important part of the whole skimmer system is the pool skimmer vacuum plate the purpose of which is to help the pool water flow into the skimmer basket. In fact, the work of the skimmer basket depends on the work of the pool skimmer vacuum plate. Thus, these two are crucial for the whole cleaning process, leaving the pool pump and filter free of debris. All this can lead to having a crystal clean water in which you can swim whenever you want.

Whether you have an automatic pool cleaner or not, vacuuming the pool manually from time to time is important in order to thoroughly clean it. Now, as the name suggests, skimmer vacuum plates are the key in this process. All you need is to equip yourself with a vacuum hose, a vacuum head, a telescopic pole, and of course, a vacuum skimmer plate. For cleaning the pool, you will need to put the vacuum head on the telescopic pole and attach the hose to the vacuum.

Once done, you should put the vacuum head in the pool and put the other end of the hose up against the returned jet in order to fill it with water. When the bubbles stop rising from your vacuum head, this means that the hose is filled with water, so the next step is to remove the basket from your skimmer, attach it to the skimmer plate and place it into the open suction hole. When done, start vacuuming the pool slowly until it’s all finished. Keep in mind that different skimmer types/models require a different skimmer plate, thus before making any decision, consult with the supplier in order to choose the right one.