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Our pool has one return and one skimmer. Our return has never had an "eyeball" or any other sort of restricting device to focus water flow, just an open threaded pipe fitting. It was that way when we bought the house, and I didn't know any better.
What am I missing by not having an "eyeball"? Is it something I really need? Circulation seems adequate, stuff like leaves and other floating debris always end up in the skimmer.
It simply accelerates the water so it clears better. If it works fine without it, don't worry about it. If you want to try it, it's not an expensive item.
Adding the eyeball could be too restrictive with just one return. Personally, I would let this fall into the "if it ain't broke, don't fix it" category.
Thanks, that's what I was thinking :)
I believe by pointing the eyeball slightly down and away from the skimmer you get better circular water movement and even more debris from the bottom will be forced up and into the circular water stream and eventually into the skimmer. It also makes a slight vortex in the center of the pool, so that if a LOT of leaves are in the pool, they tend to clump in the center making it easier to scoop all of them at once.
I was just helping my cousin out, and they had their pool resurfaced - it is an old pool and that is exactly how their's is too. It is the way they used to build them - the pool is 40 years old and still beautiful! So I guess it's perfectly fine the way it is.