Different types of gizmos

[joenj]

Well, it's almost time to close our IG pool. I have two skimmers with the main drain going to one of them. One of the gizmos has a solid bottom and the other is open. Does it matter which skimmer they go to? I don't see a real difference, but I will defer to the experts. Thanks, Joe.

[ds_girl]

We've never closed our pool ourselves, but hope to this year so I'm reading up on it. What is a 'Gizmo'? I'm not sure we have one.....

[CarlD]

"Gizmo" is a brand name for a polyethylene bottle you stick in the skimmer that screws into the bottom drain of the skimmer to hold it in the center. If ice forms, the Gizmo compresses, allowing the ice a place to expand without cracking the skimmer body.

Not a bad idea!

[markphin]

I personally am not a fan of Gizmos. You are relying on that to act as a plug and an ice breaker. I have heard of them splitting and thus rendering the plug effect useless.
I plug via a traditional plug and then use an empty quart bottle filled partially with small stones to give some weight to sumberge half way in the water. This way if the bottle breaks, I only have some stones to suck up, but my plug is still in tact.

[Poconos]

I use the a gizmo screwed into the skimmer pipe fitting and use teflon pipe tape on the threads. I only rely on it as a plug to keep water out of the skimmer pipe. For ice expansion I pack the skimmer with eccofoam....a closed cell packing foam that is the same as the foam used for pool noodles. Reduces the bulk of water in the skimmer and allows plenty of 'soft' room for ice expansion. Once I blow out the skimmer line I fill it with RV antifreeze up to the pump inlet which is probably 14" above pool water. Thus, if the gizmo threads do leak, AF will go into the pool, not the other way around. Once in a while I check the AF level to make sure it isn't leaking.
Al