Intex AG pool skimmer water level?

[aylad]

This week I'm taking care of my friend's Intex AG, 6000 gallon pool, and I have a question about the skimmer because it's WAY different than on my IG pool. On my IG skimmer there's an arrow, and if the water level isn't above the arrow, then the pump sucks air. I'm trying to figure out where the water level is supposed to be for this AG pool?

This has a cup-shaped recepticle attached to a vertical rail on the pool side with a basket that sits in it, then has a blue piece that fits over the basket and down between the basket and the recepticle. It's open on top, so that the water flows over the lip of the blue piece into the basket. Water also can get in between the lip of the blue piece and the top of the recepticle wall. Make sense?

My question is--how high is the water level supposed to be in order for the skimmer to work correctly? It would appear that the level needs to be high enough to flow over the lip of the blue piece, but the whole assembly floats slightly, so that no matter how much water I put into the pool, the lip stays barely above the water. If I turn the blue piece slightly, it tilts the whole assembly slightly so that water runs over the lip from the back side, but just barely....I'm afraid to leave it that way because I don't want to burn the pump up while they're out of town. If I put enough water in the pool to almost submerge the skimmer, it obviously doesn't do the job at all. It's complicated by the fact that they put the pool under a tree, so every time I go to check the chlorine level, the basket is chock full of leaves. In my skimmer, if the basket is clogged, the pump will literally suck the bottom off the basket and suck all that crap into the impeller. With this one, will the pump still function by sucking water in around the outsides of the basket, leaving the basket to catch the leaves and not have a problem, or will the basket filling with leaves stop up the pump like it does on an IG pool?

I need to run the pump a good bit--clearing up an algae bloom for them--but I'm afraid to let it run all night because I don't want to burn the pump up because of the leaves.

Suggestions?

Janet

[Dr. Spike]

I think I know what you are talking about. I have no experience with these types of skimmers. But I did find a link that may help. The documentation is rather poor.

From this link download Wall Mount Surface Skimmer - USA (80PO).pdf

Here is the link

http://www.intexdevelopment.com/proi...gid=2&lid=5473

Not sure, but I would think the suction would pull it down enough to create the skimming effect. Might need some adjustments?

Sorry I can't help more.

[aylad]

Thanks for the link. After playing around with it for awhile, it appears that the blue piece floats and the thing actually pulls the water toward the skimmer by sucking it from between the basket and the receptacle piece, but any trash that comes to it has to go over the lip of the blue thing and into the basket. It's really hard to explain, but I think I've got it working for now. The owners of the pool come home tomorrow and I think I'll ask for the owner's manual for awhile!! At any rate, the pool is now back to crystal clear, so it's apparently doing the job.

Janet

[Dr. Spike]

You are welcome. Glad to hear that you got it working.

[ThaSatelliteGuy]

Negative. There should be a white ring that goes around the blue cup to seal it with the main body of the skimmer. All the water and the trash should flow over the top edge. If your pump/filter is not clogged, and is pulling enough water, AND the seal ring is in place, the blue part should be constantly sucked down to where it's a 1/8in below water level, creating a "whirlpool" of sorts. The blue part is about 8in tall. Assuming that it needs at least 2 inches to remain in the assembly without popping out, that gives it about 6in free travel. I set my 'slide rail' so that the blue part is about halfway out when it floats. Then your water level can rise or drop 3in without causing it to either suck air if it gets low, or have the skimmer pop out and float away if it gets too high. Hope this helps!

PS If the pump is pumping plenty, and the blue part isnt sinking down, and assuming you never saw it work b4, I have to assume from what ur describing, that the 'seal ring' is missing. That's why its sucking water around the blue part instead of over it. If you dont see anything like that, I can tell you from experience look very closely at the bottom of the pool. It blends in and is hard to see, but that's almost always where it ends up. Happy Hunting!

[aylad]

I should caution you that when you reply to a thread , please check the dates--this one is almost 3 years old and my neighbors have moved on to a bigger pool since then.

Thanks....
Janet