The swimming pool skimmer plays an important role in keeping your pool water clean and safe. This plastic device is found in the wall of your pool and attaches to your pool's pump. The swimming pool skimmer comes with three distinct parts that all work together to keep debris out of your pool. This allows you to easily clean out leaves and other debris before they float to your pool floor. Using a skimmer saves wear and tear on the rest of your pool equipment like your filter and pump. This article will provide the basics of swimming pool skimmers so you understand what they are and how to use them.

How to Install Pool Skimmers

Simmers are fit into a hole cut in the side of the pool. This is true for both in-ground and above-ground models, although the above-ground model is a bit easier to put in. Above-ground pool skimmers are attached through screws that attach a faceplate to the body of the skimmer. The pool liner is sandwiched in between. A pipe at the bottom of the skimmer attaches to the pool's pump. This allows the water to get suctioned into the skimmer so large debris can be filtered out and caught in the skimmer basket.

In-ground pools have skimmers installed directly into the concrete surface. This means they are not easy to install and they are even more challenging to remove. The in-ground pool skimmer does not have a front faceplate; instead it is melded directly into the concrete surface. It is very important that the swimming pool skimmer does not leak. If it does, you will need to fix the leak with pool putty or have a pool contractor make proper repairs. The in-ground pool skimmer is also attached to the pool pump so that it can serve the same purpose in sucking in larger debris and trapping it in the skimmer basket.

The Skimmer Basket

Skimmer baskets come in an array of shapes and sizes to fit inside almost any pool skimmer. These baskets trap the larger debris that is sucked into the skimmer, so it does not make it to the pool filter where it can clog the system and cause problems. To avoid undue wear and tear on your swimming pool pump, it is very important to clean out your skimmer basket regularly so it does not overflow. If your basket gets damaged or cracked, most pool stores will carry replacement baskets to fit just about any make and model of pool skimmers.

Maintaining Your Pool Skimmer

The swimming pool skimmer is fairly easy to maintain by simply cleaning out the skimmer basket regularly. It is also important to maintain the proper water level in your pool, so that the level is kept at about the middle of the skimmer opening. Lower levels may cause damage to your pool's pump and higher levels will result in the skimmer working less efficiently. When you winterize your pool for the season, you will need to remove your skimmer basket and plug the skimmer until you are ready to use your pool again.