Above ground pool filter confguration question & skimmer?

Question

I've got an aboveground pool 4'x 18'. We've used it for two years but it's always giving us problems so I'm wondering... It's an older pool given to us by a friend. We got new liner/steps/pump/filter everything but the wall! 2 years ago. It dosent have a hole for the skimmer, just 1 hole in the wall that we we're told to use for the outlet. We've had an over the wall skimmer attched to the inlet hose which runs over the wall. This is a pain because the skimmer never sits right and generaly dosent work. It needs to be replaced this year anyway because the filter basket broke. I was told by the pool store that I couldn't have a regular skimmer. Is this true? I understand we'd have to cut holes for it but would it work?We had to tie the inlet hose to the ladder, is there a better way to run this? Any ideas are appricated. The pool store dosent have the brightest workers and I seem to know more then they do about pools. :-( Thanks!

Answer 1

I've had 2 above grounds. The first had not wall holes at all. The skimmer was attached to an angle bracket, set into the pool and the hose came out the bottom, over the wall, down the wall to the pump, then filter. The return we clamped to the top rain with C-clamps. Crude but effective. Yeah, it was a balancing act to get the skimmer to float properly, but it worked pretty well.

The second has 2 holes in the walls, one for the skimmer which sits outside the pool, but on the wall. There are some heavy duty flanges to keep it from leaking on the sides. Hose attaches to the bottom and goes to the filter. The return goes to the other hole with a fitting that juts out to hold the hose. Also some heavy duty sealing flanges.

So to answer your question, if you can cut the hole and properly fit the skimmer and it's sealing flanges, there's no reason why it shouldn't work. Same thing with the return. You'll need the right parts, but is should be doable.

Answer 2

Inlet and outlet on the pool... inlet of pool, to outlet of clear out Inlet of clear out to outlet of pump (third hose is for discharge of backwater flush for dirt on pump). Inlet of pump, to outlet of pool make helpful that that pump is sealed throughly, wipe vaseline around the rubber gasket, so as that its common to take off, and could seal righ, or the pump won't PUMP! it gets air locked...(you need to make certain water swirling around in that sparkling plastic, or the pump isnt pumping water). I wish you properly... Jesse