Colleen, you probably have dealt with this before. We just purchased a 4' x 18' (122cmx549cm)circular metal frame pool. The problem I am having is with debris from cottonwood trees. It somehow manages to get past the filter basket in the skimmer and then goes down through the hose and plugs up the fine screen filter before the pump, basically stopping all water circulation. I have to shut off 2 valves, disconnect the hose going to the pump, and unscrew a fitting off the pump to get at the fine screen filter just to clean it. It wouldn't be so bad, but it only takes about 20-30 minutes for it to plug up again. Sometimes even less time than that. Can you think of anything I can put in the skimmer to stop it from getting all the way to the pump? Or am I going to have to babysit the filter every day untill the cottonwood trees stop shedding?

Gary, we sell somthing called skimmer socks. Fits over the basket but I'm not sure if they work for above grounds. What you could do (not sure if your married or not) if not, go to store and buy some ladies knee high stocking or cut off a leg off of someones pantyhose:D and put that with an elastic over your skimmer basket so that it lines the basket that should do the trick but you must remember to empty that basket often, hope this helps.

Thanks Colleen! I knew you would have an answer! That sounds like a winner of an idea. We will give it a try and let you know how it goes. :D

We are having a problem with maple trees, little helipcopters, like snow coming down. The sock works well!! Let me know how it works.

We are having a problem with maple trees, little helipcopters, like snow coming down. The sock works well!! Let me know how it works.


We have a lot of those too! The sock works pretty good except that all the debris tends to collect at the bottom of the sock, right above where the hose connects. When enough builds up, it sucks the sock down on top of the outlet where the hose connects and shuts off the flow of water. It takes a lot longer, but it still does it. I'm going to have to come up with some kind of spacer to put in the bottom to keep the sock off that outlet hole. Then it should work better. Thanks again!

You just have to check the skimmer more often. Or best yet put a sock over your whole pool:D I'd love to see a picture of a cottonwood tree. There are nets you can put over your pool but I don't thinkthey would catch the stuff from the cotton wood tress if its very small.

I am trying to get it so that I don't have to clean it every half hour in order to keep the filter working. :) We have a cover for it, but putting it on and taking it off all the time seems like it would be a lot of trouble. Heres' some info on the Cottonwood tree:

http://www.colostate.edu/Dept/CoopExt/4dmg/Trees/cotton.htm

They can be quite a problem sometimes. The "cotton" clogs up a lot of things including A/C coils. You have to clean them off daily if you want the A/C to work properly. We almost ruined a lawnmower engine one time because the cotton clogged up the screen over the cooling system. :eek:

Gary, sounds like the cotton wood really create problems. Besides the winter covers we sell here they sell mesh winter covers but then you would have to take it on and off which is a bother. Do you use a solar blanket? that would probably help.? someone should invent something for you guys with those trees.

We have cottonwood trees here and when they are flowering it looks like it is snowing. There are little white fluffy thing flying around everywhere. It doesn't last for too long though and it seems to have stopped for this year. I think the rain helped. :)

I think I've got it! I made a small spacer out pvc pipe which keeps the sock from being sucked down onto the outlet and plugging it up. I let it run at night and there is still water circulating through it in the morning!

Great! love your avatar!:D

Great! love your avatar!:D

Thank you! I found it while doing a little historical research here:

http://www.ussboxer.com/Remember_When.htm

That was really interesting, especially the picture of Seoul in 1950 and the tatoo one was cute. Interesting reading. Thanks for sharing.

That was really interesting, especially the picture of Seoul in 1950 and the tatoo one was cute. Interesting reading. Thanks for sharing.

You're welcome! I like the one of the ship passing the golden gate bridge with the men on deck spelling out "Boxer".