Hi often should you clean out your pump strainer basket? PB said only when it’s full. However, mine rarely gets super full quickly but Intend to do it once a month. Also, when should you relieve the pressure from the valve on the filter? Only when the filter gets cleaned? Or more often? Thanks!
How often to clean pump strainer basket and relieve pressure from the valve in filter?
- Thread starter Watershow
- Start date
- Jul 3, 2013
- 9,027
- Pool Size
- 15000
- Surface
- Vinyl
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- CircuPool SJ-40
I clean my pump strainer once or twice a year but I only get small bugs and stuff in there... nothing big as the skimmer picks all that up...
I rarely let air out of the filter only when I clean the filters or clean out the pump strainer
I rarely let air out of the filter only when I clean the filters or clean out the pump strainer
red-beard
Gold Supporter
- May 27, 2019
- 1,624
- Pool Size
- 25000
- Surface
- Plaster
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Hayward Aqua Rite Pro (T-15)
I clean it out every time I clean my cartridge filters, which is about every three months. I also do it if I see stuff in there. Only takes a minute or so. Stuff does get past the skimmers. Some of the people here use little fine mesh nets in skimmers which help prevent this and keep that big stuff out of the filter.
red-beard
Gold Supporter
- May 27, 2019
- 1,624
- Pool Size
- 25000
- Surface
- Plaster
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Hayward Aqua Rite Pro (T-15)
Oh, and to answer your second question, I crack the valve once in a while and make sure there is no air. Usually, the only time there is air is when I clean filters or clean the pump trash basket.
Watershow,
Depending on how your pool is plumbed, taking the pump basket lid off will allow your filter to drain back into the pool and cause a small gusher of water from the pump basket. Because of this I suggest that you only clean the pump basket, when it needs it.
The real question is.. how often do you plan to clean your filter??
I clean my filter twice a year... I can do this because I run my pump at a low RPM most of the time. I also use hairnets in my skimmers, so most of the junk gets caught before making its way to the filter.
Thanks,
Jim R.
Depending on how your pool is plumbed, taking the pump basket lid off will allow your filter to drain back into the pool and cause a small gusher of water from the pump basket. Because of this I suggest that you only clean the pump basket, when it needs it.
The real question is.. how often do you plan to clean your filter??
I clean my filter twice a year... I can do this because I run my pump at a low RPM most of the time. I also use hairnets in my skimmers, so most of the junk gets caught before making its way to the filter.
Thanks,
Jim R.
Interesting you ask that my pressure was low and my skimmer basket was clogged with pollen paste. I am in Ga and it's been an extremely bad year for pollen.
DeanP66
0
The skimmer basket should be checked at least weekly in most places. Even for me in San Jose where I don't get a lot of debris in my pool, I've forgotten a couple of times and found the skimmer basket very full and the water pressure not flowing fully like it should.
- Jul 3, 2013
- 9,027
- Pool Size
- 15000
- Surface
- Vinyl
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- CircuPool SJ-40
I do not get hardly anything in my pump basket, I think I clean mine 2 times a year... is your skimmer basket not stopping things?
- May 7, 2014
- 429
- Pool Size
- 29980
- Surface
- Vinyl
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Hayward Aqua Rite (T-15)
I clean mine out when I see a good amount of stuff in it. It needs to be done as I type. I get little things that blow off of nearby pine trees that float in the air a long way...it can work it's way past the skimmer baskets and end up in the pump basket. I have skimmer socks...but have not tried them yet. I will try to post a pic of what I get out of there if I clean it out this afternoon.
I said all that to say....about every 2-3 weeks.
I said all that to say....about every 2-3 weeks.
Skimmer socks or hair nets help with the fine stuff for sure but bigger junk clogs it up and you have to clean or change them 2 or 3 times a day. Hoping it stops falling soon
- Jun 7, 2017
- 9,950
- Pool Size
- 29000
- Surface
- Plaster
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Jandy Aquapure 1400
I did mine today. Takes 5 minutes start to finish. There is nothing mystical about it. Clean it as needed this is why it has a clear top. Shut it down, clean it, turn it back on, purge the air.
Thanks. I didn’t think of using skimmer socks/hairnets. My pump basket has never gotten full. I generally clean it when I see bugs and debris like grass clippings or small leaves usually every month or so just cause I can’t stand the sight of dead bugs floating in the basket.
It’s stopping things, however, seeing bugs and debris floating makes me want to clean it even when it’s not full.
Is that the yellow specks or stains that I’ve been noticing in my skimmer basket?
In Ga we get a heavy yellow pollen usually around Easter. It’s turns into a paste when super thick and stick to baskets but should wash off fairly easy
Orion7319
Bronze Supporter
- Jul 1, 2020
- 1,442
- Pool Size
- 19775
- Surface
- Vinyl
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Hayward Aqua Rite (T-15)
I am experiencing the exact same thing. My neighbors have several very large mature pines right next to the fence. If I don’t change out the skimmer socks a couple of times a week, my pressure drops. It dropped so much my salt cell quit working due to low flow and I didn’t realize it. I also have to empty my pump basket at least once a week as so much stuff winds up in it.
red-beard
Gold Supporter
- May 27, 2019
- 1,624
- Pool Size
- 25000
- Surface
- Plaster
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Hayward Aqua Rite Pro (T-15)
I need to look at the skimmer socks. I will have to change my skimmer baskets, since the ones I use have a big handle in the middle.
- May 7, 2014
- 429
- Pool Size
- 29980
- Surface
- Vinyl
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Hayward Aqua Rite (T-15)
Ok...so this clean out was not that bad, it has been 3-4 times this much stuff in there before. This is roughly 2 weeks and a fresh mowed yard 3 days ago. Call me OCD...but when I see this in there, it drives me nuts and I clean it out.
So I bought hairnets. I put one in my skimmer today. Can you tell if I did this right? I have a floater thing that attaches to the skimmer. I put the hairnet in the floater thing. Here’s a pic. Also, how do I get cement off of the plastic area around the skimmer? Thanks.
Attachments
