How To Assemble an Above Ground Pool - Part 6 - Installing the Skimmer

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This guide is Part 6 of a series on installing a basic steel Above Ground Pool. It shows you how to install a Skimmer on the side of an Above Ground Pool We assume that you have completed Part 5 - Installing the Top Rails. These instructions may vary according to your pool model so consult your owner's manual for any variations.

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Things You'll Need

Video

Step by Step

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Step 1

Check that you have all the parts required to install the Skimmer. You will need the Skimmer itself, the Wall Gasket, the Face Plate, and the screws to mount the Skimmer.

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Step 2

The pool currently has 3" of water on the floor. Continue filling the pool until the water level is about 4" from the bottom of the rectangular Skimmer hole at the top of the Wall. If you mount the Skimmer before filling the pool to this level, the weight of the Skimmer will buckle the Wall under the Skimmer hole.

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Step 3

The Wall Gasket is double layered with a slot on the outside edge. Place the gasket around the Skimmer hole so that one layer is on the inside Wall (between the Wall and the Liner) and the other layer is on the outside of the Wall.

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Step 4

Place and hold the Skimmer on the outside of the Wall and over the hole.

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Step 5

Have another person place the Face Place on the inside of the Wall and when it is lined up with the hole, poke a screw into a corner hole of the Face Plate, through the liner and inside gasket, through the screw hole in the Wall, through the outside gasket and into the hole in the corner of the Skimmer. Repeat for the other three corners and firm up the screws. Use a hand screwdriver for this operation not a power drill. If you cross thread these screws into the Skimmer, you will not get a tight fit and the Skimmer will leak and corrode your pool Wall.

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Step 6

Complete mounting the Skimmer by screwing in all the inner screws around the Face Plate.

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Step 7

After the Skimmer is fully mounted, cut a small x in the Liner inside the Face Plate. Work this cut out to the inside edge of the Face Plate and cut out the section of the Liner inside the Face Plate. Be careful not to cut the Gasket.

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Step 8

Connect the Skimmer to your Pool Pump using the flexible hose provided with the Pool Pump.

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Comments

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(1 to 8 of 8)

 Posted: 10/3/2018 

Hello Marlene - The hole for the skimmer is already pre-cut. You do not have to cut a hole. The steps in the guide and the video explain how to mount the skimmer.
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 Posted: 10/3/2018 

Hello Marlene - above ground pools come with pre-cut holes for the return and for skimmer placements. There is no cutting required. We cover this skimmer installation in the video, with step by step instruction. Give it a look.
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 Posted: 10/3/2018 

So do you cut a hole in your above ground pool to put in a skimmer??? Explain more detailed how it mounts.
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 Posted: 5/11/2018 

The gasket goes between the wall and liner.
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Anonymous  Posted: 5/11/2018 

Shouldn't the gasket be between the faceplate and the liner?
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Anonymous  Posted: 3/1/2013 

Jets and Returns - You should have a set of valves around your pool equipment that you would use to circulate water in your Spa and Pool. The Spa jets are usually labeled Spa or Jets and the pool jets are labeled Returns. If they are not labeled, you may have to open the valves one at a time to see what happens. Just make sure that at least one line to the pump is open and one line from the pump is open.
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Anonymous  Posted: 2/28/2013 

How do you turn on the jets in a inground jacuzzi and also the jets to circulate water in q inground pool Thank you
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Anonymous  Posted: 7/14/2012 

thanks for the info
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