Are automatic pool skimmers worth buying?
- Thread starter syedsam
- Start date
Manikshaw
Member
They help with surface debris especially leaves and bugs. They won’t replace full cleaning but they reduce daily work.
Zephyr
Member
I use one during fall and it saves time. It fills up fast when leaves drop, so you still need to empty it often.
Freddie
Member
They work best in calm pools. If your pool has strong returns or lots of wind performance can drop.
Henry Graham
Member
I grabbed one last year because I was sick of the daily leaf and bug scoop, especially in the fall when the trees here just dump everything at once. At first it felt like a win. Surface looked cleaner during the day, less stuff sinking right away. But after a couple busy weekends I realized the pool still didn’t look great overall, even though the top was clear.
The issue for me was that the skimmer was only handling what you could see. Fine debris, pollen, oils from higher bather load were still hanging in the water. Filter pressure would slowly climb and the pool had that dull look, even with decent circulation. That’s when I started pairing the skimmer with an occasional reset. I used aquadoc flocculant after heavy debris days, shut the pump off overnight, and vacuumed the settled gunk the next morning. Pressure dropped a few psi and the water finally looked clean all the way through, not just on top.
So yeah, automatic skimmers aren’t a gimmick, but they’re not magic either. They’re great for reducing daily annoyance and keeping junk from sinking. Just don’t expect them to solve water clarity by themselves. Once I treated them as a helper instead of a fix, they actually felt worth it. Anyone else notice surface clean vs actual clear are two very different things?
The issue for me was that the skimmer was only handling what you could see. Fine debris, pollen, oils from higher bather load were still hanging in the water. Filter pressure would slowly climb and the pool had that dull look, even with decent circulation. That’s when I started pairing the skimmer with an occasional reset. I used aquadoc flocculant after heavy debris days, shut the pump off overnight, and vacuumed the settled gunk the next morning. Pressure dropped a few psi and the water finally looked clean all the way through, not just on top.
So yeah, automatic skimmers aren’t a gimmick, but they’re not magic either. They’re great for reducing daily annoyance and keeping junk from sinking. Just don’t expect them to solve water clarity by themselves. Once I treated them as a helper instead of a fix, they actually felt worth it. Anyone else notice surface clean vs actual clear are two very different things?
Mark Moore
Member
What Manikshaw and Zephyr shared sums it up well. Those devices work better as a daily helper, not a full replacement for manual cleaning. I’ve found the biggest benefit during heavy leaf or bug days, since the surface stays cleaner with less effort, even though you still have to empty and check it regularly.
Giulia Durand
New member
Reading what Henry Graham explained about the difference between surface clean and overall water clarity, I totally agree. I tried one of those floating units during heavy leaf season and it did help catch debris before it sank. But with high bather load or windy days, it can’t replace proper circulation and filtration. For me it’s more of a helper so I’m not grabbing the skimmer every afternoon, not a full solution. It really depends on your expectations, if you just want to reduce daily manual work, it can be worth it.
Andrew Coleman
Member
I’ve messed around with a couple of them over the years and the biggest thing nobody told me is you have to think about your return flow pattern. On my pool the returns were angled pretty aggressively to keep surface movement up, and the floating skimmer kept getting pushed into one corner like it was in time out. Once I dialed the eyeballs down a bit and created more of a slow circular surface current, it actually started grabbing leaves consistently instead of just spinning.
Also worth checking your main skimmer weir door and overall skimmer suction before buying anything. When my filter pressure creeps 6 to 8 psi over clean baseline, surface pull drops off a lot and debris just hangs there. After a proper backwash on my sand filter and making sure the pump basket wasnt half clogged, the built in skimmer did way better and I didn’t rely on the floating unit as much.
So are they worth it? If your pool gets constant leaf drop or you’re not home during the day, they can keep stuff from sinking and staining. But if circulation and filter maintenance arent dialed in, they kind of just mask the real issue. Sometimes tweaking flow and keeping pressure in check gives you 80 percent of the benefit without another gadget in the water. Anyone tried running one with a variable speed pump at lower RPMs to see if it tracks better?
Also worth checking your main skimmer weir door and overall skimmer suction before buying anything. When my filter pressure creeps 6 to 8 psi over clean baseline, surface pull drops off a lot and debris just hangs there. After a proper backwash on my sand filter and making sure the pump basket wasnt half clogged, the built in skimmer did way better and I didn’t rely on the floating unit as much.
So are they worth it? If your pool gets constant leaf drop or you’re not home during the day, they can keep stuff from sinking and staining. But if circulation and filter maintenance arent dialed in, they kind of just mask the real issue. Sometimes tweaking flow and keeping pressure in check gives you 80 percent of the benefit without another gadget in the water. Anyone tried running one with a variable speed pump at lower RPMs to see if it tracks better?