How to Repair Cracked Swimming Pool Skimmer

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Pool skimmer crack/repair

Thread starter badluck
Start date Sep 5, 2018

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Skimmer replacement is pretty much the only permanent fix or you can keep patching as you have been.

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Flexseal?? No clue about skimmer repair, but might be worth a shot. Looks like a bitch to change the whole bucket

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Based on the photos you may have some other issues with the ground moving in the area of the skimmer. Call a reputable leak detection company and they'll figure it out. Do you have an autofill? How's your water bill been?

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I always know when it starts leaking. Water drops 1/2"per day. No auto water-fill. I thought about trying to plastic weld it.

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Plastic weld will only give you temporary fix. No different then epoxy, silicones etc
Note you would have to find out if abs or pvc skimmer body. Yes different skimmers are different material.
By looking at pics you have movement in that area, and leaking water is certainly not gonna help that situation.
Skimmer replace is typically 1200-1500 range.
Is there any other cracks in Pool wall, deck lifting/shifting. Trees near that area or hillsides?

Edit: no way is anyone matching that stamped deck. If replace, best would be cut area, replace skimmer, then do matching stone and just carry it equally both sides of lid to look natural and not a repair

Edit #2 JB weld is another temp fix, underwater epoxies are nothing new
900psi cure strength is shit for a structure. The skimmer is part of the structure of the pool. If the movement made Shotcrete/guntite fail that is min 3500psi usually closer to 5000psi + for most after full cure. Do you really think the glue band aid will fix it, lmao

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No other cracks in that area. Pool deck is pretty sound. Matching the stamped concrete is pretty much out. I know the colors and stamp but I'm sure it would be better if I placed stone around it.

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How do you keep the new skimmer from leaking where it meets the bond beam?

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When the new skimmer box is put in place and you epoxy rebar in the bond beam of pool to hold it in there is there any substance between the front of the skimmer and pool. Looks like some white material in your picture.

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Add water once a week when it's leaking. Once every few weeks when I fix it.

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When the new skimmer box is put in place and you epoxy rebar in the bond beam of pool to hold it in there is there any substance between the front of the skimmer and pool. Looks like some white material in your picture.

Pool plaster is what we use to seal the joint.

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When the new skimmer box is put in place and you epoxy rebar in the bond beam of pool to hold it in there is there any substance between the front of the skimmer and pool. Looks like some white material in your picture.

Are you talking about the top throat of skimmer to bond beam?
Depends of Pool and previous set back from structure. Some may but directly up to coping some may be further back. When there is set back like we had in this one. We used slate and set over the opening. The white is an epoxy based material to hold slate until pavers got reset. Sometimes we use stainless steel. If it was new construction or deck getting replaced we can form and float concrete over that small area. Just like it is on your coping floated over the opening. That section has zero to do with structure or leak. Vertical wall in throat and horizontal floor of throat are important connections to structure. Or broken skimmers, like you have. Hope that makes sense. Regardless this isn't a job for a do it yourselfer if that's what your considering.

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Sell the house and let it be someone else's problem

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I'm thinking I could tackle it. My concern is where the pvc/abs skimmer meets the pool is like a cold joint. What seals the 2 together? The tile butts into the skimmer. Seems like that would be a leak. I've done some pool plumbing,some concrete, lots of digging, chipping, tile,and stone. We actually did this pool deck.

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I had a leak detection guy out about a month ago to fix a leak in my spa wall going into the pool and he mentioned that one contributing factor to skimmer failures is chlorine tablets in them. Something about the heavy concentrate over time eats away at them. Just thought I'd share that since you had one in there.

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Salt pool. No chlorine here. But thanks for the info.

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I'm thinking I could tackle it. My concern is where the pvc/abs skimmer meets the pool is like a cold joint. What seals the 2 together? The tile butts into the skimmer. Seems like that would be a leak

. As I stated above we use plaster, usually try and leave about 3/4" between the pool wall and the new skimmer as you are mixing the bags of concrete fill the hole to the bottom of the skimmer throat then wet one of the concrete bags and roll it up tight slide it under the skimmer half way then fold it up one side do the same on the other finish filling the hole to the height you need, as the concrete starts to set pull the bags out that will leave you with about an inch and a half void on the bottom and sides of the skimmer, mix up a hot batch of plaster and pack it in this void and then tile over to finish. We do about 3 skimmers a week around Orange County.