There it is. Floating quietly. Collecting leaves. Trapping bugs. Pulling in that one Band-Aid that somehow always finds its way into the water. The pool skimmer never complains.
It just does the work.
You, on the other hand, keep forgetting it’s there.
Why the skimmer matters more than you think
You might assume the filter is doing all the heavy lifting. That’s half true. But your skimmer is the front-line defense. It catches debris before it can sink, rot, and mess up your chemistry. Ignore it for a few days and you’re not just looking at gross water. You’re looking at extra chlorine costs and possible algae blooms.
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The skimmer basket is not self-cleaning
You know this. You just keep hoping maybe today’s different. Spoiler: it’s not. Pull the basket, dump the gunk, rinse it out. It takes one minute. If it’s full of leaves, your pump has to work harder. If it’s full of bugs, well, so is your water.
Check the weir flap. Yes, that weird thing
That little flappy piece at the mouth of the pool skimmer? It has a name. The weir. It’s there to create a small waterfall effect and trap floating debris. If it’s stuck or missing, your skimmer is basically just a hole.
Make sure it swings freely. If it doesn’t, clean it. If it’s broken, replace it. They’re cheap. You’ll thank yourself later.
Skimmer maintenance = less gross stuff = less work
Letting your skimmer go unchecked is like skipping brushing your teeth and then wondering why your mouth feels weird. Stay on top of it, and your whole pool benefits. Your chlorine lasts longer. Your filter lives longer. Your weekend becomes a little less “maintenance” and a little more “lounging.”
Even the skimmer deserves a little appreciation.
