The present invention relates generally to skimmers for swimming pools and spas.
Conventional swimming pool filtration systems include a skimmer for removing floating debris from the surface of the water. The skimmer typically includes a skimmer mouth or opening in the pool wall adjacent the top surface of the water. The opening is connected to a passageway which extends through the pool wall to a filtration basket which catches large particles such as leaves, thereby removing them from the pool and keeping them from the water re-circulation lines. Water which exits the pool through the skimmer passageway subsequently is drawn into the main filter in order to remove small particles. The filtered water is then re-circulated back into the pool through return lines.
When closing a pool for the winter, it is important to empty the skimmer to prevent damage due to freezing. One method of emptying the skimmer is by draining the pool until the water level is below the lower edge of the skimmer mouth or opening. Another technique is to cover the opening into the skimmer, thereby preventing the entry of water, and then draining any remaining water from the skimmer line. When a cover is used, it must be leak-proof over a broad range of ambient temperatures.
Some prior known cover assemblies for pool skimmers require a specific type of face plate to be installed over the skimmer opening. A cover is then removably mounted over the peripheral edge of the face plate. It would be useful to develop a skimmer seal which provides for water-tight sealing of the skimmer opening and does not require use of a specific type of face plate.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a novel skimmer seal that will prevent ice damage to the skimmer and avoid requiring the water level of the pool to be reduced when the pool is winterized.
A further object is to provide such a skimmer seal that can be installed and removed quickly and easily.
Another object is to provide a seal which can be used on skimmers that do not have face plates.
A further object is to provide a sea and which can be adapted for some variation in the dimensioning of the flow passage.
A further object is to provide a seal that can be installed and removed from a skimmer without tools.