1. Field of the Invention
Embodiments of the present disclosure relate to wall-mounted pool water skimmers for above-ground pools (AGPs) and, more particularly, to skimmers mounted by a thread-and-nut system. The present disclosure further relates to methods for attaching a pool water skimmer to a vertical wall of an AGP.
2. Background of the Art
Above-ground pools and cleaning systems for AGPs are known in the art. Typically, AGPs are constructed of steel, resin, plastic, or other materials. AGPs generally are constructed using a perimeter frame, of various designs, with a heavy plastic, vinyl, or fabric liner to contain water. Additionally, AGPs may be collapsible to enable convenient storage, and they may include portals. Typically, AGPs are constructed entirely above ground. So, in a typical configuration, a suitably level site is chosen, and the pool is assembled and filled in place.
Typically, AGPs include a skimmer system. Traditional wall-mounted skimmer systems for AGPs include a skimmer basket on one side of the vertical wall and a bracket placed on the other side of the wall such that the skimmer basket and bracket are joined through a hole in the vertical wall. Generally, the skimmer basket and bracket are attached to a vertical wall of the AGP with a number of screws, and they are sealed with one or more gaskets or seals. Accordingly, in a typical configuration, the vertical wall and the seals are sandwiched between the bracket and the skimmer basket, and the skimmer system is sealed through the compression provided by the screws. In various traditional skimmer systems, the intake to the skimmer is provided with a weir that allows solids (e.g., leaves, branches, pool toys, large insects) to enter the skimmer unit while preventing the solids from exiting the skimmer and going back into the pool.
But traditional skimmer systems are problematic. They are difficult and time-consuming to install because of the number of screws (or other fastening means) necessary to secure the skimmer basket and bracket to the vertical wall while creating a watertight seal. Further, the compression provided by the screws often fails to create a watertight seal as the force provided by the screws, which are dispersed apart from one another, is not uniform across the surface of the bracket, skimmer basket, or vertical wall.
Thus it would be desirable to develop an improved skimmer system for an above-ground pool that is easy and convenient to install, and that provides an improved watertight seal. It is to the foregoing that the present disclosure is primarily directed.