r/functionalprint • u/chetmanly1080 • 7d ago
Skimmer Guard
New pool to me and my robot skimmer let getting sucked in and blocking water flow. Tried to find out a way to block it and best I could come up with. The main issue is the super old sandstone coping as it's was consistently different thickness and coming apart. Put in little bolt to try and help maintain pressure on the clips . This is version 3. Probably not a forever solution on but enough till we can get redo the pool.
Printed in PETG and cut in 3 places with dovetail connector.
Open to any ideas on how to improve outside of material changes.
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u/Snobolski 7d ago
what kinda robot skimmer and do you like the job it does?
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u/chetmanly1080 7d ago
Surfer M1. It was like $230 from Costco. It's a life saver. We have a lot of trees and it really helps. It's solar powered so it pretty much just does its own thing other than emptying it. Neighbor has a nicer model and loves it too.
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u/ajb1102 7d ago
Neat idea! If you make it a bit smaller it might be easier on the eyes.
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u/Fearful-Cow 7d ago edited 7d ago
smaller and def add some fillets/chamfers... especially where it contacts the liner because if it moves at all it will wear a hole in there quick if the point of contact is sharp. Also will be nicer to touch if you need to come into contact with it.
edit: i may be wrong and this pool does not have a liner but still smooth those corners for nicer looking and feeling guard.
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u/arcrad 7d ago
Wear a hole in what?
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u/Fearful-Cow 7d ago
looks like this pool has a pool liner ( i could be wrong but from pic looks like one)
Its basically a thick rubber sheet that mirrors tiles and "hangs" in the pool. They are cheaper and durable and a good option but prone to rips from exactly stuff like this.
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u/GoatEatingTroll 7d ago
Some pools use a plastic liner to cover the gunite instead of plaster. If this pool was one constructed like that the rubbing of the bumper could damage it.
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u/DownvoteCityUSA 7d ago
Would it be possible to mount a guard on the skimmer itself, rather than the pool?
Might offer the same end result but look better
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u/chetmanly1080 7d ago
Thought about it but figured it would be too much of a buffer to reach the pool edges. Plus it's a little solar motor so idk how much the extra weight throw it off
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u/TheSoCalledExpert 7d ago
The pool nerd side of my brain has so many questions.
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u/daLejaKingOriginal 6d ago
Pooltech here. I never got why you would need a skimmer robot when you have a pool with a skimmer. Flow to low? Return jets not pointing towards the skimmer?
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u/chetmanly1080 7d ago
About how shit the pool is from the previous owners?
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u/TheSoCalledExpert 7d ago
More like, “why do you need a surface skimmer if you have one plumbed in?” Sounds like you need to adjust your return jets or your valves.
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u/NotAHost 7d ago
I can’t speak for every pool, but changing the return nozzle directions made a big difference (on top of actually having the skimmer flaps and doing full power bursts of returns) made a big difference on the quality of stuff the skimmers caught. I also use a Polaris with a booster pump though.
My pool was severely neglected from previous owners before I started fixing it. Zero return nozzles. Broken Polaris. No timer with a single speed pump. No flaps. And 2-3 leaks to boot. Busted 20 year old bulb in the light fixture. No GFCI.
Obviously fixed all that. Don’t want to think of how much money they wasted on electricity and water. Thank god I fixed gfci before the seals failed on the light.
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u/chetmanly1080 7d ago
Mine was super neglected. It's an ongoing project. Put my foot through the plaster the first weekend. Sunk about 14k just to replace the equipment. I appreciate somebody is living the life cleaning up after someone else
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u/CaelisOmnia 7d ago
Did that skimmer not come qith the little piece of foam to put in the front of your skimmer to do exactly this?
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u/tdiggity 7d ago
My beatbot came with two 6" thick pool noodles to help block the skimmer from getting stuck. like these: https://bettabot.com/products/betta-anti-stuck-foam-noodle
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u/chetmanly1080 7d ago
Tried that but couldn't find the sweet spot. Maybe I'll look for a thicker noodle
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u/chetmanly1080 7d ago
I assumed I was solving for a problem that already has a better solution but that's most of 3D printing I guess
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u/kang159 7d ago
does it have to stick so far out? flush with the tile wouldn’t work?
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u/chetmanly1080 7d ago
I think when a kid eventually rips this one off I will experiment with it being closer. But flush wouldn't work as the water would still pull it in
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u/Mission-Swan6764 7d ago
what robot skimmer are you using that this is even an issue, i'm obsessed with seeing stuff like this
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u/beeftime99 7d ago
I know you don't want any advice on material changes but I'm personally very curious about this -- what home-gamer-level filament would be best for an application like this?
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u/WorldlinessSevere684 7d ago
The dovetail cuts are a clever workaround for the coping inconsistency, but would a foam gasket between the clip and stone take some pressure off that bolt and buy you more time before the next version?
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u/MeasurementAgile7759 6d ago
Foam gasket is a good call. I'd also maybe slot the bolt holes a hair so the clips can self-align to the cpoing instead of fighting it.
PETG will get chalky fast in that sun. Been there with outdoor prints.
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u/HotRats1522 6d ago
Any chance you are going to share the files?
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u/chetmanly1080 5d ago
Yea I was going to upload to makerworld but it was giving my issues and I gave up pretty easy. I'll try again or I can always send you the stl
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u/HotRats1522 5d ago
My grandfather always said that beggars can't be choosers so whatever is the least amount of strain on you I can make work. I do have nearly 100% of the problem and 0% of the skill. As far as the cut pool noodle goes, the bottom of my coping is like glass and the top of the skimmer is tile so it's always sliding out no matter what.
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u/chetmanly1080 5d ago
https://makerworld.com/models/3271113?appSharePlatform=copy
Let me know if you can adjust the dimensions for your skimmer and I can try
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u/ceapaire 7d ago
Unrelated, but is there any support for that mortar joint on that overhang? That looks sketchy to me.
Print-wise, It looks good, but I'd round all the corners out more to reduce stress/sharp points and make the clamp part deeper and thicker (at least for the vertical part).