EXCAVATING AND SETTING THE SKIMMER

Prior to setting the skimmer you must first determine the surface level of the water in the pond. Once you have this number you can excavate for the Skimmer. The excavation should be a few inches wider and longer than the Skimmer body. Find your model number below to determine the approximate depth of the hole below water level. *Do not dig too deep.* The skimmer should be set on undisturbed earth if possible. In the case that you over-dig, be sure to compact the soil thoroughly to prevent settling. The bottom of the hole should be level side-to-side and front-to-back.

Place the skimmer enclosure into the excavated hole. Check the top of the enclosure to make sure that it is level front-to-back and side-to-side. Check where your pre-determined water level falls on the face of the skimmer enclosure. Water level needs to be between 1 ¼” and 1 ½” below the top of the opening for the weir door.

Make sure that any unexcavated soil that is left in front of the Skimmer is at least 10” below water level. This will ensure that there is enough room for the weir door to be installed and function properly.

Before you go any further into the Skimmer installation, it is a good idea to place a few stones inside the Skimmer enclosure to weigh it down and keep it from moving.

Install the 1 ½” solid support tube and begin backfilling. The support tube must be in place for the enclosure to retain its shape during the backfilling process. Loosely backfill the enclosure on all sides, lightly compacting as you go. Do not over-compact the soil! Aggressive compaction may deform the enclosure and cause components to fit improperly.

ATTACHING THE LINER

Hold the liner up against the face of the Skimmer, allowing a minimum of 2” to extend above the top of the enclosure. Leave some excess slack in the liner below the weir opening. This will help alleviate any future strain on the liner connection. Make sure that the front surface of the Skimmer, and the back side of the liner, are clean and free of debris. When you are satisfied with the position of the liner, clip it in place with the provided spring clips.

With a sharp razor knife, cut a hole in the liner for the weir door using the hole in the face of the skimmer as a guide.

When you are finished, remove the spring clips and pull the liner away from the face of the skimmer. Apply fish-safe silicone around the weir door opening on all four sides. Apply the silicone in a consistent bead approximately ¾” away from the opening itself. Once you are finished, you can return the liner to its original position and replace the spring clips.

ATTACHING THE WEIR DOOR

Unlatch the weir door and lower the door to its fully open position. Insert the weir door assembly into the Skimmer opening. The weir door will not simply slip right into place. With one hand push the bottom of the weir door frame tight against the Skimmer face. With the other hand gently push down on the weir door latch until it clears the top of the opening. Once it does, simply push the weir door assembly into the Skimmer opening until the frame rests against the face of the enclosure.

Line up the holes of the weir door frame with the holes in the Skimmer face. Use a nail or an awl to help line up the holes and pierce the liner in the top corners. Loosely fasten the top corners using two of the supplied 1/4-20 machine screws and serrated flange nuts. Next, install two screws in the bottom corners of the weir door frame. Once you have the weir door tacked at the corners you can install the rest of the screws. Do not fully tighten any screws until all of the screws have been installed.

Use your fingers to hold the flange nut and a hand held screwdriver to tighten the screws. The serrations on the flange nut will grab the plastic enclosure once it makes contact, eliminating the need to use a wrench. Use caution when tightening the screws. The screws need only be snug for the silicone to make a seal.

PLUMBING THE SKIMMER

Skimmers are packaged with pump outlets predrilled in either side of the enclosures. The holes are sized to accept up to a 2” flexible PVC pipe. Insert the pipe into the hole on whichever side of the Skimmer is most compatible with your application. The pump outlets are drilled above water level, so there is no need for this to be a water tight connection. The pre-drilled hole that is not being utilized can simply be blocked off with a flat stone on the outside of the enclosure.

It is recommended that you install an AWG Check Valve Assembly between the pump and the outlet pipe. The check valve will prevent the FilterFalls from draining when the pump is turned off.

There are drill-points provided on the sides of the skimmer to show the proper location for the installation of an Auto-fill valve (not included).

See the Auto-fill installation instructions for more information.

There are also drill-points provided on the back of the skimmer to show the proper location and elevation for the installation of an overflow (not included). See the overflow installation instructions on page 18 for more information.

None Pro Series Skimmers come with a pre-drilled pump outlet. Not having a pre-drilled pump outlet gives the professional installer the flexibility to choose which side of the enclosure to exit and with what size pipe. Drill points have been provided on all Big Bahama models to show the proper location for drilling the outlet. Information has been provided below for each Skimmer model to show where to drill the hole, what size hole saw to use, and the maximum pipe size that each model will accept. Use the proper drill-point to ensure that the pipe outlet is above water level.

It is recommended that you install an AWG Check Valve Assembly between the pump and the outlet pipe. The check valve will prevent the FilterFalls from draining when the pump is turned off.

There are drill-points provided on the sides of all Pro Series Skimmer models to show the proper location for the installation of an Auto-fill valve (not included). See the Auto-fill installation instructions for more information.

There are also drill-points provided on the back of all Pro Series Skimmer models to show the proper location and elevation for the installation of an overflow (not included). See the overflow installation instructions on page 18 for more information.