DIY Skimmate Container

[lefkonj]

I just can't imagine five gallons of skimmate! Stinky!!!!

The 5 gallon never gets full, it may get to 3 but then it hits the float valve. The carbon in the top stops it from smelling, not really noticeable at all. I have also had that save my butt a few times, when my skimmer went nuts and drained 3 gallons quickly, turned off and informed me of the issue.

 

[mrehfeld]

Paul your genius is in the simplicity of the solutions your provide

 

[Paul B]

My simplicity comes from cheapness and ease of building using stuff I already have laying around

 

[fatoldsun]

... and for the shut off switch I just brought two wires from the GFCI that controls the pump to the bucket. The neutral and the ground. When the water hits those wires, the GFCI trips and the pump stops.

Wow that's genius - not that GFIs are cheap but still beats an APEX for sure. How do you have that set up - do you use a dummy plug to a wire and have exposed end in the bucket or just a lead from the neutral terminal and the ground? And did you create a secondary outlet like an extension cord or is that your power source? I'm really interested in this for other stuff too - it's a fantastic failsafe.

 

[Paul B]

You can do it a couple of ways. Take a three wire male plug and connect a 2 wire cord to it. Just connect it to the neutral and ground terminals in the plug. The other ends of the wire you can skin a little and put in some type of container, I use an old film container with holes in it or you can just let the wires dangle in your bucket so when the water hits the two wires, the GFCI should trip. Depending on the GFCI, sometimes this does not work and you have to modify it a little. If that doesn't work, you need to use the hot wire from the back of the GFCI that reads "Load", connect that to a small light bulb like 7 watts or so. Take the other wire from the bulb and bring it to the bucket at the water line where you want to shut off. Take a ground wire from the same GFCI, not the neutral, but the ground which goes on the green screw and bring that down to the same place in the bucket. Put those two bare wires into a plastic container with holes in it. I usually fill the film container with hot melt glue so that just the bare wires are sticking out of the glue, but keep the wires "inside" the container so you don't touch them as one of those wires will be live. When the water hits it, the GFCI will trip but try the first suggestion first as it is safer and usually works. Plug your pump into that same GFCI and when the water hits the container, the thing will go off. I have these all over my house. Neither one of these is actually legal so I didn't tell you and you don't know me.