# Are pool skimmers dangerous to children? *Neighbor vent*



## NocturnalDaze (Jul 3, 2002)

Our apartment complex has a pool skimmer like this: 



 (you can see it 12 seconds in)
on the hot tub. Right now the hot tub is not working so it is actually cold and some of the kids have been using it as a wading pool. They weren't bothering anyone because no one else was using it.

Anyway, my daughter was playing with the pool skimmer. She took out the basket and dumped out the contents and she was basically playing around with it. Now, this is the only area in the entire pool area where I cannot see her because there is a pillar there that holds up the roof over the hot tub. Even if I could see her, I'm not sure that I would have made a big deal about it because I didn't think what she was doing was hurting anything.

This is bugging me because now I'm being "publicly" chastised on Myspace by the 75 year old woman who stopped her from playing with the skimmer. She's ranting on about how I wasn't even watching my child, blah, blah, blah.







I knew where she was, I just didn't see EXACTLY what she was doing.

I'm curious to know how dangerous this was for my daughter to have been doing? There is no lock on the cover stopping her from doing it. The cover is not screwed down. Could she have been hurt badly? I was under the impression that there was just a bit of suction below the basket and nothing more dangerous than that. Am I wrong?


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## pranamama (Nov 6, 2002)

bumping out of curiosity????


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## trinity6232000 (Dec 2, 2001)

I don't own a hot tub, or have access to one, so I've never researched it myself. I do remember hearing about children being electrocuted, and drowning accidents being attributed to skimmers.

Or am I confusing a skimmer with a pool filter?


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## kwg (Oct 3, 2007)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *trinity6232000* 
I don't own a hot tub, or have access to one, so I've never researched it myself. I do remember hearing about children being electrocuted, and drowning accidents being attributed to skimmers.

Or am I confusing a skimmer with a pool filter?

After reading that i got curious so i watched the first part of the video. as a kid we were always pulling that thing out







. not on a hot tub but @ the pool.......even now toys get in there, it was a game w/ ds for a long time to collect them.
i did find this......maybe thats what she's going on about?

http://www.docep.wa.gov.au/Corporate..._could_ki.html


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## Marsupialmom (Sep 28, 2003)

Some pool skimmers have chlorine in them. Also if you brake the basket it could cause to large of pieces to go into the filter and damage the filter.

I doubt a public pool would have chemicals in the skimmer but I wouldn't allow my child to play and remove the basket because some other place might.

One thing I would be afraid of if the lid isn't on someone stepping into the skimmer and getting hurt. It is kind of like a man hole.

Now It wasn't right to chastise your dd but I would have said something politely to you. My parents use to own and pool company and we made big money fixing to big of an object in filter. I know of one case were pipes had to be dug up.

If it was my own pool not much of a problem but not at a public pool.


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## mzfern (Nov 16, 2004)

The disturbing part of your post was that your child was playing in/near water and you couldn't see her 100%. That sounds like a recipe for disaster, no matter how old she is/how good of a swimmer/etc.

I have no idea about playing with the skimmer??


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## fek&fuzz (Jun 19, 2005)

It's part of the pool and she should not be playing with it. Not because it could harm her, but because it serves a function on the pool and if she breaks it or forgets to put it back, or even while she's playing with it things could get into the filter and break the filter. Maybe you could buy her a basket to play with at the pool.


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## NocturnalDaze (Jul 3, 2002)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *kwg* 
After reading that i got curious so i watched the first part of the video. as a kid we were always pulling that thing out







. not on a hot tub but @ the pool.......even now toys get in there, it was a game w/ ds for a long time to collect them.
i did find this......maybe thats what she's going on about?

http://www.docep.wa.gov.au/Corporate..._could_ki.html

I know! I saw that when I was searching. Crazy!

Quote:


Originally Posted by *mzfern* 
The disturbing part of your post was that your child was playing in/near water and you couldn't see her 100%. That sounds like a recipe for disaster, no matter how old she is/how good of a swimmer/etc.

I have no idea about playing with the skimmer??

Nope, not really disturbing at all. Like I said, I could see her, I just couldn't specifically see what she was doing because she was leaning over the side of the tub.

Quote:


Originally Posted by *fek&fuzz* 
It's part of the pool and she should not be playing with it. Not because it could harm her, but because it serves a function on the pool and if she breaks it or forgets to put it back, or even while she's playing with it things could get into the filter and break the filter. Maybe you could buy her a basket to play with at the pool.


I understand that it serves a function for the pool. However, the woman's cheif complaint was that it could have caused injury to my child. I'm just wondering if that is in fact true.

Thanks for all of your replies!


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## mzfern (Nov 16, 2004)

Quote:

Now, this is the only area in the entire pool area *where I cannot see her* because there is a pillar there that holds up the roof over the hot tub
.
Bolding mine. You said it, not me, mama.

On the skimmer issue, I agree with fek&fuzz.


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