Skimmer popped out of the ground

[anubias]

My skimmer popped out of the ground after a recent rain storm. I guess the groundwater pushed it out. It didn't tear the liner but it sure will be difficult to reinstall. Any ideas on how to keep this from recurring? I weigh 200 lbs and it takes all my weight to sink it. I am wondering how to anchor it in the ground.

Thanks

 

[koikeepr]

What kinda skimmer is it? How was it installed?

 

[anubias]

It is a Pondmaster ProLine 5000, link below
http://www.petsolutions.com/ProLine-Skimmer+I25002475+C40001609.aspx

The contractor dug a hole adjacent to pond, set skimmer in place and backfilled with earth, then liner was attached to front per manufacturers instructions.

 

[koikeepr]

Have you called your contractor and told him what's happened?

So, you had your skimmer in the ground only and not attached to any cinderblock or cemented in place? That really isn't not an acceptable method of installation, just sitting in the ground like for a number of reasons--1) the water table/rain upending it as you have experienced and 2) frost heaving it out of place.

I would call that contractor and expect him to fix it properly. He needs to to set it in cement so that it doesn't budge.

 

[anubias]

None of the installation guides I read said anything about setting the skimmer in concrete. I watched numerous videos on skimmer installation and none were in concrete. In fact, I didn't see anything except a skimmer box setting on soil in every video I watched.

I did not tell the contractor to set the skimmer in concrete so I may have a hard time convincing him to do so. Live and learn, I guess I'll be moving some coping rocks and draining some water to get this skimmer reset and properly anchored.

 

[DrCase]

How big of a rain did you get ?
Did rain water get over your pond ?

 

[anubias]

We got 3 inches of rain, maybe 3.5. The water did not overflow the pond but apparently it was enough to raise the water table. I know the basement has been incredibly wet this past winter and early spring. Our forecast is pretty dreary the rest of the week, I guess the skimmer can wait a few days till the forecast is better. I'll dig out around it and backfill with concrete, hopefully that will hold it down.
I have considered digging a shallow well to relieve some of the hydrostatic pressure from the high water table. I could use the water on the lawn and possibly in the pond or could send it down the storm sewer.

 

[nigil]

My skimmer is on 2 cinder blocks with pea gravel around them ,halfway up the skimmer, and then a mix of top soil and clay(its like concrete) We got 3 inches of rain a few weeks ago and no problems at all.....

 

[Otter]

I've never heard of a skimmer floating in the earth before, but for shifting soil in general, you can use unsorted crushed stone instead of concrete. This is variously known as dense grade aggregate, crusher run, and crush and run. As the latter two names imply, it's the raw product of the rock crusher and is made of limestone gravel of various sizes all the way down to fine dust. The fines will fill in the gaps between the larger bits, and once you tamp it well, it's not likely to shift.

I'd put a few inches of crusher in the bottom of the hole, tamp it level, put the skimmer in, and then backfill partway with more crusher, tamp again, and top off with dirt. The last few inches should be earth to make sure the limestone dust never gets in the pond.

 

[DoDad]

Was the skimmer filled with water when this happened?

 

[anubias]

Yes, the skimmer was full of water, pump was running, door was working properly and pond was full.

We have a high water table, I just never thought my skimmer with such a small footprint would float out of the ground.

In this area, pre-formed in ground pools must be kept full during wet weather to prevent them from floating out.