Description

Pentair 506162 is the equalizer valve assembly for Bermuda gunite skimmers and the white goods kits supplied for them. It is the genuine Pentair assembly.

What the equalizer line is for

A skimmer draws from the surface, which works right up until the pool level drops below the skimmer throat. At that point the skimmer starts pulling air and the pump loses prime. The equalizer line runs from the skimmer down to a fitting in the pool wall below the water line, and the valve in the skimmer floor is what opens that path when the surface flow stops.

Why it gets replaced

The valve is a moving part sitting in a concrete skimmer full of debris. It gets fouled, it sticks, and its seal hardens. The skimmer body will outlast several of them. Replacing the whole assembly rather than trying to free a stuck valve is the reliable fix.