Description

The SkimPro #8X is an extended expansion plug for 1-1/2 inch pipe. It is the plug that goes into open lines when a pool is closed, so water cannot sit in the plumbing over the winter.

How it works

The plug is a rubber sleeve between two plates, drawn together by a stainless steel bolt and a wing nut. Turning the nut squashes the rubber, which expands sideways against the pipe wall and grips. The extended body puts that seal deeper in the line rather than right at the opening.

Materials

Heavy duty nylon, stainless steel and rubber, all chosen so nothing rusts or seizes while it sits in a wet line through a cold season. The wing nut is rated by the manufacturer as turning easier and holding around 50 percent tighter than a conventional plug.

At closing

Set it snug, not brutal. The seal comes from the rubber expanding, and there is nothing gained by leaning on the wing nut once the plug has clearly bitten.