Do I Need a Pool Skimmer? The Decision Table by Pool Type

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Do I need a pool skimmer? Yes, for any in-ground or permanent above-ground pool, unless it has an overflow edge doing the job. NSW Health’s advisory document says ideally 75–80% of pool water is drawn from the surface. For a 50,000 L pool turned over in 8 hours, that is about 78–83 litres a minute.

The short answer

Why the surface: NSW Health’s public-pool advisory says surface water carries the highest concentration of body fats, oils, sunscreen and windblown debris, and that ideally 75–80% of pool water should be taken from it. Queensland Health says ‘the majority’.
The surface-draw sum: a 50,000 L pool turned over in 8 hours moves about 104 L/min; 75–80% of that is 78–83 L/min through the skimmer and 21–26 L/min through the floor. In 6 hours, 104–111 L/min.
The rule is AS 1926.3-2010. South Australia’s building department says the NCC requires skimmer boxes to comply, and that they should have an auxiliary outlet at least 600 mm away in case the box is blocked.
Potty-style skimmers are banned nationally. The ACCC says children have been disembowelled after sitting on open skimmer boxes; pools and spas with them must not be supplied in Australia.
Infinity and wet-edge pools take surface water over the edge instead; NSW Health calls deck-level removal the most efficient method.

Do I need a pool skimmer? The decision table by pool type, with the rule behind each row (NSW Health, Queensland Health, SA building department, ACCC and the national training package; read 16 October 2026)
Pool type	Do you need a skimmer?	The rule or source behind it
In-ground concrete or fibreglass pool	Yes: a skimmer box, or an overflow or wet edge that does the same job	The skimmer box must comply with AS 1926.3-2010, which the NCC calls up. South Australia’s building department says it should have an auxiliary outlet at least 600 mm away
Infinity, wet-edge or overflow-gutter pool	The overflow edge does the surface draw; a skimmer box is not what removes the surface water	NSW Health’s 2013 advisory: surface water is removed at deck level, through overflow channels, or by skimmers; deck-level systems are the most efficient
Permanent above-ground pool (steel or resin wall, filter plant)	Yes, as part of the recirculation kit	The national training unit for installing above-ground pools includes ‘fit skimmer and return’ as a step
Portable or inflatable pool with a cartridge pump	Not a separate box, but never a ‘potty-style’ one	ACCC: portable pools and spas with integrally moulded potty-style skimmers or outlets are permanently banned
Spa (in-ground or portable)	A skimmer or weir is usual; the covers and outlets are what the rules are about	ACCC: avoid spas with moulded skimmer boxes with no lid, or a lid children can easily remove, and single bottom outlets
Older pool you are buying	Check the one it has	ACCC: check for an open, potty-shaped skimmer box and for covers that come off easily; replace non-complying parts

Do I need a skimmer on my pool? The surface-draw sum

A skimmer is the pool’s surface intake: a box in the wall at water level, connected to the suction side of the pump. NSW Health’s 2013 public-pool advisory document describes it as a small open-ended box with a flap-type floating weir and a trash basket, and explains why the surface matters: surface water contains the highest concentration of pollutants from body fats, oils, sunscreens, sputum and windblown debris. It says ideally 75–80% of the pool water should be taken from the surface and the rest from the bottom, to remove grit. Queensland Health’s 2019 guidelines say ideally the majority.

Those are public-pool figures, but the reason is the same in a backyard: leaves and sunscreen float, and a floor outlet alone never reaches them before they sink.

Worked for a 50,000 L pool. HealthyWA and SA Health say a home pool’s filter should process the whole volume in 6 to 8 hours. In 8 hours that is 50,000 ÷ 480 = 104 L/min; 75–80% of it is 78–83 L/min through the skimmer and 21–26 L/min through the floor outlets. In 6 hours it is 139 L/min, and 104–111 L/min through the skimmer.

Check that figure against the skimmer’s rated flow in its maker’s manual; we could not find an Australian regulator figure for skimmer capacity, so the manual is the reference. The pump and filter sizing behind the turnover is on the turnover test for pool filters and do I need a pool pump; this page does not repeat it.

The surface-draw rule: three-quarters or more of a pool’s circulation should come off the top, so on a 50,000 L pool the skimmer carries about 80 litres a minute of an 8-hour turnover.

What the rules say about skimmer boxes: AS 1926.3 and the 600 mm outlet

South Australia’s planning department, in Building Advisory Notice 04/15 (June 2015), says the National Construction Code requires compliance with AS 1926.3-2010 Swimming pool safety – water recirculation systems, which prescribes the requirements for skimmer boxes. NSW Health’s 2026 guidelines list the same standard, AS 1926.3-2010 (R2016), as current.

The same notice describes the auxiliary outlet, or secondary safety suction: a branch pipe from the skimmer box to an outlet in the pool wall at least 600 mm away. If the skimmer box is blocked, possibly by part of a child’s body, the auxiliary outlet draws from the pool instead and reduces the vacuum. South Australia’s position is that skimmer boxes should be fitted with one complying with clause 6.1.2(b) of the standard. The notice also says opinions differ on whether an auxiliary outlet is needed; we read the 2015 notice in an archived copy and could not confirm it is still current.

The 600 mm figure matches the separation the standard sets for suction points generally, covered on pool pump and filter suction rules. On a new pool, ask the builder to show the skimmer, its auxiliary outlet if any, and every suction point on the drawings.

A skimmer box is a suction point: the rule is that blocking it must never put the full pull of the pump on whatever is blocking it.

Do above-ground pools and spas need a skimmer?

A permanent above-ground pool with a filter plant normally has one. The national training unit for pool installers, CPCSPS4008 Install above-ground swimming pool, lists ‘measure, locate and fit skimmer and return’ as a step of installing the recirculation system.

Portable and inflatable pools often draw through the pump’s own intake instead. What matters there is what kind of intake. The ACCC’s permanent ban covers portable pools and spas with integrally moulded ‘potty-style’ skimmers or outlets: boxes that look like a children’s potty, work at water level as a suction point, and have no fixed protective device. It says children have been disembowelled by the suction after sitting on open skimmer boxes.

For spas, HealthyWA says a spa’s filter system usually turns over the whole spa in about 15 minutes, so its suction is strong for the volume. The ACCC says to avoid spas with moulded skimmer boxes that have no lid or a lid children can easily remove, and spas with single bottom drainage outlets. Whether a spa needs approval and a barrier is on do I need council approval for a spa.

Checking the skimmer on a pool you already own or are buying

The ACCC’s checklist for an existing pool or spa, in short:

No open, potty-shaped skimmer box that a child or adult could sit on.
Skimmer lids and outlet covers that do not come off easily.
No single bottom drain outlet as the only suction.
Skimmer box, outlets, filters and covers that meet the Australian or American voluntary standards the ACCC lists, AS 1926.3 among them; if they do not, stop using the pool and replace them.
An annual safety check of filters and outlets.

Day to day, the skimmer basket is the first thing to empty when flow drops, and SA Health says top-up water should go in through the skimmer box with the filtration running. If the cleaner runs off the skimmer, which pool cleaner suits your pool covers the types.

Replacing a skimmer box in an existing in-ground pool is work on the shell, so it is priced per job; we found no published price we could rely on. Ask for the replacement box and any auxiliary outlet to be named in writing, then compare pool quotes.

Common questions

Do I need a pool skimmer?

Yes, for an in-ground or permanent above-ground pool without an overflow edge. NSW Health’s public-pool advisory document says ideally 75–80% of pool water should be drawn from the surface.

Can a pool work without a skimmer?

An overflow or wet-edge pool can, because the edge takes the surface water. A pool with only floor outlets leaves floating debris and oils on the surface, where NSW Health says pollutants concentrate.

Are skimmer boxes dangerous?

An open, potty-style one is. The ACCC says children have been disembowelled after sitting on them, and pools and spas with them are permanently banned from supply in Australia.

Does a skimmer box need a second suction?

South Australia’s building department says it should: an auxiliary outlet at least 600 mm away, under clause 6.1.2(b) of AS 1926.3-2010. Its 2015 notice says opinions differ.

Do inflatable pools need a skimmer?

Not a separate box, but any built-in skimmer must not be the banned potty style. They still need filtration and chlorine if the water is kept.

Sources

General information only, current at 2026-10-16. Pool rules differ by state and by council, and penalty amounts are updated regularly. Confirm your own obligations with your council or a registered inspector before acting.