Better ideas for fixing leak right at the pool pump inlet (no room!)

After emptying, cleaning, refilling, and replumbing a cracked Jandy valve, I finally started up the filter & cleaner pumps.

Guess what?

BOTH are leaking at a LOUSY spot!

The water comes out of the INLET side of each of the pumps. There's no room to replumb without ripping out three jandy valves per pump, and emptying the pool again (since the plumbing is five feet below the surface of the pool).

So I'm looking for a leak-fix patch method.

Going to the Saratoga pool store for HASA chlorine (thanks SMC for the 2- for-1 hint), they didn't have anything.

The Leslies near by sold me common silicone glue. The Home Depot sold me heat-cured and pliable-putty epoxy.

I'll try them all ...

But - before I do - what would YOU use to seal this leak?

formatting link
Note:

- Water comes out when the pumps are off.

- When the pumps are on, the leak lets in air.

Reply to
Arklin K.
Loading thread data ...

You don't drain the pool to fix plumbing leaks.

There is some way to close off the pool from your plumbing.

There should be plugs for the inlets and a cover for the outlets.

Reply to
Dan Espen

The devil is in the details! :) The pool equipment is a good five feet below the waterline of the pool (I know this because I cut the valve off and then filled the pool too much and it came out the cut pipe).

The valve you speak of is the exact valve I had to replace. It cracked. So, I think, there was no possible way to cut the valve out and replace it without draining the pool at least to the level of the valve itself which was about five feet of water.

Hmmmm... maybe you have an idea there. I have emptied the entire pool and have not seen any 'drains' per se, but, ... are you saying I could have plugged up the dozen holes for the self-cleaning pop-ups and then that would have prevented the water from leaking out when I replaced the cracked Jandy valve?

I 'guess' that's an idea I had never thought of. It seems unworkable for the cleaning system (which has a dozen openings in the pool) ... but ... plugging the five drains 'might' be workable for the filtering system.

The filtering system has two drains in the spa (one is the safety, I believe), and one main drain in the deep end of the pool, and two safety drains on the walls of the pool.

Are you saying, should I need to cut off the three shutoff jandy valves which control the inlet to the filter pump ... that I could plug those five drains instead of draining the pool?

Reply to
Arklin K.

Yes. White schedule 40 PVC, painted black (to protect from UV).

Now that is interesting! And inexpensive (I have plenty of the blue PVC glue and it hardens pretty fast). In essence, that's what Leslie's said when they sold the silicone glue to me - they said let it suck itself into the pump.

What I like about your idea is (a) I already had tons of blue stuff ... (b) it's a thinner glue than the silicone glue, and (c) it probably dries quicker and might gum up the pump itself less (because it's thinner).

Good to know it worked with a 'pressure/vacuum' system (a pool can be near 50 psi I'm told). thanks for the great idea!

Reply to
Arklin K.

Hmmm... not for me ...

Here is a picture of the cracked Jandy valve:

formatting link
It's almost impossible to get your head down there to even see WHERE the crack was:
formatting link
Here is what it looked like before removing the cracked valve:
formatting link
The valve was in the worst place possible:
formatting link
And here is what it looked like after replacing the cracked valve:
formatting link

Reply to
Arklin K.

Given this picture of the pool when drained, I suspect the dozen floor pop-up sprayers are pretty hard to plug. Right?

But maybe the five 'main drains' might be easier?

How does one plug that wall drain and the floor drain in this picture?

formatting link
Here's another wall drain:
formatting link
There are two more floor drains in the spa.

Do you just shove something inside each of those five main drains?

Reply to
Arklin K.

That was a GREAT idea!

formatting link

It's still leaking slightly but VASTLY LESS! Thanks!

formatting link
I think I'll need to choose one of these glues I bought to 'strengthen' the protection over the thin blue PVC glue (and plug the final drip leak):
formatting link
Q: Now that your suggestion has slowed the huge leak to a drip - what should I put OVER the soft blue glue to protect it from the elements and to make the final seal?

Reply to
Arklin K.

BTW, every store I went to sold me a different magic potion so I have all these to choose from.

formatting link
Even with the GREAT PVC GLUE IDEA!, I 'still' have a (now) small leak at the pump:
formatting link
Which (magic glue) would you use to: a) Stop the remaining small leak, and, b) Protect the fragile blue PVC plug that I just put in place

Reply to
Arklin K.

ME??

I would cut the mess apart and redesign it with ease of service as priority #1

So it took a entire day, but will never be a issue again

Reply to
bob haller

I'd just use the PVC glue on it again. Also a drip every 5 secs on outdoor pool eqpt is probably acceptable.

For the discussion about plugging the various fittings in the pool, if you need to do that the pool shops have plugs designed for that. They are like rubber stoppers with a bolt and wingnut in the center. You shove it in, then tighten the wingnut to expand it.

Reply to
trader4

+1...

OP or whoever allowed that pool equipment to be installed in that manner got "hosed"...

Definitely not very repair friendly at all...

Reply to
Evan

Yup... It is always good to have some of those around for your pool, even if you NEVER have to use them, cheap insurance compared to the cost of refilling thousands of gallons of pool water...

Reply to
Evan

Don't know. If the pop-ups are not popped up, do they still let water in?

I don't have an in-ground but my above ground has a cap that you screw into the water inlet and a cover you screw over the skimmer (outlet).

With those covered, I can work on all the equipment with a full pool.

It seems logical to me that your in ground pool SHOULD have the same capabilities. It's even more important in your case.

I think you said your main drain is at the bottom of the deep end, Do you have something that covers it or screws on to block it?

Reply to
Dan Espen

Based on my experience, just a small block of dry ice is sufficient. I once turned a 2K repair into a $.60 cent repair with dry ice. That was in the 70s.

I'd only suggest dry ice if there was no other way. I think the drains SHOULD have covers.

Reply to
Dan Espen

As another poster said, a pool store should have the right plugs.

Reply to
Dan Espen

+1 >>>>>>cut the mess apart and redesign it with ease of service as priority #1
Reply to
DD_BobK

Rube would be proud.

I'd say the OP bought a chunk of that "hose", too.

Reply to
krw

Isn't that a DE filter in the pic? But he says he has a cartridge filter? Are there two?

Reply to
trader4

Never mind. Took another look at the other thread and that filter is indeed a cartridge filter.

Reply to
trader4

Looks more like a sand filter to me. That would explain 1/10 of the valves, anyway. ;-)

Reply to
krw

HomeOwnersHub website is not affiliated with any of the manufacturers or service providers discussed here. All logos and trade names are the property of their respective owners.