repair wet PVC?

[stompper3]

I screwed up and knocked off the tiny valve on the old style Jandy 3-way that is located right before the pump. How do you replace the three way here as I cannot figure out how to stop the water flow?

I have the return from the skimmer and from the main going into the Jandy 3 way at the top of the inverted U. Water keeps spilling and I cant figure out how to join the PVC into the new valve in this wet situation.

 

[JamesW]

If the valve is below the water level, then you need to plug the skimmers and main drain and close the return valve. I have fixed that type of problem with a flat piece of PVC glued over the hole.

 

[stompper3]

OK the skimmers I believe will plug with a 1 inch plug, I can do that.

Water temp is about 50 F. I guess I could stand a minute or two in the water for the main drain, but have no idea how to plug that one?

Could you please explain in detail how you fixed the problem with the flat pvc? Are you saying you put the pvc over the broke valve of the old model Jandy 3-way? What did you use to glue it, the pvc solvent? I had replaced the inards with the new model door valve, just the casing of the jandy 3 way is old and the casing is what I broke the knob on.

 

[JamesW]

I am assuming that this is the type of valve that you have and that the black knob is what broke off. If that's the case, then I have just used a flat piece of PVC glued over the hole with regular PVC glue. That valve is a grease port, so you have to clean it up and make sure that the part is flat.

If the valve body is cracked, then you have to replace the valve. Is this an above ground pool?

 

[waste]

The valve is shot if the male threaded part, that attaches to the lube fitting, is gone

If the threads are still good and it's only leaking through the small hole with the 'little rubber plug', you can put a Teflon wrapped screw in the hole as a 'stop gap' fix' - while you wait for the replacement valve - and get the Never Lube Jandy, so this won't be an issue again

 

[Pool Clown]

If you have ever used an easy-out, you can fix a broken off luber properly, and you may not have to buy anything but a threaded plug to replace the luber. I havent had to buy a Jandy diverter kit in a while, i know they used to come with a little threaded plug to put in the hole cuz the new style diverter needs no luber "never lube". Otherwise you should be able to get the easy out , and the plug at any h'ware store. Get a brass one.

If you run the pump while you have that little hole open fixing it, you may not take such a bath during your repair.

 

[stompper3]

I'm still working on the plumbing, and reworking some of the pipe to the pad. There is just a heavy drip coming from the hole right now. I have a new 3 way valve, the never lube kind that I was going to use for the cartridge filter intake so that I could still use my drain pipe. I figured I would use that 3 way for the problem I created at the lube port to replace that valve and wait for the new 3 way to come in to put at the filter intake.

I asked a plumber and he suggested compression fittings to put on the inverted U section to make the connections. Seems like I will be battling a torrent of very cold water to do this. The problem side is the main drain return as I was able to plug the skimmers.

If I can put a screw into the plug with Teflon tape or glue some pvc onto the hole, then it will give me some breathing room to to change out the valve in the summer, but I really want to repair it now.

Either way, I have a problem at the main drain return line and would like to hear if using a compression fitting

is the correct way to go? Any advice or tricks to make the job more tolerable?

 

[JohnT]

Help us out with a description of your pool. Is this an above ground pool, or an inground? If inground, is the pump below the water level?

 

[stompper3]

Sorry...

I have an in-ground pool 28k gallons and the pumping station is below water level but above the main drain. Here is a thread with pictures of my pool equipment pad before I started replacing things and moving things around. Just scroll down to the bottom of this thread http://www.troublefreepool.com/at-least-5-pumps-appear-to-work-as-a-replacement-t35345.html The main drain return is to the left of the Jandy valve (filter being right and pump left).

I just tried the PVC glue thing without success. Will try to post a picture of where I am now.

 

[stompper3]

Before:

Now:

 

[stompper3]

One other question as I am in hold mode awaiting advice. Would it be best to plumb the filter in as it sits now or turn it 45 degrees clockwise?

 

[JamesW]

You should be able to close the main drain with the valve, and with the skimmers already plugged, you should be able to fix the leak.

I would just leave the filter the position it is in.

If you really want to change the valve, I would use separate valves on each line instead of a three-way valve. You could cut the line and then plug it while you glue on a union half. Once the glue dries, you could unplug the line and connect the other half of a union that is already glued to a valve.

If the pump is not too far below the water level, you could lower the water level and work dry.

 

[stompper3]

That is just what I was looking for. There is just no substitute for experience. Although I have used unions and I have unions on the pump and filter, I just could not conceptualize this as a solution for my application. I was at Lowes and saw a plug you use to screw into the pipe and I could see using this to glue on one half of a coupler. The problem I could not get by was the water flow once the plug was removed. I could not go beyond this step.

Using the union with one end affixed to a ball valve is the answer I couldn't get to, even though I looked at these at the store several times.

You know this task is quite difficult for someone who chemically bonded PVC for the first time yesterday. It is frustrating that the wife does not really appreciate how hard this is, "you are not done yet?" I have a new found greater respect for the pool guys who make this work look so easy.

 

[stompper3]

Just in case this thread is searched in the future, I wanted to let you know how I plugged the PVC. They sell a pipe tester which is a rubber stopper that blows up like a ball on an air pump to plug the pvc. The plumbing supply houses I went to only had a 2 inch one or none at all. That was a good thing because I didn't have to spend the money on this. I purchased a toggle type cap just in case my idea did not work, $2.50.

I went to the grocery store and bought a 5 pound bag of potatoes. I went home, and cut the pipe (the main drain return and the skimmer return at the same level) and put the toggle plug on the main drain return to stop the torrent of water. I had already plugged the skimmers with a 1 1/2 inch plug so the skimmer return was already off. I grabbed a potato with a diameter greater than 1 1/2 inch, the size of the pipe, removed the toggle plug and shoved it into the pipe. As it was going in I got a good squirt in the face, but it stopped the flow dead, not even a trickle. I would say I put in 3 inches of potato. I snapped the end I was holding, but you could use a knife to cut it flush. I cleaned the pipe dry.

I quickly glued one end of a 1 1/2 inch ball valve union onto the pipe, making sure the screw cap of the union went on the pipe first. Perfect weld. I then put on the ball valve and screwed it on hand tight. With the ball valve in the open position, I grabbed a thin dry wall saw and jammed it into the potato plug and began to carefully cut the potato plug until it washed out with the flow of water. I then closed the valve and used a strap wrench to finish tightening the union.

I repeated this process on the skimmer return side as there was a slow drip of water over the edge and I wanted a dry surface to make my weld.

Thanks for helping to get me through this.

 

[JamesW]

Good job. Thanks for the update. Very good solution.