Irregular toy stuck in pool line-HELP!

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thrashej

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Jul 11, 2012
17
I am absolutely at a total loss, I need direction!

I have an irregular shaped pool toy that has gotten caught between my skimmer and my pool pump, likely at one of those 90 degree angles. I cannot see it. I had a pool guy come out with the usual CO2 gas and it DID NOT WORK! We have tried feeding the garden hose in (doesn't work), a plumbing snake (doesn't work), even a rope, feeding it from the skimmer all the way to the pump skimmer to see if we could "toggle" it out since it appears we must change the orientation of the toy to get it out. I have no idea what has happened. I think it is jammed in there so tightly that we are going to have to have our pool deck dug up. I've called pool plumbers, regular plumbers, ....it's like no one knows how to deal with this, claiming they've never had something not come out after blowing it with CO2. So...if I DO have to have the deck dug up....good lord.....who do I call? I've researched all over the internet...I am so at a loss, we never take the skimmer out and leave it out and the one day we do, our toddlers put a batter powered swimming penguin in our pool....:(

If anyone has any ideas I'd be very appreciative. Our pool is now sucking air (since the pool guy apparently made it worse!) and is running at 5-10 pressure! I am assuming I have to deal with this rather than let the toy rot out...

TIA!
Janice
 
You should try pushing water backward from the pump toward the pool. The problem is if it is not close to fully blocked, the pressure may not build enough. I think a DrainKing is what you should try.

You certainly want to try to go back toward the pool than further into the pipe. It must be stuck in a corner and I would have thought that a snake would have ID'd about how far in the pipe it is.
 
I wouldn't give up yet... If you were able to thread a rope all the way through the pipes, you could probably separate the rope strands and tie some small rags in there, or even knot the rope, which would give you more "bite." Pull it until you've got the thing then try working it.

A commercial roto-rooter snake has blades that can cut tree roots that get into sewer pipes. I imagine that would be able to turn that toy into shreds that could be flushed through, or pulled out by sticking a rag into a rope.

Sucking air sounds bad. Check the usual suspects: strainer lid, skimmer weir, low water level. Pray that none of your attempts cracked the pipe!
 
You know, when they came out and blew CO2, he did it three times, but on the third attempt I heard this loud bomb type noise that scared the heck out of me. He said his bag blew but after that the pool lost prime and it started with the bubbles and air..which was not happening before he came out. We just figured he changed orientation of the toy towards a more total blockage! Can my pipes be cracked and I don't know it? Wouldn't I see water somewhere on the ground (even though I have about 5 feet of deck between the pool and pump..great!;)?? The pool guy said it is "cavitation" and that simply the pool is sucking so hard it is pulling in air from the environment..?

We did try the rope thing, even tied a big not at the end of the skinny rope with a bigger, thicker rope to see if we could budge the item as you mentioned. We pulled and pulled but even with all our strength we couldn't budge it. We are trying to somehow get a feel for where it is but as soon as you turn pump back on...back it goes towards the pump. As far as I can see, the only way to really get it out would be water pressure of some kind from pump-pool while simultaneously working the rope thing again, hoping to jar it loose.

As far as the CO2 and Drain King thing go, yeah, I've heard the pipes can only handle so much pressure. So how many times technically can you "blow" or use the Drain King? Seems it also depends on the degree of the blockage. The more obstructed, when you blow or apply pressure, the greater the pressure in the pipes if you cannot dislodge the item. Another pool guy told me sometimes they use ice and then blow the line, using the ice as a mechanical agent to apply force and dislodge the item. Seems risky too, But let's be real. If I can't get this thing out, can I really make anything worse? I am looking at digging up my deck anyway!!!! We are at last resorts here!

I can't believe all the professionals are playing stupid here. Hasn't this happened before!? No plumber will touch it, I called yesterday. You'd think they could use some type of water scope to at least identify location and use it when manipulating the item, I don't know....I ordered the Drain King and will be dropping my kids at my mother's so hubs and i can do some serious manipulation, LOL

I'll let you know how it goes, thank you for the ideas! Keep em' coming, we're desperate!
 
The bad news is that I suspect the co2 guy blew some of your piping apart and knew it. It may not be such a big deal because it sounds like you're going to have to dig up some piping anyway. I'd start at the pump end and work back to the pool.
 
Assuming that you had no options left, but if the CO2 guy basically ended all your options by blowing your pipes and then bolting on you, well, I think I'd personally have a problem with that.
Did the guy inform you ahead of time of any potential danger of him blowing your pipes?

I'm just saying, maybe you had a few more options and maybe you didn't, but if the guy blew your pipes without making you aware of that risk he effectively ended all options with the exception of digging it out.
 

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How do I know if my pool pipes are blown?

And no, there was no discussion as to the dangers of CO2 blowout. I learned that later. :(

I'm not going to go bust my butt trying to get this thing out in 110 degree plus weather if I have to dig anyway!
 
thrashej said:
How do I know if my pool pipes are blown?

And no, there was no discussion as to the dangers of CO2 blowout. I learned that later. :(

I'm not going to go bust my butt trying to get this thing out in 110 degree plus weather if I have to dig anyway!
Click to expand...

You'll only really know with a pressure test. That said, it looks like there's some digging in your future :(
 
Wow, so right after I posted about the blown pool lines hubs comes running in to say the thinks it is in the valve area of the piping near the pump. Took off the lid and Yup! there it is!! :cheers: :party: :whoot:

Bad news....pool is sucking air and bubbling worse than before, despite pressure being up again. Now I guess I am off to the "bucket test" to see if I have a pool line leak?

If the pool guy did "bolt" on me, as appears happened, do I have any recourse? He told me the loud noise was his bag blowing (on the CO2 thing) but he seemed surprised that happened (too much back pressure maybe?!). What worries me is how he had trouble getting the pool to prime after the loud noise and how bubbles that were not there before are all of a sudden present. ???

Now, good news is I guess if I have a pool line leak, I know who to call for that...a pool guy! :cry:
 
Look close around that valve for cracks. I'd think that would be the weak spot. Round cross-sections, like pipes, tend to be very strong. If there's a crack, it will probably be between where he stuck the CO2 and the obstruction, because after the obstruction there should be no restriction. Try running a garden hose around the valve and the joints while things are running and see if the bubbles disappear, meaning it's sucking water instead of air for a change.
 
Richard,

So sorry I forgot to reply. They did find the air leak, it was not a blown pump but I guess we don't *truly* know yet. It was some part on the pump that go cracked I think during the original pursuit of the toy. We need to replace it but it's $250 and the pool guy said they replace those all the time and he may acquire an "extra" one in the next week or so. So until we get that in, it's hard to say if the bubbles will completely dissapear. He was supposed to have called us at the end of the week and did not so I guess I have to start nagging... :roll:

I'll let you know if and when it gets fixed and if in fact it solves our bubble problem. Even the pool guy surmised that the pipes could have blown. We will see...

Thanks again,
Janice
 
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