Black Poly Pipe Fitting leak..Yes, another leak question

[Thwaites]

Sorry to bore the forum with another leak question but hey.....I'm obsessive and it's got to be right or I won't sleep! hahaha

I have a 16x32 inground pool which I'm guessing was build in the grand old 80's. It is piped with that all too leaky black poly. Yes....I will eventually tear it up and repipe the whole thing but it going to be summer soon!.....and my wife and 5 year old don't want to hang out in a construction zone. (Plus it's fathers day soon and I want to take a break from pool obsessive behavior for one weekend).

I had a massive leak which I just got lucky and found. An elbow barb fitting worked its way out of the black poly return line. NOTE: The golden rule that when the pump is off and you're still losing water is likely a suction side leak....is not always true. If the leak is bad enough on your return side, the water will drop like a rock even with the pump off! I fixed the leak by loosening the clamps and further inserting the barb fitting into the pipe and re-tightening. However, I still have a pinhole leak on the other side of the elbow that I can't seem to get ride of. Before I cover with the 1.5 feet of gravel (which is a real treat to dig in) and try to forget about the whole ordeal, is there a glue or method to stop the very small leak at the fitting? I had considered experimenting with FIX-A-LEAK stuff to see if it would stop the small leak at the fitting......but would prefer to do it right. NOTE: I don't have a lot of pipe to work with as the elbow is connected to a very small section of black poly going to the return jet. THANKS in advance!

 

[zea3]

Well, you already know it needs to be re-plumbed. That's the best way to fix it. Do not use the fix a leak stuff. It can mess up your filter and stop water flow in areas you want water to flow if you are not careful. As a band aid I would try wrapping the joint in a lot of magic wrap plumbing repair tape. It may work for a little while. You may also want to see if you can find a glue that will work on black poly and give that a shot. Since the pipes take a lot of pressure don't be surprised if the fitting blows out again. That black poly is probably stretched out.

When you get a chance, please edit your signature to display the following information: as pool type (above ground or in ground), surface (vinyl, plaster, or fiberglass), size in gallons, pump brand and horsepower, filter type (sand, DE, or cartridge), filter brand and size, and any water features, cleaning systems, and if there is a spa (attached or detached).

 

[JasonLion]

Hose connections on black poly are finicky. Make sure you get the pipe all the way onto the barb and use two hose clamps if you have to.

 

[Durk]

Hose connections on black poly are finicky. Make sure you get the pipe all the way onto the barb and use two hose clamps if you have to.

We had a lot of black poly installed when we replumbed in the 1960's. Everything always got two clamps if it was 1" or larger. It all worked fine until pool closed in 2002. I certainly would never bury anything without two clamps.