howto stop pool water from going into the filter & then out?

[connie]

Split from my-sand-is-channeled-how-to-fix-it-t7626.html Butterfly

Question??? When you removed the top of the filter how do you stop the water in the pool from going into the filter and then out? I have a well and cannot afford at this late date to refill pool or even have a top off as it is another 300 bucks. We only have maybe another month at the most of pool use. I would think to block all the hoses and the skimmer but not sure if this would be sufficient.

 

[Bama Rambler]

Re: My sand is "channeled" how to fix it?

If you don't have valves on the suction and discharge, use winter plugs or a rubber ball stuffed partially into the skimmer and return will stop the flow

 

[jcowart]

Re: howto stop pool water from going into the filter & then

You can get a plug or a ball for the return and skimmer. A 16oz water bottle also works.

 

[Zindar]

the 16 ounce bottle doesn't work; a fair amount of water leaks through. I've been struggling with this since yesterday, because I'm replumbing the pool, and I'm getting close to the point where I need to glue pipe to the skimmer end. (I've been working from the return end so as not to deal with this water leaking problem.)

I've been dangling the old skimmer hose back into the pool to stop water from coming out, but soon I have to disconnect that hose to glue my rigid PVC pipe to it, and it's not good for the glue if water leaks through.

A rubber ball sound good, but I have no rubber ball in the house. Maybe I can find some store that sells one. I've tried all type of objects to plug up that hole, but no matter what I try, some water leaks through.

 

[Zindar]

To follow up, I learned a new way to block the skimmer. My pool salesman suggested something called a plumber's test plug, which is a device used to pressure test pipes. It's a tapered piece of rubber with a wing nut in the middle. You twist the wingnut, which causes the rubber to spread out and form an air tight/water tight seal with the pipe.. they only cost a few dollars.

The problem is that Home depot sells them in a minimum diameter of 1.5", and my skimmer is 1.0", and I've spent the last hour googling and calling all over town for somebody who sells them in a 1.0" size. I finally found a plumbing supplies store that sells it, and I'm on my way now to pick it up.

I just thought I'd mention this in case others run into my situation.

In hindsight I should have mail ordered this, as I bet you could get it from ebay or amazon, but I want to use it today, so I'm going to buy it locally.

 

[msgtdan]

Have you tried hardware or plumbing supply stores? Measure the inside of the skimmer output, sometimes there's reducers in there and the initial opening might be 1.5". I know my pressure plug goes into the second step, the first step is larger.

 

[Zindar]

Re: howto stop pool water from going into the filter & then out?

The skimmer hole is 1.0", and then expands to a 1.5" pipe, but that pipe is what I'm replacing, so I need something to plug the 1.0" hole.

The supremely annoying thing is that I just got back from a 30 minute round trip to a plumbing supply store (the only store I could find that sold this), and what he sold me was actually a .75" plug. I specifically asked him if he was sure this was a 1.0" plug, and he said yes, and pointed to the label, but he was wrong. I'm on the phone right now asking if he can assure me has a 1.0" plug in stock.

I've been working on this since yesterday and have spent the majority of my time shopping and researching on internet. I'd like to actually be out there working on this, and I have to return to my job tomorrow, so I better get this finished today.

- - - Updated - - -

Oh, I just got off the phone... he said he sold me the right one, that if I twist the nut, it really will expand an entire quarter of an inch. That relieves me. I'll go try that out right now.

By the way, while I was there I bought a neat looking device: a ball valve that I can install inline with the 1.5" skimmer line. It has a red lever, so in the future, if I ever want to block the skimmer, I can turn the red lever, which will rotate the ball valve and block the line.

I still need this test plug to install all this though.

 

[Zindar]

It does not expand wide enough.

But I just got a neat idea. I can take my 1.5" ball valve I just bought and do this:

1) put it in the closed position
2) Glue a short (few inches) 1.5" pipe to it
3) Glue my 1.5" threaded adapter to the pipe
4) Apply teflon tape to the threads.
5) Let it set long enough that it can be exposed to pressure. (i.e. the PVC glue that I used in steps 2 and 3)
6) Put a small inverted cup in the skimmer, and take the flexible hose that I currently have inserted in the pool, and dangle it to the ground. The cup won't be water tight, but only a small stream (instead of a gusher) will be allowed through.
7) remove the current flexible hose from step 6 from the bottom of the skimmer. The small stream will now be issuing directly from the bottom of the skimmer.
8) screw in the assembly completed from step 4 into the skimmer. True, water will be exposed to everything while I do this, but I think teflon tape needs no setting time, like PVC cement does, so this should work fine.

At this point, I should have a water tight stoppage at the skimmer side, and I can complete my repiping with not a drop of water being exposed to anything. I'm glad I bought that ball valve.

 

[Richard320]

Ram a carrot in the opening. Or go to a mom-n-pop hardware store or even a crafts store and get a cork or a rubber stopper. http://www.lowes.com/Hardware/Specialty-Hardware/Corks/_/N-1z0yk91/pl#! Auto parts stores also sell expansion plugs for hard to reach freeze plugs, but they are usually larger diameter than 1" http://www.dormanproducts.com/c-354-expansion-plugs-quick-seal-rubber.aspx

 

[Zindar]

Steps 1-8 above complete!

Now all I have to do is finish the rest of my piping, turn the red lever, and remove the return jet threaded plug, and I'll be in business.