Drip. Drip. Drip. - Help? Encouragement? Advice? Insults?

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TFP Expert
Jul 22, 2013
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Virginia Beach, Va
Drip. Drip. Drip.
This is the part where I ask myself "why couldn't you just leave well enough alone?"

I had a working setup. I had plungers that were annoying but no leaks.

Now I have this...




Hayward return/inlet fitting. Black gasket thing on each side. I tightened it as much as I can. Still leaks. Tried my pipe wrench but of course it's not big enough.

I see no point in going further if I can't get this to not leak.

Question #1 Should I have used the O-Ring lubricant I have on the black pieces? (it's Aqua EZ silicone base o-ring lubricant for the O ring on the lid on the skimmer thing in my pump) and would that make any difference?

Question #2 Should I have used something on the threads of the hayward fitting itself?

It looks like it's leaking from the gasket though and I am worried that it is not lined up to cover the hole enough. Or is it just a matter of needing to be tighter? The intex one was just hand tightened so it doesn't seem like I should need the strength of superman to get it tight enough.

I'm trying to beg for help from my sister. I'm doing this alone with a full pool and I cannot see any way that I can loosen the fitting to try to move or better center the rings inside and out while I have one hand over the edge of the pool holding the inside piece on to keep water from exploding out at me... I already did the best I could and apparently that wasn't good enough.

I have other issues that are definitely going to come up after this because I have other threaded fittings to come and I already tested and found that even in the simplest configuration (screwing a hose barb right into the return to attach the hose directly without any other pieces) the threaded piece will leak.

So, question #3 If I manage to figure out how to get the first leak fixed, is this http://www.lowes.com/ProductDisplay?partNumber=23502-138-31229L&catalogId=10051&storeId=10151&langId=-1&productId=4754108#BVRRWidgetID what I should use on the threaded hose barb piece? (or any of the threaded pieces for that matter..) BTW I have tons of teflon tape if that matters...

Not really sure what to do next. Hoping everything is rigged up ok out there so I don't come out to a half empty pool. The plunger I disconnected won't fully close so I have the whole thing still attached to the hose hanging on the pool with a bungee cord above water level so it can't drain. I don't think they ever seal completely...

- - - Updated - - -

Here's my plunger/hose hangin' out waiting for me to figure this out. (this is still showing the intex wall fitting)

 
DO NOT tighten it anymore!!! Hand snug plus maybe 1/2 turn at most should seal it.. Since it's the Gaskets that make the seal, I would replace them but would not use anything but the gaskets to complete the seal.

You will have to drain the pool down below that level to re-seat that fitting. It has to be your call whether it's bugging you enough to do that.
 
No experience here ... but I would think a little lube on the gaskets (at least the outside one) might help, not necessarily to seal it, but to reduce the friction while trying to tighten the nut.

I think you should be able to loosen the nut and put a little lube on the outside and try tightening the nut back up without too much water coming out.

No point in putting anything on the threads.
 
It is not uncommon for your first mod to leak a little.

If you can find another hand or two, have them hold a large bowl on the inside of the pool over your new fitting, just long enough for you to loosen the fitting and center it. Yes, a little (very little) of your silicon lube can be used between the nut and the black washer, to help you get it tight.

Two or three layers of your teflon tape on each of your threaded fittings will help get them tight enough for the threads to seal.

Don't worry, you will get it. Each little success with lead to the next. A few more tries and you will have it.

To be honest, I have a few small drips on some of the hacked connections I've made, and I don't worry about it. 2 - 3 drops a min aren't going to drain my pool!

Edit: There you have three opinions......
 
Thank you thank you for your replies!

I didn't think tightening sounded right so I'm glad I didn't try to force it. It's hand tightened and that's it. If I can get SOMEONE to come over here and hold the inside piece in place I think I might still be able to move the outer gasket a bit to line it up better.

Do you think it's misaligned and that is why it is leaking?

The gaskets are new, they came with the fitting. You can see the mark above the fitting from the old gaskets since the intex ones were bigger. I almost wondered if I should have tried those just to cover the hole better. I'm just sitting here trying to figure out what to do.
 
Can I use 2 gaskets on the outside? The larger intex gasket to make sure the gap is filled then the smaller hayward gasket? Seems like too many layers. I just went outside and moved it some. Got over my fear of unscrewing it again. The problem is it's really hard to hold it in place since it seems to have to be perfectly centered. It's still leaking. :(
 
I got the plug to stop leaking. If I'm looking correctly when the plug leaks it comes out the inside of the inner threads. I have a towel I'm using to dry in between to see where the leak is coming from. I currently have a leak or several leaking areas around the gasket. I can dry it and watch it seep back out.

I messed with it to try to align it better and now I also have what seems to be a leak from the thread part (not the inner part with the plug but the outer part... I suppose it could also be a leak from the inner ring of the gasket allowing water to seep past. I Just don't know.

I haven't tried the intex gasket but I was thinking about trying that on the outside. I can swap that out sort of easily. I'd say "it wouldn't hurt to try" but it could...
 
Current leaks...
Drip #1 at about 8 o clock. Between gasket and pool.



Drip #2 I doubt you'll even be able to see this one. It's weird because it's between the nut and the gasket. Too hard to get in pic because it's up against the black so it doesn't show up. I can barely see it in the pic myself. It's at about 4 o clock.



Tried intex gasket. No go. No way for me to keep it in place it's too big. I'd need to put the 2 together but I don't know if 2 layers of gasket on one side of the fitting is a good idea. I still haven't gone out to get anything (thread sealant of some sort) for my next step (screwing something into the threads to attach my hose) mainly because I don't feel like there is ever going to be a next step.
 

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Here's something you can try:

It looks like there is some debris left on there from the Intex gasket. Remove the nut and washer, and clean the pool surface until all you can feel is the fibers in the sidewall. No extra bumps etc.

Then try to reinstall as centered as you can.

I've checked on my own pool, the hole for the Intex isn't so large that half the width of the Hayward gasket still covers the hole. That is all you need for a good seal, but is has to be squeaky clean inside and out.
 
I was wondering about that. I did my best when I had it off to wipe it clean but of course I can only use one hand because the other is holding the fitting from the inside to keep the water from gushing out. I'm "getting ready" to go to lowes.

Of course being a stupid woman I have to be presentable before I can leave the house. Lowes is practically in my neighborhood. I could walk. (very convenient) but definitely not looking like this!

So if I'm trying to be positive and I decide I am not giving up and screwing the old intex stuff back in and curling up into a fetal position and giving up...but instead I *am* going to get rid of this leak so I can move on.....

My next step was to attach an elbow and some pvc etc blah blah...then eventually the hose w/clamp (Regular hayward hose not intex)

I have a threaded hose adapter that I bought from the pool section of lowes and I think I can skip all the other pieces and just screw that sucker into the fitting and attach the hose. No elbows, no pvc. Just 1 more joint. Assuming I do that, I need to put something on those threads right? I did a test run earlier. I screwed it in and took the plug out and it leaked. (Ignoring the other leak, this leak was definitely coming from the inner threads that I had just screwed the piece into) I am hoping that the pipe joint sealer stuff I linked to earlier in this thread will fix that problem. (trying to stay positive on that one)

First, I will go outside now and try to clean off the side of the pool better. I will bring a nice clean rag this time and should be able to do it with one hand...
 
I just went out there again and decided to put the intex gasket on first then the hayward gasket for a 2 tier gasket. Did my best lining it up while I tightened. Not perfect but there is a chance it has fixed the gasket/pool wall seeping.

But as you can see from the pic below, I have another drip coming from between the nut and the threads. Do you think it could somehow be coming from the plug? It is 100% definitely not coming from above in the inner threads. Definitely between the nut and the threads it screws onto. Is this still the gasket leaking? ARGH!

@#(*@:crazy::grrrr::rant:



I'm going to pack this thing up and throw it at the guy in Leslie's. It's not his fault but it might make me feel better. :( Not really...
 
Sorry you are having so much trouble with it. Don't give up!

Did you put some silicon lube on the washers?

For the threaded fitting you are wanting to connect your hose to, yes, use several layers of teflon tape on the threads before putting them together.

While you are at Lowes, see if they have a pool patch kit. If all else fails, you can glue a patch over the hole, then cut a smaller hole in the middle of the patch.
 
ALRIGHT! I HAVE AN IDEA! :idea:

I need to make my own gasket!

The combination of the intex gasket up against the outside of the pool with the hayward one on top of it followed by the nut seems to have stopped the leaking from the outside.

I have deduced that the drip that is coming from between the threads and the nut is water that is getting behind the hayward gasket that is on the inside of the pool and making its way through the threads to the outside.

The intex fitting only had 1 gasket which means I can't just do the same thing on the inside as i did on the outside soooo.....

How about this? I go to lowes and find the square of "make your own gasket" stuff that I have read about on this forum.

I trace the outer diameter of the intex gasket, then center the hayward gasket in that ring and trace the inner diameter of the hayward. Cut new gasket and voila?


Before I do that I'm wondering if moving the intex/hayward gasket combo to the inside with the non combo hayward only gasket on the outside would work? What a mess that would make to try...
 
I guess I have to just make the gasket. It's a very very slow leak from the thread/nut area. I'm pretty sure it's coming from the inside but I am thinking if i move that intex gasket to the inside and don't have something big for the outside it's just going to leak around the outside gasket again but not from the thread/nut area.

It takes around 7 minutes for it to even form a little drip but I'm afraid the whole thing is too fragile as it is. When I try to remove that plug from the inside is everything going to start leaking? When I try to thread something into the outside is everything going to leak? I'm just going to try making gaskets and hope it works. If it doesn't, I give up.
 
:sad:

Going to lowes, then getting something for lunch because I'm starving. I can't believe I'm still stuck in the same place. I've been doing this since 11am or earlier.

I don't drink but I might have to start before this is all over.
 
If it looks like it is leaking from the threads get some of the pipe dope from lowes. If they have the blue pipe thread tape get that, and do 3 wraps, then goop it up with pipe dope. You can put plenty on there, just try to get it into the deep parts of the threads.
 

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