Slide pipe broken off at concrete level - Seeking ideas on how to repair

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E

ec987

0
May 14, 2014
22
Lexington, KY
I have an IG 18000gal pool with 2 return lines in the pool and one return that I assume was built for a slide. That return was a capped pipe with a threaded cap, which extended 1' above the concrete, that I used to blow out the lines when I close the pool. I came home to some storm damage yesterday. Apparently, the solar cover reel was blown into the pool, hitting this return pipe and breaking it off at the concrete level (see pics attached).

I'd love to just cap the thing off and level it below the concrete, but I won't be able to blow out that line. It looks like there was a pipe extension put into it of some sort. The current ID is 1.25". No standard PVC has a 1.25" OD. Does anybody have any suggestions? The almost clear pool is turning green with each passing hour...

Thanks!
 
:wave: Welcome to TFP!!!

Why would this pipe being broken have anything to do with algae? I went 2 weeks in the AZ summer with no pump and I never got algae because I maintained adequate FC levels.

So is there no valve at the equipment to turn off this pipe? For a slide, I would have assumed there would be a valve for flow adjustment. I was going to suggest a simple bushing with a smaller threaded hole that you could hook up a compressor to for blowing out the pipes, but sounds like the pipe may have previously been broken if there is already and extension in it. :scratch:
 
Thanks, I've been lurking for a while, learning about BBB!

I had just opened the pool, and my pump motor burned up the day I took off the cover. There was some algae that had already started to take hold. How do you circulate the bleach if you don't have a pump? I was operating under the assumption that the water needed to cycle once per day to properly distribute chemicals. I guess I could add bleach at this point, but I figured it'd just settle to the bottom of the pool. Then again, that's where the algae tends to start.

Unfortunately, there's only one line from the filter for all three return exits. I'm not sure who installed this pool, but I'd like to find out! Are you aware of anybody who sells specialty cap fittings that would have an OD of 1.25"? If I could find a threaded cap that fits into a smooth extension with an OD of 1.25"...that's about the only thing I can think of.
 
If you have a recommended test kit and are willing to put your muscles to extensive use, you can dose with bleach twice per day as long as you brush the entire pool right after doing so. Add it slowly around the perimeter and brush the whole pool immediately after. It's a lot of work, but you won't lose ground until you can get circulating again.
 
Didn't know that would be effective. Thanks for the suggestion! I have had a couple oopsies with cyanuric acid collecting on the pool bottom. Shouldn't have tried to add it before I could see bottom. Even after sweeping, and with the pump and vacuum circulating, that stuff is still hard to dissolve.
 
Is the part that's broken off the same ID as the part left in the ground? If so, if you bring it to a real plumbing supply store they should be able to find the right fitting (probably an inside-pipe) in the right size.
 
ec987 said:
Didn't know that would be effective. Thanks for the suggestion! I have had a couple oopsies with cyanuric acid collecting on the pool bottom. Shouldn't have tried to add it before I could see bottom. Even after sweeping, and with the pump and vacuum circulating, that stuff is still hard to dissolve.
Click to expand...

Yep. CYA is a tough one to dissolve. Need to have circulation to dissolve that properly, unless you go the expensive liquid (pre-dissolved) route.

Post some test results! :testresults:

Assuming your CYA is low, since you are planning on adding, dose in the late evening and early morning so the chlorine can attack the algae/organics and not get quickly chewed up by the sun.
 
Sorry about that. I forgot to attach them. :crazy:

20140528_210146.jpg20140528_210212.jpg

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Melt In The Sun said:
Is the part that's broken off the same ID as the part left in the ground? If so, if you bring it to a real plumbing supply store they should be able to find the right fitting (probably an inside-pipe) in the right size.
Click to expand...

Good point! There's definitely some of the extension left in the part that was broken off above ground.
 

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JVTrain said:
Yep. CYA is a tough one to dissolve. Need to have circulation to dissolve that properly, unless you go the expensive liquid (pre-dissolved) route.

Post some test results! :testresults:

Assuming your CYA is low, since you are planning on adding, dose in the late evening and early morning so the chlorine can attack the algae/organics and not get quickly chewed up by the sun.
Click to expand...


Luckily, I added the CYA before the return line pipe broke. It's at about 30, up from 0 last week. Thanks for the suggestion regarding the sun.

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Melt In The Sun said:
That actually looks like it was broken off before and an inside fitting already installed. That may be tough...I hope I'm wrong.
Click to expand...

Unfortunately, I think you're correct. I was contemplating a dremel, if I can't find a 1.25" OD fitting.
 
A dremel may work. Rather than trying to carve out the inside fitting, it'd probably be easier to put on one of the large cutoff wheels and try to cut that whole fitting out from inside and below. Then you could do another inside fitting and go from there.
 
If you don't need the pipe right away, I would go to the boat section at Wal-Mart and get a replacement drain plug for a john boat. If the thing feels like it is going to blow out, go get a steak knife and scratch some deep grooves on the inside of the pipe (like threads). That will give it a good place to grip. I had one on a full-pressure well line for almost a year before I got a chance to cut up the concrete and replace it. I rented a concrete coring saw and just made a 4" hole to work through.
 
Thanks for all the helpful responses!

My solution: Went to a specialty plumbing store in town, where the guy took out a tape measure to measure the OD of a 1" female adapter plug to be '1.25"'. :mad: I knew the standard OD for 1" schedule 40 PVC was 1.315", but I was in a bind, so I figured I'd work with that. I used a Dremel with a sandpaper bit and shaved off that 0.065" as evenly as I could. I also learned from the specialty plumbing guy that there are different thicknesses of pvc cement, as he sold me a thin variety. :mad: I went to the hardware store and purchased the medium thickness, hoping it would cover all the asymmetric locations left from my Dremel job. Luckily, it has held water ever since.

I also got a recommendation for a plug I was unfamiliar with until now. The local pool store manager suggested that I use a universal 7-10 plug. Wish he had suggested this before I put in the permanent fitting, but oh well. Live and learn.
 
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