Uh oh - Drain Plug Leaking

[jseyfert3]

Taking the dog out this morning I noticed some ice near the bottom of the pool. Taking a closer look I saw water dripping from the drain plug.

This is an issue because if the water drains enough from below the layer of ice, the ice can shift down and rip the liner, particularly where any fittings are in the wall of the liner.

I’m not sure how this happened. These drain plugs on Intex pools are two part. There is a rubber stopper flap on the inside of the pool, and the screw on cap on the outside. I suspect the inner cap area filled with water, froze, popped the inner runner stopper up, and damaged the cap. I suspect it would be better to leave the drain plug unscrewed and rely only on the rubber plug.

I’m debating how to fix this. My thoughts have mostly involved sealant of some sort. I debated unscrewing the plug really fast, plugging the hole with my finger, and filling the cap with plumbers putty before screwing it back on.

I also debated doing the same with JB Waterweld epoxy, which is a putty epoxy that can cure underwater. Or using the waterweld epoxy around the outside of the cap.

 

[Woodstock1234]

This happened to me last year and I got lucky. It somehow had just become loose, so I tightened it by hand and it stopped leaking. Can you tell if the leak coming from the plug itself or the seal around it?

 

[Newdude]

+1 if it's coming from the threads. Some Teflon tape might seal it.

 

[JoyfulNoise]

I’m debating how to fix this. My thoughts have mostly involved sealant of some sort. I debated unscrewing the plug really fast, plugging the hole with my finger, and filling the cap with plumbers putty before screwing it back on.

So with one finger stuck in a hole in the freezing cold giving you minutes before frostbite sets in, you will one-handedly stuff a cap full of plumbers putty and jam it back into place Has all the hallmarks of a great story you can tell the ER doc … after you get done telling the fire dept rescue crew what you were doing …

I also debated doing the same with JB Waterweld epoxy, which is a putty epoxy that can cure underwater. Or using the waterweld epoxy around the outside of the cap.

If you epoxy it then you can remove the cap … are you saying you don’t care to have that drain anymore ?

 

[jseyfert3]

This happened to me last year and I got lucky. It somehow had just become loose, so I tightened it by hand and it stopped leaking. Can you tell if the leak coming from the plug itself or the seal around it?

First thing I tried. It did not help. I’m assuming something is broken on the cap itself but it was 0 °F this morning and I wasn’t wearing gloves or insulated overalls so I wasn’t going to get my head close enough to figure it out. I’ll look closer later.

If you epoxy it then you can remove the cap … are you saying you don’t care to have that drain anymore ?

Yes. I’d prefer the drains did not exist in the first place. Just another failure point. If I need to drain I either drain to waste when the pool is operational or use a submersible pump which is both faster and easier than the garden hose drain connections.

 

[jseyfert3]

Got home and looked at it. The drain plug was now noticeably loose. I tightened it and the leaking stopped.

I wonder if it freezes and the cap pops one thread off, then when warm enough melts and begins leaking. This morning there was perhaps ice that kept me from screwing it on, but over the day it melted? Idk. I’ll keep an eye on it…

 

[JoyfulNoise]

Definitely a terrible design. Maybe if you drain the pool the fix is to put a big vinyl patch over the inside hole 🕳 in the liner where that port is and then fill the other side with epoxy and cap it off for good.

Glad it stopped leaking and you didn’t lose any fingers to frostbite in the process…