"Hot fix" - black poly transition to PVC while water is in pipe

[gb99]

Hi everyone:

Pool is 2/3 drained and I need to reroute the existing plumbing from the edge of the pool back to the pump pad. Existing plumbing is 1.5" black poly pipe going to the pool and even though the section I'm working on is higher than the main drain, water is still coming out of it. I'd like to transition from the black poly to 1.5" pvc using these adapters below installed with 2 stainless clamps. I will be gluing the pvc from this transition all the way to the pump. All of this plumbing will be buried in dirt and under concrete.

One idea is to glue a 1.5" pvc ball valve to a nipple and then glue it to this adapter below. Close the ball valve and cut the poly. Water will gush out, but I should still be able to insert this adapter's male threads into the poly pipe and tighten the clamps. The closed ball valve will then allow me to glue all of the pvc pipe up to the pad. When that's done, I'll open the ball valve and then have everything buried.

Thoughts? By the way, is there such a thing as a "temporary" plug that will dissolve after a few hours?? That way I can plug the black poly and glue all the pvc without having to use a ball valve.

Thank you!

[Black poly pipe coming out at the shallow corner of the pool]



[1-1/4" male x 1-1/2" slip pvc adapter - readily available at Home Depot]



1.5" ball valve

 

[tim5055]

Rather than using the threaded PVC connector as a barbed connector, I'd be using an actual threadded black poly barbed connector. You can then get a threaded ball valve to screw onto the end. The PVC one just doesn't give quite enough "meat" to push down the pipe and get a good hold with the band clamp. As you are going to bury this connection, go with a stainless band clamp.

This barb connector should also be available at the big box stores.

 

[JamesW]

Why is there a giant hole in the yard?

You can use bread as a temporary plug. Ball it up tight and jam it in. It will get soggy and dissolve.

 

[gb99]

Thanks guys. I found the Spears barbed fittings online. The threaded portion of the PVC threaded male end was 1-1/4" in order to fit into the 1.5" black poly pipe. Should I get the same sized barb for the Spears barbed fitting? I don't want to overstuff the 25 year old poly pipe and crack it.

 

[Herbaldew]

I don't have a lot of pool experience, but I do have quite a bit of poly/barb fittings experience...

I would suggest gently heating the poly prior to inserting the barb. I personally use a torch to do this, but you have to be careful not to melt it.

I would also suggest using two clamps on the barb - each tightening in opposite directions.

 

[Dirk]

In terms of longevity and reliability, I would never use a PVC ball valve for anything, especially not in any pool plumbing. And I would never bury a valve of any kind (if that is what you were describing), let alone under concrete. Doing both would be a non-starter for me.

I have used the bread trick (while sweating copper pipe) with mixed results. It can work.

Where is all the water coming from? The pool? Working on the pipes above the level of the main drain is not going to keep the water from running out. But working on them above the level of the water itself should. Is there no way to temporarily bend, nudge or pull the ends you're working on above the level of the water, or drain the water lower, to stop the flow? That's what I'd do, and then use all the proper connections for the transition, instead of some make-shift solution. Any kind of joint is risky once it's buried for good. If you have to bury it, then at least make the joint as sound as possible.

 

[gb99]

Dirk: Good points. Let me see if I can drain the pool a little more. Will report back. Thanks

 

[gb99]

I don't have a lot of pool experience, but I do have quite a bit of poly/barb fittings experience...

I would suggest gently heating the poly prior to inserting the barb. I personally use a torch to do this, but you have to be careful not to melt it.

I would also suggest using two clamps on the barb - each tightening in opposite directions.

Do you heat the inner or outer diameter of the black poly?

 

[Herbaldew]

Do you heat the inner or outer diameter of the black poly?

I just heat the outside. A safer alternative for the inexperienced and a one time shot is to use boiling water either poured over the poly or put the end of the poly in the container holding the hot water.

 

[gb99]

I just heat the outside. A safer alternative for the inexperienced and a one time shot is to use boiling water either poured over the poly or put the end of the poly in the container holding the hot water.

Roger that. Is the heating’s purpose to make it easier to insert the barb, or to make the poly pipe “mold” around the barb like heat-shrink tubing?

 

[Herbaldew]

Roger that. Is the heating’s purpose to make it easier to insert the barb, or to make the poly pipe “mold” around the barb like heat-shrink tubing?

To make it easier to insert and for older pipe less likely to split. A side effect is that it does mold somewhat as well. I have actually repressurized a poly pipe after removing the clamps out of curiosity and it held without leaking. That was breifly fooling around, no idea how long it wouldn't leak or blow apart

 

[Dirk]

Makes it easier to push on (at least with the drip tubing I use that trick for). I'm not so sure it wouldn't impact the tubes integrity, though (like on a molecular level). I'm no expert on this topic, but I would use the heat sparingly if at all for that reason. Try making the connection on a warm day first, before the boiling water. I really wouldn't want to use a torch if I'd never done that before. Again, to minimize any sort of compromise on a joint you'll never be able to get to again. I suppose the two clamps might make that a moot point.