Pool Slide PVC pipe

[Jcsmith9]

The PvC pipe coming out the ground by the slide isn’t connected to the slide because we have had issues getting it to stay connected to the slide. It’s freezing here now. Valve is currently off. Should I just wrap this pipe up with a towel to prevent from freezing? Any recommendations?

 

[ajw22]

Is there water in the pipe?

Did you blow it out during the winterization?

There should be no water in the vertical pipe.

I would open the valve at the top of the pipe and leave it open for the winter.

 

[Jcsmith9]

We leave ours running during the winter. Run it when it freezes. Since we leave it open the line was never blown out.

 

[ajw22]

We leave ours running during the winter. Run it when it freezes. Since we leave it open the line was never blown out.

That is going to be a problem.

Do you have a valve for that line on your equipment pad? If so, turn off the water by your equipment pad and open the valve by the slide.

Without water flowing the water in that pipe can freeze anywhere from your equipment pad to the deck.

Even closing a valve at the equipment pad creates the risk of the water freezing and cracking the valve. But that valve should be easier to replace than the pipe to the slide.

Any still water in a pipe or valve is a freezing risk.

Wrapping the pipe will not insulate it from freezing. You can get some electrical heat tape and wrap it around the pipe and valve.

 

[Jcsmith9]

That is going to be a problem.

Do you have a valve for that line on your equipment pad? If so, turn off the water by your equipment pad and open the valve by the slide.

Without water flowing the water in that pipe can freeze anywhere from your equipment pad to the deck.

Even closing a valve at the equipment pad creates the risk of the water freezing and cracking the valve. But that valve should be easier to replace than the pipe to the slide.

Any still water in a pipe or valve is a freezing risk.

Wrapping the pipe will not insulate it from freezing. You can get some electrical heat tape and wrap it around the pipe and valve.

I don’t think there is a valve at the equipment pad that turns this off. The valve is on the pipe and when you turn it to open water will move when it’s shut water stops. I’m just looking for a solution as we won’t be using it.

 

[ajw22]

I’m just looking for a solution as we won’t be using it.

Heat tape around the exposed pipe and hope for the best for the underground pipe.

 

[ajw22]

The Physics of Freezing and Freeze Protection

Recently, there have been a lot of questions from those living in moderate climates about using automatic freeze protection or running pumps to prevent freezing and what a pool owner should do when temperatures drop so I thought it might be useful to have a thread which dealt with the issue from...

www.troublefreepool.com

 

[Newdude]

I don’t think there is a valve at the equipment pad that turns this off

Is this the pipe ?



If so you can add a 3 way valve to be able to blow it and seal it for the winter.

 

[Jcsmith9]

I have no idea. Are there any other solutions? I know nothing about pool plumbing?

 

[Jcsmith9]

Is this the pipe ?

View attachment 620708

If so you can add a 3 way valve to be able to blow it and seal it for the winter.

I will tell you this. When the pool is running you can feel water moving through this pipe.

 

[Newdude]

I will tell you this. When the pool is running you can feel water moving through this pipe.

Ok so if the slide valve is off and you still feel running water, it's not that pipe or the slide is split off that pipe further downstream.

Are there any other solutions?

We need to find where the slide pipe goes. Nothing says it goes to the pool equipment, it could go to the house or a sprinkler zone feed.

Does it work when the pool is off ? Shut the pool equipment off and open the slide valve if you don't already know that answer.

 

[sande005]

Can you get a rubber pipe coupling similar to Fernco 2 in. x 1-1/2 in. DWV Flexible PVC Coupling P1056-215 - The Home Depot and from it, run some pipe to the pool - so when the pool runs, water is pumped back into the pool. That will solve the immediate freezing concern, and not hurt anything when you explore the fix for the slide in the future. Those couplings come in multiple sizes, so find the one that fits the end of the pipe. You may have to take this as an opportunity to learn how to glue a 90 degree fitting or two onto a short lengths of pipe to route it to the pool. But since it is cheap and temporary, a perfect learning opportunity. If you mess up, no harm, and very, very little cost.

 

[Jcsmith9]

Can you get a rubber pipe coupling similar to Fernco 2 in. x 1-1/2 in. DWV Flexible PVC Coupling P1056-215 - The Home Depot and from it, run some pipe to the pool - so when the pool runs, water is pumped back into the pool. That will solve the immediate freezing concern, and not hurt anything when you explore the fix for the slide in the future. Those couplings come in multiple sizes, so find the one that fits the end of the pipe. You may have to take this as an opportunity to learn how to glue a 90 degree fitting or two onto a short lengths of pipe to route it to the pool. But since it is cheap and temporary, a perfect learning opportunity. If you mess up, no harm, and very, very little cost.

To be certain I understand what you’re saying. Place the rubber coupling around the end of the slide PVC. Next take a 90 degree fitting from the rubber coupling and glue the PVC to it and run it into the pool? Do I have this right?

 

[sande005]

Yes.
Depending on the coupler sizes, you may want a stub of pipe into the coupling, then the 90 fitting, then more pipe. Add another 90 or a 45 to direct it to the pool, if needed. Hard to see in the picture what the end of the slide pipe above the valve looks like. Is it smooth or threaded? That may be a wrinkle in the plan...post a pic.

 

[Dirk]

This kitchen needs another cook! Unless the slide installer was a complete doofus, the water going over the slide must be pool water. It should emanate from the pool, get filtered, then return to the pool via the slide. Otherwise, if the water going over the slide is from the house or garden supply, then the pool would fill every time the slide was used, which would relatively quickly overflow the pool.

This is easy enough to test, which is what @Newdude was getting at. Turn on your main pump and then open the valve by the slide. Does water come out of it (with force)? Turn off that valve.

Then turn off your main pump and then open the slide valve again. There should be no water coming out at that point (other than a bit of a dribble with no pressure).

That would confirm your slide valve source is coming from the pool plumbing. And would then very likely confirm the pipe @Newdude indicated in his picture is, in fact, feeding the slide.

It would then be a simple matter to install a valve and a tee on that pipe at the pad, so that you could turn off the water to the slide at the pad, then blow out that entire underground pipe for the winter.

That's the the right/best way to deal with this. Running water, heating the valve, insulating the valve and pipe, etc, etc, are all prone to failure for one reason or another. Only blowing out the pipe thoroughly will guarantee it won't get damaged in a freeze. Because if some other method goes wrong, and that pipe breaks anywhere under the deck, that will end it permanently, and pretty much the slide, too.

Do it right, do it once. (I always say.)

 

[Dirk]

As per Allen's original question(s), if you winterize, and blowout all your pool plumbing for the winter, then once you determine that that slide pipe is part of the pool plumbing, then blow it out along with the rest of your pool plumbing. In which case you don't need to add the extra valve and tee.

 

[Jcsmith9]

Yes.
Depending on the coupler sizes, you may want a stub of pipe into the coupling, then the 90 fitting, then more pipe. Add another 90 or a 45 to direct it to the pool, if needed. Hard to see in the picture what the end of the slide pipe above the valve looks like. Is it smooth or threaded? That may be a wrinkle in the plan...post a pic.

Here is the top of it.

 

[Newdude]

Here is the top of it.

See if a garden hose fits the threaded part. If so it's 3/4. If not it's 1 inch. I'd use a threaded elbow instead of a rubber coupler.

Does it flow with the pump off ? The 1/4 inch slide hose going up would have never been an overflow concern for whoever installed it. Good practice is to use the pool plumbing as @Dirk said but this one could go either way.

 

[sande005]

Ditto on the threaded elbow, if you don't luck out with a garden hose. The rubber coupler will likely leak when tightened on those threads.

That piping being smaller than the angle pipe at the pad is a concern. Either the water is not coming from the pool pad at all, or there is an unknown area where the pipes are reduced down or tee'd off from the larger size used at the equipment pad.

You never stated: With the valve open, does water come out - but stops when the pool pumps are shut off? If so, then it does come from the pool equipment. If not, it is connected to some other water source.

 

[Jcsmith9]

See if a garden hose fits the threaded part. If so it's 3/4. If not it's 1 inch. I'd use a threaded elbow instead of a rubber coupler.

Does it flow with the pump off ? The 1/4 inch slide hose going up would have never been an overflow concern for whoever installed it. Good practice is to use the pool plumbing as @Dirk said but this one could go either way.

No it only runs when the pump is on or the valve is opened to the slide. Currently no water comes out because I have the valve shut.