Filter drain cap broken. How to circulate water until it is fixed

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Sarapresh

Sarapresh

Member
Jul 8, 2022
15
Crestview, FL
Good morning! Two days ago we came home to find our pool had lost about a foot of water. After refilling the pool we found that the drain cap at the bottom of the filter had broken. We have someone coming out on Tuesday (Today is Thursday) and I am concerned about the water not circulating. I am out of town for two days next week for work and then the following week we are out of town for Thanksgiving. I really don't want to have to deal with a green pool before we leave. I have a submersible pump. Any suggestions on how to circulate the water? Do I just need to add Chlorine and mix it in my brushing or running the water hose for a little while? BTW, the water temp is 65 degrees.
 
Sarapresh said:
Any suggestions on how to circulate the water? Do I just need to add Chlorine and mix it in my brushing or running the water hose for a little while? BTW, the water temp is 65 degrees.
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Purchase a submersible pump at Lowes or HD and place it in the shallow end and connect a standard garden hose to it to reach to the deep end. Some pumps only have 10ft cords so try to find one that works for your pool and within distance to connect to a GFCI outlet. Add your LC as needed and let it run to mix.
 
Hi! Attached are the pictures. The threads are broken off and still in the filter. I actually did just place an order for two of them and they should be here Saturday. I am just not sure if we will be able to get the threaded part of the old cap out of the filter.1668101788916.png1668101811579.png
 
Cut some notches using a hacksaw blade and then put something in the gap and twist out or just cut all of the way through and then remove both pieces.

Don't cut into the threads.

Even if you scratch the threads, it won't matter since the plug seals with an O-ring.

The plug should be available locally.


1668102406118.png
 
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I just purchase one of these for this very reason (and lots of others):

And one of these:

The pump has a nice long cord, and I got the discharge hose because I wanted to help the pump as much as possible. The less incline the hose has (downhill is better still), and the larger the diameter of the hose, the more water it will move.

Tie a rope to the handle of pump and put your pump in the shallow end near a wall. Tie off the other end of the rope to something stationary, so that the pump can't move around. Lay the hose attached to the pump down to the deep end. Plug the pump into a GFCI outlet. Bob's-yer-uncle.

A garden hose will work for this event, consider getting a large discharge hose for the next time, if your pump will accept one.

@Newdude has a suggestion for an even better model of pump, though I know you said you already have one.
 
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You can also find a piece of PVC that will fit perfectly in the broken off piece and glue the PVC into the broken part and then use that to unscrew the broken part.

For example a piece of 1.25" pvc pipe or coupling might fit exactly or maybe it will fit if it is sanded down.

Put a very thin layer of PVC glue on the pipe and push in in and let the glue dry for about 15 minutes.

Be super careful not to drip glue into the threads.

Maybe coat the threads with lube or use masking tape to protect the threads from getting glue dripped on them.
 
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