What is this called? Stripped valve!

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adarameow

Member
Jun 11, 2024
11
Jax, FL
I swear the moment we get something repaired is the moment something else breaks :p I have a stripped valve that’s causing me to have really poor suction in the skimmer basket. We’ve just replaced all of the plumbing that runs from the pump to the filter (several times actually) because of leaks on the repairs so I have a general grasp of what’s going on. To me, with my limited experience with the PVC replacement up top, it seems like I don’t have a lot of room to work with and I’m worried we will mess something up and and have to make more cuts. But with this length of pipe we will be underground after the first fail! My main issue is that I can’t seem to figure out the right keywords to search when I’m googling for a repair. I can’t figure out what this valve is called, where it comes apart, and if I might just be able to replace the stripped knob and avoid cutting any PVC at all. Appreciate any pointers!
 

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I’m not really sure. It turns endlessly each way without affecting the suction. We have some suction but not enough to be effective. It was pointed out to us while we were being quoted a replaster. The pool guy was messing with it and noticed it was stripped and said we probably hadn’t had good suction lately and sure enough next time we tried to vacuum, nothing much was being pulled in.
 
See the large nut in yellow below?

I would soak it in Kroil or Liquid Wrench and put an open wrench on it and see if you can unscrew it.

Is your water level above or below that pipe?

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That is old school. The gate valve can be rebuilt, although some parts you may have to get through a plumbing supply house. Here’s a video that shows the general breakdown of a gate valve.

 
I would replace the tee with a 3-way Jandy Valve. There are times where you want to fully close the skimmer and times you want to close the main drain at least partially and you can't do that now.

Since you can't salvage the fittings, making this cut, I would re-plumb it.

Cut underneath the valve to get clean pipe
Do the same on the other side at a similar height
Discard the entire white suction side PVC to the pump.
Install a coupling on each riser
Install a pipe section on each riser so it is about 1 foot taller than the pump inlet
Install a 90 elbow on each riser, pointed inward just like it is now.
Small section of pipe from each side into a 3-way Jandy valve with the discharge pointed down
Pipe downward to a 90 and into the pump suction.

An alternate would be to put a 2-way into each riser (instead of 1 3-way) and then connect plumbing into the pump.

You can also keep the risers to the same height as the pump inlet and have the 3-way go straight into the pump. It's a little cleaner and has a few less fittings, but you wont have the extra height to for any fixes in the future.
 
Pchase said:
I would replace the tee with a 3-way Jandy Valve. There are times where you want to fully close the skimmer and times you want to close the main drain at least partially and you can't do that now.

Since you can't salvage the fittings, making this cut, I would re-plumb it.

Cut underneath the valve to get clean pipe
Do the same on the other side at a similar height
Discard the entire white suction side PVC to the pump.
Install a coupling on each riser
Install a pipe section on each riser so it is about 1 foot taller than the pump inlet
Install a 90 elbow on each riser, pointed inward just like it is now.
Small section of pipe from each side into a 3-way Jandy valve with the discharge pointed down
Pipe downward to a 90 and into the pump suction.

An alternate would be to put a 2-way into each riser (instead of 1 3-way) and then connect plumbing into the pump.

You can also keep the risers to the same height as the pump inlet and have the 3-way go straight into the pump. It's a little cleaner and has a few less fittings, but you wont have the extra height to for any fixes in the future.
Click to expand...
There might be a problem trying to fit the Jandy in between the risers and elbows. According to their specs, the 3-way is 6-1/2 inches between the outside edges of the ports and the existing tee is around 4-3/4 inches. It might be possible using street elbows rather than normal ones, where the male end can be inserted into the female ports but definitely no space for pipe between the elbows and valve. Here's a link to them: Charlotte Pipe 1-1/2 in. PVC Schedule. 40 90-degree Spigot x S Street Elbow Fitting PVC 02304 1200HD - The Home Depot
The other suggestion using the 2 x 2-way valves would be an easier way to go. I've got a similar setup, except I have three suction lines and have just replaced the old ball valves with true union ones, which allow them to be easily removed, if needed for maintenance.
 

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adarameow said:
I swear the moment we get something repaired is the moment something else breaks :p I have a stripped valve that’s causing me to have really poor suction in the skimmer basket. We’ve just replaced all of the plumbing that runs from the pump to the filter (several times actually) because of leaks on the repairs so I have a general grasp of what’s going on. To me, with my limited experience with the PVC replacement up top, it seems like I don’t have a lot of room to work with and I’m worried we will mess something up and and have to make more cuts. But with this length of pipe we will be underground after the first fail! My main issue is that I can’t seem to figure out the right keywords to search when I’m googling for a repair. I can’t figure out what this valve is called, where it comes apart, and if I might just be able to replace the stripped knob and avoid cutting any PVC at all. Appreciate any pointers!
Click to expand...
This might seem like a dumb question but have you checked to see if the shaft of the valve turns when you turn the knob? If not, then replacing the knob is straightforward and they are usually available at most hardware stores. Take the old one off and compare shaft sizes at the store.
 
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