Slow leak at pump outlet...

[Thinkly]

I have a very slow drip at this fitting and see no way to DIY fix it. Anyone have any ideas?

 

[duraleigh]

Anyone have any ideas?

Sure. Unless I am missing something, disconnect the pipe at the union and then the pipe going into the pump will unscrew from the pump body.

Clean up all the old pipe dope from the threads of the pipe and the female threads of the pump body, use new pipe dope, and remake that connection.

Very Hand tight should do it and the leak will stop. If it does not, make sure the pump body is not cracked....that's more complicated.

 

[Thinkly]

I have no experience with said operation and i guess i am just tentative.

1. So any old "pipe dope" will work?

2. What happens if the pipe is not tight when i screw it back in and it doesn't mate up with the union? The elbow is glued on. In other words, what if after cleaning/doping and re tightening the elbow isn't in the exact same spot to accept the union? I guess the obvious answer is the elbow fitting would have to be re made up? Something i'm not sure i can do.

 

[duraleigh]

I guess the obvious answer is the elbow fitting would have to be re made up? Something i'm not sure i can do.

You can likely make it match.

1. Hdwre Store of HD/Lowe's into plumbing and ask for simply "Pipe dope"....describe your job to them if they have more than one kind.....get the tiniest amount available...it won't take much

2. After you thoroughly clean the old threads of the old dope, simply apply new dope (apply to both male and female threads and cover the threads thoroughly but remove any excess) and start to tighten.

With just a little luck, it should come right back around to it's original position and match up. It would be okay to get it as hand tight as you can and then back off to the original position but see if you can make it match up as you screw it in....probably an 80% chance or greater it will.

3. It must match very, close. The two surfaces of the union have to match very well to get the rubber o-ring to seal. nevertheless, no special tools are required nor is it rocket science once you get into it.

4. Worst case is it will still leak and your only out a couple of bucks for the pipe dope and some of your time. Then you could call in a pro to do it for you.

5. Use your hands only to tighten. Don't put a wrench on it unless you only need less than a 1/4 turn to make it match up. Too much force will crack the threads in the pump.

 

[waste]

IF it still leaks after redoping the threads, a coupling will allow you to tighten the threads a little more and then get the union to match up correctly

 

[PoolGuyNJ]

The coupling has a divider inside that is about an eighth inch. If you make the cut in the pipe less than perfect, and that is normally the case is not done with a chop saw or miter, there will be some additional added length to the pipe due to the angled ends. This may require some minor trimming to shorten it.

Scott

 

[Thinkly]

The coupling has a divider inside that is about an eighth inch. If you make the cut in the pipe less than perfect, and that is normally the case is not done with a chop saw or miter, there will be some additional added length to the pipe due to the angled ends. This may require some minor trimming to shorten it.

Scott

Can you link to this coupling so I can see what you are describing. I am PVC dumb obviously.

 

[PoolGuyNJ]

I googled and it answered. See this link. 1st item.

http://www.pvcfittingsdirect.com/_e/gde ... ule_40.htm

Home Depot is good for fittings to 1.5" butr Lowes goes to 2". Of course there are the plumbing supply shops too.

Scott

PS I have no affiliation with the above company but thank them for posting the pics.

 

[waste]

Thinkly, no pic, but let me describe what we're talking about. A coupling is a sleeve that glues over 2 pieces of straight pipe that you want to join. It's inner diameter is the same size as the outer diameter of the pipe you attach it to. In the middle of the coupling is a 'stop' so that you have an equal length of pipe on each side, it's a 'speed bump' 1/2 way in the coupling. As it prevents the pipe from being inserted too far, from either side, it's ~ 1/8 - 3/32", as Scott noted.

However, if you have to go this way, the threads have gone down into the pump housing further than they were originally, so the net result (height of the union) could well be the same

I doubt it will come down to using a coupling, but if it does, Scott and I will help you install one yourself without the need to call in the overpriced pool pros (of course Scott and I are the overpriced pool pros - but we'll help the folks here for free :angel:


Scott posted whilst I was

 

[Thinkly]

I was hoping to make the repair without having to glue anything. The couplings i have seen that you link too seem to require gluing or else i have misunderstood. I am tinking of trying this but would like to understand the coupling proposal better.

Obviously i have a piece of pvc attached to a union with the other end threaded that goes into the pump outlet. I would be more encouraged if the coupling was threaded instead of glued..

 

[PoolGuyNJ]

The concern is that if the existing male adapter needs to be threaded into the pump more than it was, this will change the hight at which the union ends line up. Adding a coupling on the vertical pipe would add that little extra height you might need.

Scott

 

[Thinkly]

The concern is that if the existing male adapter needs to be threaded into the pump more than it was, this will change the hight at which the union ends line up. Adding a coupling on the vertical pipe would add that little extra height you might need.

Scott

I understand now what you are saying. Would this be a threaded coupling then i assume?

 

[JasonLion]

Typically there is a threaded pipe or fitting that screws into the pump and everything else is glued. Normally you screw in the threaded fitting, make sure it is tight, and then glue the other end to something.

A coupling is just a piece of pipe that is just slightly larger than normal, so that regular pipe fits inside fairly tightly. You can glue two pieces of pipe together with a coupling by sliding the coupling onto one of the pipes, lining up the two ends, covering everything with primer and then glue, and then sliding the coupling into place. The nice thing about a coupling in this situation is that it allows the pipes to be slightly closer or further apart and will still make a good joint.

 

[Thinkly]

I am off to buy pipe dope. What about teflon tape? Is pipe dope better? Also how clean do the male and female threads need to be? What should i use to clean the old pipe dope?

Do NOT use Plumber’s Pipe Dope as it may cause cracking of the plastic components. When applying Teflon tape to plastic threads, wrap the entire threaded portion of the male fitting with one to two ayers of tape. Wind the tape clockwise as you face the open end of the fitting, beginning at the end of the fitting.

 

[lbridges]

I prefer pipe dope I have found a brand I like (Rectorseal T Plus 2) at Lowes before, but if you should end up with teflon tape and make sure they understand it's for a rather large pipe (1-1/2" or 2") and yes it does make a difference.

 

[Thinkly]

OK, I used pipe dope and everything seems ok, aside from the fact that my crystal clear pool turned a bit milky. Wonder what caused that? I'm sure it isn't pipe dope but maybe a bit of discharge from the DE grids???