Pool guys CAULKED my Jandy Ray Vac Energy Filter in place!!

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L

lovemypool

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LifeTime Supporter
Oct 3, 2010
24
Fulton, MD
Arrgggh! Not even one full season with the pool and I'm already running out of pool "professionals" in our area that I haven't fired! :hammer:

The latest is this -- I went to try and unscrew (for cleaning) the clear plastic bowl that holds the "Energy Filter" for the pool's Jandy Ray Vac system. I couldn't budge it, so (thinking it was my lack of strength), when my husband got home I asked him to have a go at it. He discovers that someone caulked the bowl in place, right at the joint where it should unscrew! It has to have been the guys from the pool company we hired to close the pool last fall and open it last week (not sure if it happened at closing or opening; would this part normally be taken off and stored for winter, or left in place?). I already know that the opening team didn't have any familiarity with the Jandy Ray Vac because they hadn't set the pressure correctly (so it wasn't running right) and I called the company about it; they acknowledged that the guy who was here, though he was "very experienced", was not familiar with Ray Vac since they are not very common.

My husband tried to scrape off what caulk he could, but still couldn't get the filter unscrewed. We can't run the Ray Vac anymore til it's clean -- it all gunked up with worms and other lovely things so there's not sufficient pressure to run the unit properly.

Any suggestions?? What's involved if it can't be unscrewed and the whole filter section on the pipe has to be replaced? Do I let the pool company send someone else out if they say they have someone who can fix it??

Here's a link to the Jandy Ray Vac owners manual. A diagram of the Energy Filter is in Section 6.

http://www.jandy-downloads.com/pdfs/H05550A.pdf
 
Re: Pool guys CAULKED my Jandy Ray Vac Energy Filter in plac

Did they leave you a detailed list of what they did when they closed or opened the pool? Call the pool company back and let them know what happened. They should replace the part if they can't get it open.
 
Re: Pool guys CAULKED my Jandy Ray Vac Energy Filter in plac

That is crazy. I can't imagine what they were thinking.

You might be able to fix it by scraping off all the caulk you can get to and then trying to open it up with a strap wrench, or it might be ruined. Replacing it with a new one is easy enough for anyone with PVC experience, aside from the obvious expense.
 
Re: Pool guys CAULKED my Jandy Ray Vac Energy Filter in plac

1st - bad pool boy. If one of my guys did something like that, they'd be gone.

2nd - these things leak... a LOT. Probably why someone with no brains tried to "fix" the leak with caulk... The "secret" to preventing them from leaking is to NOT tighten it all the way. When you put them on, tighten it until it won't turn anymore... then back it off ~1/8th of a turn. Also make sure the o-ring is clean.

3rd - Cut out the JEF. JMHO. Find piping on the other side of the filter (filtered water side) and put in a 3-way valve there, and run that to the ray-vac. That way, 1/2 your water isn't going through the system un-filtered... which is oxymoronic because they call it an energy saving filter... How exactly is it saving money if it's not letting 1/2 of the water be filtered by the system? What a waste! Now you need longer pump run-times to get the same effective filtration.

4th - I hate RayVacs... just a personal bias. They always drop their crud when you try to empty them - even when you're careful. I've also seen the Rayvac scar up plaster because they're running too fast, are hard plastic, and shoot through the pool like a bullet. Throw that thing away and get The Pool Cleaner pressure-side. ;)

- Jeff

[edit - to Jason's point... for these things, strap-wrench's ROCK. Lowe's has a great strap-wrench. Love mine.]
 
Re: Pool guys CAULKED my Jandy Ray Vac Energy Filter in plac

You guys are awesome. Thank you.

Already tried a strap wrench, although I'll have to check out the one at Lowe's. Maybe it's bigger. The only "list" they left at opening was a generic checklist with "Good" checked in every case. I'm going to call the company in the morning and see what they have to say for themselves. Should be good for a couple of laughs. Taekwondodo, any chance you're considering opening a store on the East coast? You would eat up the competition.
 
Re: Pool guys CAULKED my Jandy Ray Vac Energy Filter in plac

If you have a long screw driver, you can improve your available twisting torque to get the bowl off. The bottom of the clear bowl has nubs on it for just this purpose. Catch two with the blade. Square shafted screwdrivers work best.

Once you get it off, replace the o-ring and lube it. Clean the threads!


Scott
 
Re: Pool guys CAULKED my Jandy Ray Vac Energy Filter in plac

Spillmar, wow, thanks, how generous! I will definitely PM you if we determine we need a new one.

PoolGuyNJ, thanks, actually we already tried the screwdriver trick, it didn't work, but maybe we need to try with a longer square-shafted one.
 

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Re: Pool guys CAULKED my Jandy Ray Vac Energy Filter in plac

Update:
I called the pool company and they said that they actually sometimes caulk the things ON PURPOSE, since they tend to leak. I said, okay, but how do I get it off? The answer was it's supposed to be done so you can still get it off. Whatever...anyway the owner of the company came out personally and got it unstuck (he must have had a stronger/bigger strap wrench) and lubed it up. Now I'm able to get it on and off to clean (have done twice since then). I give the company credit for making it right -- and if I use them again I'll be sure to request the "A" team.

Taekwondodo, the advice about not putting it on too tight was right on -- now know how to put it back on so it doesn't leak.

Once again, the collective experience of TFP saves the day!
 
Re: Pool guys CAULKED my Jandy Ray Vac Energy Filter in plac

Glad to be of help! But, I still say cut it out and put the low-pressure fitting on the south-side of the filter ;)

Just more efficient, and no J.E.F. to clog (I've seen them literally crushed when they're not serviced enough) or water bypassing the filter.
 
Re: Pool guys CAULKED my Jandy Ray Vac Energy Filter in plac

I used to have one of these cleaners. My builder installed the filter backwards so the water entered from the wrong side. This meant the dirt collected inside the mesh filter cartridge instead of on the outside of it making it ridiculously difficult to clean. Stupid. :roll: Only way to fix it would have been to cut it out and replace the whole assembly so I never bothered - just lived with it. That said, mine never leaked so I never had to caulk it.
 
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