3-way valve handle broken - glued plumbing? Don't know what to do!!!

[opeth771]

Hey folks! So last winter, I closed my pool a little bit too late; stuff was frozen. So when I tried shutting off the 3-way valve, the handle snapped and broke.

Now... My issue is that, I have no idea how to take it off, simply because I don't know how to remove the plumbing. If you look at my images, the pipes that link together the bottom drain to the 3-way valve has some kind of fitting that I am absolutely not capable of removing. I have tried with wrench, but it wouldn't move. It does not seem to turn at all. I tried so hard, the entire skimmer actually began to rotate, so I stopped.

Also, the part that links the skimmer to the 3-way valve does not seem to have a fitting that can move and seem to be glued?


Any idea what I can do? The pool is only 4 years old.

English is not my main language so sorry if I didn't use the right terms.

Thank you very much for your help

 

[ajw22]

No need to replace the 3 way valve in the plumbing. Buy a new 3-way valve of the correct size. Remove the guts of the existing valve by removing the 6 screws and swap it with the new valve.

 

[opeth771]

But 3-way vales i've seen online seem to be the entire thing:

So I just take off the handle from the new one and replace it on my existing plumbing?

Thanks!

 

[ajw22]

Buy the identical valve. The six screws let you swap all the moving parts.

 

[opeth771]

Yeah I can't seem to find this valve anywhere in Canada. Two last questions:

1) won't water from the bottom drain flow out like crazy once I remove the valve with the flapper?
2) Any idea how I can unscrew the fitting on the first picture? I need to remove that part to extend my piping in the winter and I haven't been able to remove it yet

Thanks again

 

[ajw22]

If you can't find a donor valve then it is major surgery to cut the valve out and replace it.

I don’t know where this valve is in your plumbing and if it is above or below the pool water level. Stuff winterizing plugs in the pipes leading to the valve to stop water flow.

You can try and force unscrewing the fitting but have to be prepared to break it and replace it. I have read of tricks or pouring hot to boiling water on it to loosen it. Try using a strap wrench on it.

 

[opeth771]

Ok, but do you confirm that this fitting IS unscrew-able? Thanks

 

[ajw22]

Ok, but do you confirm that this fitting IS unscrew-able? Thanks

Not sure.

 

[johnm160]

The fitting in the first photo that you have the red box around appears to be glued that is not coming apart.

 

[Mdragger88]

It looks like someone used silicone on the fitting that goes into your skimmer. Can you undo those two union’s? If so I would lower the water level & be prepared to remove the skimmer so you can get some leverage & possibly replace it if it got cracked.
Do you have a gizmo or even a squishy ball you can put in the skimmer pipe to prevent water leakage while you work? I use a small foam football myself ? as I don’t have a valve between my skimmer & pump

 

[crokett]

The fitting at the bottom of your valve is a union. It's designed to unscrew. you will probably need two pipe wrenches to get that apart. One wrench turns the nut, the other holds the pipe. lefty-loosey, righty-tighty. I see another union coming out of the valve to the left. I don't know what the connection is to the plumbing at the top of the valve. I can't see enough of it. I would take this opportunity when I replaced the valve to install a 3rd union at the top. A snorkel fitting screwed into your skimmer with the pipe sticking above the water level will keep it from draining. It is mostly basic plumbing to replace the valve, youtube will have plenty of videos on plumbing. if you post a wider angle pic of the valve plus all of the plumbing coming out of it I can tell you what you'll need.