I have a salt water pool and my pool supply store had me put stabilizer in my pool back in October. The problem is and has been, it hardened into a blockage in the piping and can't get it unclogged because water temp was not high enough to dissolve the stabilizer. I have tried cutting main drain and other skimmer off and pumping thru the clogged skimmer pipe, ice picking the stabilizer clog, and pouring hotter temp water thru a funnel directly on blockage with no results. Hs anyone else solved this problem? Don't want to wait till pool water temp gets to 90 degrees.
clogged pipe
- Thread starter bfrnk
- Start date
Welcome to TFP.
Are you sure it's stabilizer that formed the mass? Sounds like calcium to me. I've never heard of stabilizer getting that hard. Have you tried pouring a tiny bit of acid on it and seeing if it fizzed?
Are you sure it's stabilizer that formed the mass? Sounds like calcium to me. I've never heard of stabilizer getting that hard. Have you tried pouring a tiny bit of acid on it and seeing if it fizzed?
I have had a couple cutomers do this and we have had success with just sticking a hose down the skimmer and letting it run. Its not quick and you're adding water to the pool, but it does work. You'd want to be 100% sure thats what it is before going with that method.
I can feel the clog and yes it is the stabilizer. The pool supply says they have seen this before. i did pour acid in there once but don't remember if it fizzed. I though about the hose and even placeing my wet/dry vac down there.
My next suggestion would be a sewer snake to break it apart. A small unit that you can pick up at your local big box store should work.
If a water hose will work what about using a pressure washer? As far as using a snake, pool supply gut said they have seen them break off in there because, supposedly, it is a 90 degree angle right out of the box and could or would get hung up. The pressure washer was my next brain storm. What do y'all think?
Pretty good idea, I think. You may get some blow back but I don't see any other down side.
(On my projects, I normally remember that blowback issue about .5 seconds after I have been blinded
)Thank you so much for these posts. I just did the same thing and was freaking out. I'm trying the hose in the skimmer line now. Praying it works!!
Well now I have double proof of why we suggest a sock in front of a return for adding CYA! More reasons than the backwashing issue.
Tried the air compressor, by stopping up skimmers and pool drain & blowing from pump basket outwards as suggested by another pool supply store and that didn't work either. Maybe pump not big enough or too much air escaping thru another spot. Anyway, it didnt work. As far as the pipe asnake is concerned pool supply said don't try it because of 90 degree turn right out of skimmer and if break snake in there looking at major repairs.
How about pouring very hot water down the pipe? Do you think that would dissolve it?
- Jun 20, 2012
- 439
All you have to do is get a little water running through the skimmer line and the CYA will eventually dissolve. Be gentle with the snake and it will break up. 
It isn't a temperature issue, you just need consistent water flow. The water hose running very slowly pushed down the pipe as far as it will go is the best solution. Dissolving through the clog will take time and requires constant fresh water to carry away the part already dissolved, thus the slow flowing hose.
http://www.northerntool.com/shop/tools/ ... pla&ci_kw={keyword}
Forget ever using a snake again if you have a pressure washer. Have had a few clogs similar in nature but not CYA. I convert my trigger to hose in and hose out vs. hose in and wand out. With the tip in the link(rubber cover removed) Push the hose to the clog and pull the trigger. The good thing is it is a straight stream but it is in a circular pattern. With the hose you don't have to get blasted in the face either.
This thing also works great for boring under concrete. Take 4 in or size of pipe you want under the concrete and put this inside it. position the tip near the end of the pipe. Pull the trigger and push the pipe through. You do get really muddy from the back wash though. Get you kid to pull the trigger and you guide the pipe at the hole..
Forget ever using a snake again if you have a pressure washer. Have had a few clogs similar in nature but not CYA. I convert my trigger to hose in and hose out vs. hose in and wand out. With the tip in the link(rubber cover removed) Push the hose to the clog and pull the trigger. The good thing is it is a straight stream but it is in a circular pattern. With the hose you don't have to get blasted in the face either.
This thing also works great for boring under concrete. Take 4 in or size of pipe you want under the concrete and put this inside it. position the tip near the end of the pipe. Pull the trigger and push the pipe through. You do get really muddy from the back wash though. Get you kid to pull the trigger and you guide the pipe at the hole..