Blue flex pipe - what type of cement is needed?

[fisherman]

Hi All,

So I have struggling with a huge air leak in my suction system. Today after fighting wth the pump and cavitation in the pump I was determined to find it. The pool company wanted to pressure test and sonar etc for $$$$. I fabricated a hose connection to my skimmer inlet, closed the ball valve and turnerd on the hose. Within about 30 seconds I heard the tell tale signs of water blowing underground. Seeems at some point in the history of the pool there must have been a leak under the deck and somebody cut the original suction line (blue pipe in picture) and ran about three feet of flex pvc in between. Well both joints of the PVC to this blue stuff were blowing water and clearly letting in lots of air. The pool guys saw some of this stuff in the yard as the pipe is shallow and they were confused as to what it is. It is not flex PVC, but does bend since they curved it around my concrete pool deck.

So I want to try to repair this break in the line. I have enough flex PVC laying around to reconnect the break. I know flex PVC can use the same cements as normal PVC, but what about this Blue stuff? The blue goo in the picture is kind of flakey looking like an epoxy or something and this last polar vortex the midewest had must have destroyed it.

Appreciate the help.

 

[Charlie_R]

That blue pipe looks like it may be PEX, but without being there to look at it and maybe try to slice a tiny sliver from the outside of it, I can't be sure. You say it is fairly flexible, so it's obviously not ABS or similar, and doesn't look or act like PVC.

If it is PEX, then the only way I know of to connect to it is with a crimp-on connector. and for that size of pipe, they get a bit pricey.

 

[Patrick_B]

I agree it looks like PEX, but with a different shot/lighting, maybe we could see better.

If it is, they also make fittings to put it together with, but they aren't the easiest things to use.

 

[fisherman]

Thanks. The pipe is semi rigid but you can not bend by hand like flex PVC. It is bent around my concrete pool deck and held in place with rebar. The previous repair was somehow connected with a standard schedule 40 PVC connector with that might have been blue pool PVC glue. I would like to get this up and running again. Any quick ideas to get this back together connecting this to PVC. I think I may have more leaks so I want to get this going to see what the pump does. After researching this could be pex like suggested

 

[duraleigh]

What size is that pipe? I have never seen PEX larger than 1.25" so it wouldn't have been easy for them to find if it's larger.

Is there any way you can do the whole thing in rigid PVC and get rid of that flex altogether?

 

[fisherman]

It is 1.5 inch
Re piping the suction line will be the eventual solution but the suction line goes the long way around the 32 foot pool so the pipe run is easily 75 feet or more. Big project time to re pipe Meanwhile I cut a section and glued it to a PVC coupling using Oakley purple and it seems to hold reasonably well. I think this might be fix to see if I can get it to go

 

[fisherman]

Update to pass along I am still trying to identify what this pipe is but wanted to share what did get my pool running again to help somebody later. It seems my issue is wherever this blue slightly oval pipe was connected to PVC these joints failed or will fail
It is not PVC so my quest to join this to PVC was a challenge. I could not find pex connectors in 1.5 inch locally and even then there would be several fittings to correctly join to PVC easily at 40-50$ per connection I found marine epoxy sticks to this stuff (other cements did not hold) so I joined the break together using schedule 40 fittings but used this epoxy on the blue side. End result, I am now pumping more water than air and my pool runs. I still have air coming in and I am guessing it is where this connects to PVC unfortunately for me underground and under concrete at the skimmer. This is not an ideal solution but maybe it can help somebody later. Who knows what the PG would have charged me with all there leak locating gadgets

 

[fisherman]

TFP to close this out. The mystery pipe was HDPE High density polyethylene used in irrigation and potable water supply systems. No idea why anyone installed this for my pool. But long story short I ripped it all out and replaced with PVC except for a 5 foot section where it goes under the concrete to connect at the skimmer. If anyone comes across this stuff, Loctite marine epoxy sticks to it and PVC allowing for a secure mating to the PVC union.

Pool now works beautifully - self primes and set up on a timer.

 

[Richard320]

TFP to close this out. The mystery pipe was HDPE High density polyethylene used in irrigation and potable water supply systems. No idea why anyone installed this for my pool. But long story short I ripped it all out and replaced with PVC except for a 5 foot section where it goes under the concrete to connect at the skimmer. If anyone comes across this stuff, Loctite marine epoxy sticks to it and PVC allowing for a secure mating to the PVC union.

Pool now works beautifully - self primes and set up on a timer.

Thanks for the update.