Intex return holes in liner is too big?

[sca10]

We are just putting up Intex ultra frame 16X32. I am wanting to hardplumb as we set it up. It doesn't come with a true skimmer, having only a large return and thru wall strainer. We are putting a Hayward skimmer and adding 2 regular Hayward eyeball return jets. I would like to replace both the original Intex thru wall parts if possible also with 2 more Hayward eyeball jets, using the strainer one to become a regular adapter for a suction side pool sweep. That would give us a total of 3 actual jets, one real skimmer, and one suction pool sweep. (We come from the inground pool world and are used to letting the Polaris 360 roam the pool permanently, except when too many people playing--can't use that one in vinyl pool so will get Hayward bug or something.) My real question is that the 2 Intex holes are 1/4 inch bigger than the standard Hayward thru wall fittings. The Hayward gaskets are plenty large enough to cover, but not sure it will seal well. Will it work--should I make a larger patch glued over the holes first, then install--I don't know. Help Please! Here's a link to another site that has pic of intex parts if interested. I'm writing this at my office so can't take and Photobucket actual pics right now.
https://tapatalk.com/tapatalk_image...vZC8xNC8wNS8wNi9vcmlnaW5hbC9nZXJ1dHludS5qcGc=

 

[Charlie_R]

There are a couple of ways you can go with this.

Take a chance on the Hayward gaskets sealing. Good luck with that one.

Go to Lowes or Home Depot and pick up some rubber gasket material and make your own oversized gaskets.

Find someone local that is getting rid of their Intex pool, and grab the liner for patch material. That way you can match the pattern inside the pool for an almost invisible patch, and if you do both the inside and outside, you will have a reinforced area around your returns.

Buy a good quality patch kit and use that to shrink the holes a bit.

Good luck on whatever you decide.

 

[sca10]

Not sure how the gasket material would help--the new thru wall fittings are already smaller than the original hole, and the gaskets that come with the new fitting already cover the hole and fit the new fitting perfectly since they are correct/original to the new fittings. Wouldn't want to make custom gaskets wider than the eyeball returns. Getting patch material first and gluing over the hole and then cutting a new/smaller hole sounds more plausible, but I would have to order matching material--to be honest we would like to do this now and would hate waiting--but not as much as having leaks! I called a pool service guy and he said he thought the gaskets would be fine, but silicone on both sides of the vinyl before installing. Wish Intex would standardize, but wishing should probably be for more importance stuff. You only get 3 wishes--everybody knows that.

 

[schertzy82]

I replaced my Intex return with a Hayward one and it sealed just fine for me with no modifications. I didn't use silicone either. Just hold the return in the center of the hole as best you can while screwing the nut on. It should work just fine, even though the hole is a little big. Use a gasket on both sides. This is the second year I've done this and it's still working great, no leaking. Good luck.

 

[sca10]

So glad to hear of your success. Everything else has been so hard lately--I could use some good news for a change. Thanks

 

[Synergy2]

I replaced my Intex return with a Hayward one and it sealed just fine for me with no modifications. I didn't use silicone either. Just hold the return in the center of the hole as best you can while screwing the nut on. It should work just fine, even though the hole is a little big. Use a gasket on both sides. This is the second year I've done this and it's still working great, no leaking. Good luck.

Same here, no issues at all.

 

[jeffchap]

My Hayward return eyeball seals just fine on my Intex 16" Ultra as well
Sent from my RM-820_nam_att_100 using Tapatalk

 

[mac.dblues]

Not one drip from my Hayward eyeball in my 20 foot ultra frame. Or on the skimmer for that matter and I split the gasket on it.

 

[jmullan99]

I replaced my Intex return with a Hayward one and it sealed just fine for me with no modifications. I didn't use silicone either. Just hold the return in the center of the hole as best you can while screwing the nut on. It should work just fine, even though the hole is a little big. Use a gasket on both sides. This is the second year I've done this and it's still working great, no leaking. Good luck.

+1 for this. I had no problems with the small difference. The gaskets seal just fine.

 

[sca10]

Thank you all who have replied. I doubt most people know they can remove the intex "stuff" to put standarized other "stuff" on the pool.