Hole in Sand Filter

[Balancedh2o]

Hello,

I am trying to help my neighbor with her in-ground(20,000gallon) pool sand filter. It has a miniscule leak that sprays a small stream of water when she runs her pump. She has tried to seal it twice with two different epoxies but it still leaks when the pump is turned on. The hole is not visible to the eye but can be identified when the water sprays out.

The second time she attempted to repair she slightly roughed up the outside of the filter with fine grit sand paper. She then cleaned it and then allowed it to thouroughly dry. Then she sealed it with some marine epoxy and let it dry for several days. When she attempted to run it last night it leaked again. Is there a good way to solve this problem short of getting a new filter? This sand filter is several years old but she would like to get by with it until a new filter is in the budget. Could we take it apart and seal it from the inside as well? Would there be a patch for this sort of problem?

The pool has not circulated for a couple of weeks and in the NC heat it has become a science project. I'd really like to help her to get it up and running and would appreciate any and all advice/ideas you could offer.
Thank you!!

 

[Balancedh2o]

This is the epoxy that she used the second time.

 

[gtemkin]

Where specifically is the leak? Is it on the broad flat section of the housing? Is it at one of the threaded connections? A picture of her previous repair attempts would help. By the way, leak repairs like this are best done from the inside. The chances of getting a repair to hold from the outside are much poorer.

 

[Balancedh2o]

Hello gtemkin,
Thank you for your response! It is not on a threaded connection. It is on the main body of the filter. I do have photos to show the area. I'm trying to post them however each time it tells me that I am beyond size quota. I've resized three times and they are pretty tiny at this point but still not uploading. Thoughts?

 

[jblizzle]

To post more pictures, you either need to raise your storage allotment by Becoming a TFP Supporter or follow the How To Post Pictures tutorial.

 

[Balancedh2o]

http://s227.photobucket.com/user/moppy6/library/

 

[Balancedh2o]

Hope this works-

 

[Killer95Stang]

Since they are made of fiberglass, it should be fixed with fiberglass. Look for fiberglass patch repair videos on YouTube, then do the repair from the inside. You can probably get a small patch repair kit at a local marine parts store or maybe even an auto parts store.

That above is for a correct fix... Epoxy would probably work in a pinch if done from the inside

 

[Balancedh2o]

Hello Killer95Stang, Thank you for your response! I'll check youtube and see what I can find and look locally for a fiberglass repair kit. I appreciate your advice.

I did upload the photos to photo bucket and posted the IMG code but am still awaiting a moderator to approve them. Hopefully they will check them soon! Thank you again!

 

[Balancedh2o]

So that is weird, I posted and it immediately showed up. WHen I posted the photo links it did not and said it needed approval. Maybe that is due to it being photos. Anyway, I'll try again with a general link to the album. Hope this works.

 

[gtemkin]

I second the selection of a fiberglass patch as the best way to do it and make sure the kit you get is a true fiberglass kit with glass matting or woven fabric, a container of resin and a separate, generally smaller container of hardener. Don't be fooled by an epoxy that says it's good for plastics, including fiberglass - it probably won't work.

Be aware that this leak may be an indication that the filter has reached the end of its useful life and the repair may just delay the inevitable.

 

[Balancedh2o]

Thank you gtemkin!

I appreciate the feedback! It would be great to have a temporary fix at the very least so her kids can get back to swimming and enjoy the last few weeks of their summer break. This would give her time to shop around for a new sand filter as well rather than be at the mercy of the pool store. (Opinions or brand recommendations welcome)

Is that something we can help her put in fairly easily or must a plumber be called to install? My DH has a good basic knowledge of working on plumbing and worked on our own pool plumbing fairly easily. It appears that her PVC that connects to the rest of her equipment has the easy screw on/off connectors allowing for easy access.

Any advice there? Thank you all again!!!

 

[jblizzle]

Like everyone keeps saying, you have to fix it from the inside. That means removing the top of the filter, vacuuming out all the sand and then somehow reaching down that far to repair it. Luckily there are unions that will allow you to take the top off.

Installing a new sand filter is fairly easy if you have done any PVC work. For that matter, if you got the same filter, you could just reuse the existing top and plumbing and just set the new filter in place.