Cleaning out threads of vacuum wall inlet

[jdang307]

So my pool has a vacuum inlet, 1.5" NPT I'm assuming. Hayward vac-lock doesn't catch. It'll go about 2-3 turns then go off the rails and get pushed out. Taking a close look, it seems like it's calcified pretty bad. Previous pool person didn't take good care as there was calcification all along the walls around the entire pool, and where the spa spills into the pool, a thick line of it. After 6 years of better maintained pH, a lot of it is actually gone or thinned out. But the ones in the threads remain.

Other than buying a $50 tap set (if that is even a good idea) any ideas on how to clean the threads? Metal brush and even a pick hasn't worked. Stuff is rock solid. SoCal water.

 

[YippeeSkippy]

I'm sorry I don't have a clue as to what to tell you to do to clean out the pipe. Perhaps this article will be of some use and give you help?

Calcium Scaling

Calcium scale on your pool is something we all want to avoid. With some elbow grease and a pumice stone for pools we can help you remove this eyesore.

www.troublefreepool.com

Maddie

 

[KJB1]

So my pool has a vacuum inlet, 1.5" NPT I'm assuming. Hayward vac-lock doesn't catch. It'll go about 2-3 turns then go off the rails and get pushed out. Taking a close look, it seems like it's calcified pretty bad. Previous pool person didn't take good care as there was calcification all along the walls around the entire pool, and where the spa spills into the pool, a thick line of it. After 6 years of better maintained pH, a lot of it is actually gone or thinned out. But the ones in the threads remain.

Other than buying a $50 tap set (if that is even a good idea) any ideas on how to clean the threads? Metal brush and even a pick hasn't worked. Stuff is rock solid. SoCal water.

I would get a thread chaser rather than a tap. Less change of ruining it completely. I can’t think of another option when submerged.

 

[DavidArmenB]

My vacuum port is exactly in the same situation. The Hayward vac-lock turns about 1.5 rotations before it gets stuck due to extreme calcification of the pvc threads at the bottom. For now I just have it the way it is but I, too, would love to clean out the threads and screw in the vac-lock all the way in.