When we opened up our pool today and was putting the drain cap back on our Hayward sand filter, we noticed that the pipe connection was damaged. It looks like a rodent or critter of some kind chewed on it. When we turned on the pump, water was coming out at a pretty steady rate. We tried wrapping the pipe with pipe thread tape but it didn’t help. I sent a picture to our pool pro who closed the pool, and he says the sand filter would have to be replaced because that connection is not replaceable. It would take 2-3 weeks to get the new sand filter in and get it installed. Does anyone have any suggestions on how to fix this without replacing the sand filter? Pool is a swamp but I don’t want to start a SLAM while it is dripping so much water. The water is going to very difficult to clean up if we have to wait another 2-3 weeks for a new sand filter, so I’m hoping someone on here has some suggestions for me on how to fix it.
Damaged sand filter drain pipe
- Thread starter ba67
- Start date
- Jun 22, 2014
- 52,053
- Pool Size
- 17888
- Surface
- Fiberglass
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- CircuPool RJ-45 Plus
It's going to continue to leak as long as water is flowing through it. You might consider placing the multiport valve on recirculate for now to bypass the filter. Just let the water inside drain out. Since the filter is basically trash now, once all the water is out, maybe you can take the drain cap and epoxy or JB Weld it back on with those last few remaining threads? Give it 24 hrs to set. Normally we don't mess around with pressurized vessels (safety), but in that position and the leak you are showing now, you might use that as a band-aid fix for now. It might hold water at that point long enough until you can get a new filter. Otherwise, I just don't see a way to repair that outlet unless someone else does.
I assume that I can’t
Is there any point of adding chlorine and running it on recirculate if we can’t use the filter for 2-3 weeks? And how long can we run the pump on recirculate? Chlorine prices have gone up to $5 a gallon for 10 percent chlorine so I don’t want to add chlorine if it isn’t going to help clear up the pool. Water is extremely green so I imagine it would take a week to clear it with a functioning sand filter. If it would help prevent the swamp from getting worse, we could possibly add some chlorine and put the cover back on if it wouldn’t be a waste of money.
- Jun 22, 2014
- 52,053
- Pool Size
- 17888
- Surface
- Fiberglass
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- CircuPool RJ-45 Plus
You can run the filter as long as you wish on recirculate. Certainly your call on adding any chlorine. Adding maybe one gallon of chlorine per day is just a preventive measure to keep the swamp from getting horribly worse. By no means a SLAM. We're just trying to stall until you get a new filter. But up to you. If you opt to leave it alone and get warm and soupy, you can start procuring chlorine now for the big SLAM event. I might even recommend a partial water exchange to help speed it up, but with a FG pool you have to be carful about your water table and shell pop-out.
Take a hacksaw and cut it flush where the crack starts, there appears to be enough thread to tighten the cap on. Wrap some Teflon tape around those 2-3 threads first for better bite.
Thanks for all of the suggestions! It continues to leak even on recirculate. We added some chlorine and will cover it back up tonight to keep debris and sunlight from the pool. We are going to try some of the suggestions listed above this weekend to see if we can slow down the leak some. If we could slow down the leak, could all of that chlorine near the pool equipment cause any damage to the pool equipment if we started a SLAM? If it continues to leak even on recirculate, would we be better off not adding any chlorine daily to prevent the algae from getting worse?
- Jun 22, 2014
- 52,053
- Pool Size
- 17888
- Surface
- Fiberglass
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- CircuPool RJ-45 Plus
Remember there was a lot of water in the filter. Any chance this is just residual water still draining out? Might take a while. If not, then it sounds like you might have a bad spider gasket as well.
Thanks again for answering my questions. Could the hissing sound that I hear around the sand filter when I turn off the pump be a sign that the spider gasket is bad? Since the filter is leaking even on recirculate, what position should I leave the multiport in when the pump is off so I don’t lose water in the pool?
- Jun 1, 2018
- 16,050
- Pool Size
- 26000
- Surface
- Vinyl
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Hayward Aqua Rite (T-15)
- Jun 1, 2018
- 16,050
- Pool Size
- 26000
- Surface
- Vinyl
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Hayward Aqua Rite (T-15)
Also if you have a way to turn of the valves so there is no flow to or from the filter- this would keep it from leaking but you won’t be able to circulate water so be sure the pump is off 1st.
If you're going to try hacksawing off the gnawed part, be sure to cut it as near to square as possible. See below.
In the picture, the top of the damaged part does not have threads, nor does the bottom; that is, the threads don't go 360 degrees around the drainpipe. Our Hayward filter drainpipe is the same. If you look inside your drain cap, you will see it has an o-ring on the inside. This o-ring is the seal for that connection, not the threads. If you can cut the damaged part VERY square, (maybe with a cut-off wheel on a 4" grinder) you could possibly get that cap to seal once again. If you, or anyone you know, knows of a guy/gal that works with a grinder a lot, maybe $20-$30 as a donation might save your bacon, and no new filter needed. Just a thought...
The drain is built this way to allow you to open the cap a few turns (without removing it) to slowly drain the tank. I always remove my cap and store it inside with my pump, MPV, etc. for the winter, just like you. Thanks to you posting that picture, I am not ever doing that with my filter drain cap again!
Might be worth a shot; good luck!!
In the picture, the top of the damaged part does not have threads, nor does the bottom; that is, the threads don't go 360 degrees around the drainpipe. Our Hayward filter drainpipe is the same. If you look inside your drain cap, you will see it has an o-ring on the inside. This o-ring is the seal for that connection, not the threads. If you can cut the damaged part VERY square, (maybe with a cut-off wheel on a 4" grinder) you could possibly get that cap to seal once again. If you, or anyone you know, knows of a guy/gal that works with a grinder a lot, maybe $20-$30 as a donation might save your bacon, and no new filter needed. Just a thought...
The drain is built this way to allow you to open the cap a few turns (without removing it) to slowly drain the tank. I always remove my cap and store it inside with my pump, MPV, etc. for the winter, just like you. Thanks to you posting that picture, I am not ever doing that with my filter drain cap again!
Might be worth a shot; good luck!!