Elbow leaking, pool pump basket melted

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D

Dadthepoolboy

0
Jan 12, 2018
61
Frisco TX
I woke up to my waterfall frozen and a sheet of ice on my pools surface. My water level decreased about 2 inches. Following advice from TX Splash, I refilled my pool and used pool noodles to keep the skimmer doors open as well as prevent ice from forming in the skimmer.

Well I went to work for about an hour and received a phone call from my wife panicking. Water was spraying from the elbow leading out of my pool pump. I instructed her to turn off the pump and drove home as quickly as I could.

I have attached a few pictures. The water is leaking from right about the 2” marking in the elbow. I’m assuming the pipe started getting warm and the pvc glue started melting.

The elbow is not cracked. One side of the connecting pipe has just started to separate. I’m not sure what caused my pool pump to run hot. The pool pump basket has melted.

I know I need to replace the basket and fix the pvc. Any ideas as to what caused the basket to melt?

The high today is 35 but our low is 20. Should I attempt to fix the pvc? Or drain the pump and filter? Can I use a heat gun to melt the pvc glue or does the pipe need to be cut?

Thanks
 
Well that stinks! Just when things seemed to be looking up. On your other thread (Pool frozen, Waterfall not working) you spoke of the horrible sounds your pump was making earlier and thought it might be low on water (under the clear lid). Upon inspection everything seemed to be okay. You were quite confident the other (booster) pump and waterfall line was frozen, but with a main drain and skimmer, water flow to your primary pump seemed good. Whether this morning's horrible sound was a prelude to motor failure and the overheating, or an unusually odd coincidence that it happen shortly after leaving for work this morning, the pump overheated. Either the pump was already effected by the cold (hence the horrible sounds), or water flow was somehow reduced thereby starving your pump (dry) after you left which resulted in the excessive heat. The heat compromised the PVC connections resulting in the leak.

The PVC will need to be cut/removed/replaced. The worse part is the suspected pump failure. Can't help but wonder if this is related to the previous thread's 2" drop in water in which case the pump was about to run dry then for some reason (maybe not with the main drain). Once you repair the PVC, you can try the pump again briefly and monitor water flow and/or potential to overheat to see if the cold somehow effected any other parts or equipment. If you notice no other issues but the pump getting hot, it may simply be a bad motor that will need to be replaced.
 
dtbp,

I'm told that if you run a pump, but the water has no place to go, that the water in the pump basket will start to boil due to the heater generated by the impeller..

This can, as in your picture, melt the pump basket, but can also compromise the threaded input and output connections, as well as warp the pump so that the lid will no longer seal...

I have never had any luck with trying to re-glue PVC... on the other hand, what have you got to lose, as your only other option is to cut it.

Thanks for posting,

Jim R.
 
I'm told that if you run a pump, but the water has no place to go, that the water in the pump basket will start to boil due to the heater generated by the impeller..
Click to expand...
Good point Jim! Let's hope that's what it is and not the motor itself.
 
Dad, sorry for your hassles w all the temperature changes and the stress it has put on your equipment...I'm just S of you about 200 miles.

Not being a Sch 40 or 80 PVC expert, once you add primer and the glue, an actual chemical reaction takes place w thermal heat expansion. In fact, you have to turn the pipe/fittings 30-40 degrees and hold them together or the heat created can actually "pop-out" the 2 pieces. You can temporarily perform an outside JB weld or anything of similar nature, but to get a 100% confident seal, you're going to have to pull the part, sand out the old glue until you achieve clean/white surface [w sch 40 white elbows]. If you do not, you will not achieve the proper chemical reaction to seal the pipe and elbow. Furthermore, when you leave for 2-3 days, you want to know it's going to not leak/ So long term, you will have to cut and replace.

Next, if the impeller heating up and caused the issues, and your Pentair WhisperFlow is not too old [that's relative for make/model/reliability], adding a new motor could be the way to go if you continue to have bearing noise issues. But, if your pump is older, maybe a complete replacement would be the way to go. If the impeller did cause the melting of the basket and pipe separation, what shape is the impeller like at this time? Also, if you did decide to go w a new pump and you had to replace the PVC right off the pump anyway, this would be the time bc you could right-size everything at the same time. Run some numbers and determine what are your best options.

Good luck,
tstex
 
Thanks for all of the advice. It’s been a long day. Unfortunately, I was unable to plum the new pvc.

After speaking with a few individuals at my local hardware store, I realized that attempting to work on the pool with temps below 40 could cause even more issues.

Another thing I hadn’t considered is curing time. PVC cement probably doesn’t work well when it’s 32 out. I have all of the required materials to fix the issue providing the motor is still operable.

I’m not sure how old the pump is as we just bought this home in April. By the looks of the motor, it’s definitely not new. I was just telling the Mrs. perhaps we would be better off replacing instead of repairing.

Tomorrow we have a high of about 48 and a low in the 20’s. Then we’re above freezing for the foreseeable future. I’ve drained the pump and removed as much water as possible from the filter. The filter drain plug is in an awkward position. I didn’t want to damage anything trying to force it off in the cold.

I have cut up pool noodles in the skimmers and pool noddles in the pool. I removed my Polaris P39 and brought it indoors. I believe I’ve done all I can for the time being.
 
So I plumbed new PVC today. I'm sure I should have waited 24 hours for the glue to cure. However, I didn't. I have a small leak at one of the PVC joints. Unfortunately, the waterfall is still not working. I have a diverter (pool return and water feature). I moved the diverter to water feature and my pools water level dropped about 2 inches. I'm guessing I have a busted pipe. Time to call out the pros. Unless, I'm missing something. Thanks for any advice.
 
That PVC glue dries really quickly, so if you sprung a leak at a joint, it may not have had good coverage. What type of glue did you use? While you can use the 2-part prime & cement, many here like the one-part blue PVC pool glue. One swipe around the joints, press & hold, and you're done. Anyways, as for the waterfall line, a 2" drop that fast doesn't sound good. Keep us posted and let us know what turns-up. Hope it all works out well for you.
 
I used Red Hot Blue Glue. I looked in the yard and cannot find any water. I would think 2" out of my pool would be noticeable. Since the pump overheated, I'm hoping the seals in the pump just need to replaced. Perhaps, not enough pressure is being built up to push the water to the fall. I will keep yall updated. Thanks Splash.
 
So I moved the diverter to pool return blocking the water feature line and my water level dropped again. I could not feel water coming out of the return. My pool guy thinks my waterfall froze, the ice expanded, and cracked the mortar. I can see a white material on the rocks which I’m sure I would have noticed before. I’m contacting a leak detection company as I’m not sure what else to do.
 

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I’m contacting a leak detection company as I’m not sure what else to do.
Click to expand...
Rats! That really stinks. That's the right call right now though. Let the experts inspect with their equipment so you know exactly where you stand. I hope it's not too bad.
 
Another twist...I went outside today and my pump is leaking right where the cord (electricity) runs from the pump to my house. The pump has been off for over 24 hours and my pad is wet. I also believe seals inside the pump/motor need to be replaced. I'm thinking that if the water was hot enough to melt the pump basket the seals could have been damaged as well.

Yesterday, I was able to prime the pump. However, my filter gauge was reading 20 psi. I just cleaned the filter but was unable to add DE due to aforementioned issues. Could these leaks be the reason my waterfall and returns are not working? IS the psi high because DE has not been added. I'm going to call out a pool pro to check over everything before the leak test.

The leak detection company cannot come out until February 8th. I want to ensure that nothing above ground is leaking before the detection test. Sorry for all of the questions. I'm just really hoping I don't have an underground leak. The detection is $400. I cringe at the thought of how much the repair will be. Trying to stay optimistic.
 
It sounds like the past week or two have not been nice to your pool. Well, if water is leaking from the pump basket (wet end) through the seal plate/seals into the motor (dry end) that's definitely not good. You'll want to turn that motor off and keep power disconnected from that one. The motor end should always be dry. Safety first. If you have no other motor or pump to replace it with, an alternative could be using a sump pump simply to keep water moving around and it would also help you mix chemicals if needed. If you don't have a sump pump, you might be able to buy one fairly cheap locally or on-line, or rent one perhaps. Just a thought.

Your filter is another issue. You'll probably know more this weekend when you get time to tear it all down. If you have any reservations about tear down or cleaning your DE filter, do a search here at TFP. There are a couple very nice threads with illustrations that may help you.

Why the waterfall and returns are not working is a bit of a mystery. The leak company should be able to assist with anything beyond your scope right now. Unless you see something obvious as a pool owner like a 3-valve set incorrectly, soggy ground, or a steady water level drop in a specific line after plugging, the leak company will be your best bet.

Shame you're having such a rough time right now. Try not to be too discouraged. Get it all fixed before summer and it will all be worth it. :swim:
 
I currently have the pump turned off at the breaker. The pump is not leaking at the motor end. If you scroll up to the top and view my pics, the second picture from the top shows the cord coming from the pump. Water is leaking from where the cord feeds into the pump. There's a plastic piece that turns and I was able to tighten it. I'm not sure if its still leaking. I will check the pad in the morning.

I already cleaned the filter. This was my third time doing so. I am very familiar with the process. I've never had any issues cleaning it before. I just did not add the DE. I have to verify that the skimmer is pulling water in. Although, it should be because water is running thru the pump. I was just about to add the DE when I noticed that my waterfall was still not working and began troubleshooting that. Great idea about the sump pump. I have a few of those. I've been unable to circulate the water for a week now.

I will test everything out again in the morning.
 
Good news. My pool pump has been repaired (seals replaced). Everything’s been replumbed. We tested the pump briefly and the return jets and waterfall are working.

I have to replace my filter pressure gauge as it’s cracked. My booster pump seal also needs replacing. However, I do not believe I have a underground leak. What a relief!!!

Now I just need to fix the aforementioned, test the water, drain my pool a bit, refill and adjust chemicals accordingly.
 
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