Help! Crack in outlet fitting...

[Elle]

So we filled up our pool this week, hooked everything up and when we turned the pump on noticed water coming from the fitting on the outlet to the pool. I've taken a pic.
I'm wondering how the best way is to fix this. Do we have to re-drain the pool and replace the fitting or is there a way to do it without that?
Please feel free to ask me any more questions and I'm not usually good at explaining things

Here is the picture (inside the circle is the crack)



Thanks so much

 

[Polar_Bus]

So we filled up our pool this week, hooked everything up and when we turned the pump on noticed water coming from the fitting on the outlet to the pool. I've taken a pic.
I'm wondering how the best way is to fix this. Do we have to re-drain the pool and replace the fitting or is there a way to do it without that?
Please feel free to ask me any more questions and I'm not usually good at explaining things

Here is the picture (inside the circle is the crack)



Thanks so much

I am willing to bet 2 things attributed to that fitting cracking (and this is what I observed with my pool)

1) the pressure vibrations emitted from the prior flex hose cause stresses on the bung fitting. (I see a ball valve, but are you PVC "hard plumbed" ?

2) the 1 1/2 NPT pipe was probably screwed in too tight. NPT's are tapered, so the more you tighten them, the more outward forces are exerted on the female pipe threads..

I am "hard plumbed" now because of a ruptured return hose. When you use PVC, the piping is much more rigid, and virtually eliminating vibration. See my other post for a pic:

another-needed-upgrade-and-why-pic-t12744.html

 

[Elle]

Thanks for showing me your pic I wish we would have noticed the crack before we filled up the pool all the way. Although my dh thinks he might have cracked it while hooking everything up. Not sure.

Oh and no we are not hard piped but are considering it now. In the meantime though I am still hoping that I can fix this temporarily without having to drain the pool.

Anyone else have thoughts??

 

[frustratedpoolmom]

If you have the new part ready...try blocking the return hole with a plastic bag or something, on the inside of the pool, that will block the water from pouring out while you swap out that part?

 

[chrisexv6]

My dad and I fixed his above ground return once. Basically used a square piece of plastic to cover the return jet from the inside of the pool. One of us held the plastic while the other removed the jet from the outside (loosen the nut), then quickly removed the plastic, the inside-the-pool portion of the jet, then put the plastic back over the hole. The water pressure should hold it there, but you can have a helper hold it just ot be sure. Then reverse the process.

You'll lose some water, but not nearly as much as draining the whole thing.

Another thought is to get a plastic bin of some sort, add some foam weatherstrip around the open part and then put the bin in the pool over the return jet. If the weather strip seals enough you'll have an area to work to remove the jet without losing water..........reinstalling is another story but again, if you are quick you should be OK.

OR, you could try AquaMend.......a putty that Home Depot carries, you kneed it like playdoh until its one color, then put it on the crack. I used some to fix a crack in my filters multiport just to get it thru a season and it worked so well I left it there for 2 years. Would allow you to wait until the end of the season (if you drain it down then) to replace the jet.

 

[Elle]

Thanks so much for all the quick responses. I think we might take a trip into town and get a fitting as well as some Aquamend see which one works better.

I know this is a dumb question but do you get the fitting at the pool store or is something we can get in the plumbing dept. Seems complicated to me how it all fits together in there!! LOL