HELP!
A tree limb fell on my Hayward s244t. It broke the multi-port valve, and plumbing going in/out.
I fixed the plumbing, replaced the valve with one off eBay, wasn't Hayward, but looks just like it. I think it was cpg or something.
My first thought was crappy non-oem replacement valve. I took the valve out, examined the spider gasket. No problems. Thinking this is just a piece of Crud, I broke down and bought a hayward replacement. All excited to get it back running, I was dismayed to find the backwash and waste still don't work. I really need to get the algae off the bottom, after using dropout, and my waste isn't working, instead it's blowing algae back into the pool.
Now I've had two new valves, and no solution. I'm looking for suction leaks, water leaks, anything to explain.
In the process I plugged the return jets, and low and behold , vac to waste works.
Also worth mentioning, when I took the first new valve off, to replace it with the Hayward valve, I happened to tug on the standpipe, and it came out. Now I'm digging out all my sand to see whats up. I get to the bottom, and now the sand has caved in where the standpipe was connected. The end of the standpipe looks like it was glued at one time. Wasn't sure if it was just connected through pressure or what. When I went to the pool store to buy the Hayward valve, I took the standpipe with me just to ask if I could just PVC glue it back together. He happened to mention it didn't look as tall as some of the other Hayward replacements. I didn't really think 2 cents about it, since it was working before.
So before I replaced the eBay valve with the Hayward valve, I took out ALL the sand, took out the lateral assembly, unscrewed each lateral and cleaned them, lots of debris caught inside them. Also, I noticed that the pivot ball portion of the lateral was worn on some of them, as if sand had rubbed small holes in some of them in that pivot ball area. I glued the standpipe to the center hole of the lateral assembly. Out of curiosity, I put a water hose in the stand pipe and watched water pour out around the pivot ball portion of the lateral. Now I'm not sure exactly how these things are SUPPOSED to act, but it was one more thing that seemed odd. I can't afford new sand and laterals right now. I just bought two freaking valves, new plumbing, etc. It was working before remember.
So I've got it on filter right now. It's keeping my chlorine circulating, water moving, skimmer skimming, but it's not cleaning the water because the filter needs back-washing, which it won't do.
My plan is to replace the laterals regardless, and to replace the sand with either sand or some alternate media. But I just can't afford it right now.
What I don't want to do though, is replace them if it's not the Dang problem!
I mean everything was working before, the filter container itself isn't damaged, the laterals don't look like they sustained any damage, they just look worn, but that's not new, and the problem IS.
I'm thinking the valve body took the brunt of the force and that filter container body is pretty stout plastic,doubt the force could have been transmitted to the lateral assembly itself, which doesn't look damaged, it looks worn, but I still am thinking about the standpipe being unglued ( when did that happen? will it affect operation?) and I'm wondering now why did he say my standpipe was short? I mean it when I put my valve on, it slid down the pipe, but how much?
So if I've got 0 psi on backwash
No water in sight glass on backwash
"Air sounds" in the valve area on backwash/waste
Algae combing out of return jets when on vac to waste
Normal PSI on filter/recirc
Normal water flow on filter/recirc
And I've replaced the valve TWICE
No leaks
All that is left it seems, whether I understand its operation or not, is the standpipe and lateral assembly.
Which seems undamaged, seemed to work just fine before a tree limb broke the valve.
And the valve has been replaced, twice.
Ugh. Help.
A tree limb fell on my Hayward s244t. It broke the multi-port valve, and plumbing going in/out.
I fixed the plumbing, replaced the valve with one off eBay, wasn't Hayward, but looks just like it. I think it was cpg or something.
- Got everything back together, and the pool won't backwash, and won't pump to waste.
- No water in sight glass!
- Almost 0 psi in backwash
- On vacuum to waste, it blows the algae back into the pool.
My first thought was crappy non-oem replacement valve. I took the valve out, examined the spider gasket. No problems. Thinking this is just a piece of Crud, I broke down and bought a hayward replacement. All excited to get it back running, I was dismayed to find the backwash and waste still don't work. I really need to get the algae off the bottom, after using dropout, and my waste isn't working, instead it's blowing algae back into the pool.
Now I've had two new valves, and no solution. I'm looking for suction leaks, water leaks, anything to explain.
In the process I plugged the return jets, and low and behold , vac to waste works.
- Recirc position works. Lots of water flow into pump, I can see it running turbulence free through the clear pentair pump filter basket lid
- Filter position works, same as recirc. So I've got great suction, no leaks suspected in the top and bottom skimmer input plumbing. I think on 3/4 speed the (new) gauge was about 20psi.
Also worth mentioning, when I took the first new valve off, to replace it with the Hayward valve, I happened to tug on the standpipe, and it came out. Now I'm digging out all my sand to see whats up. I get to the bottom, and now the sand has caved in where the standpipe was connected. The end of the standpipe looks like it was glued at one time. Wasn't sure if it was just connected through pressure or what. When I went to the pool store to buy the Hayward valve, I took the standpipe with me just to ask if I could just PVC glue it back together. He happened to mention it didn't look as tall as some of the other Hayward replacements. I didn't really think 2 cents about it, since it was working before.
So before I replaced the eBay valve with the Hayward valve, I took out ALL the sand, took out the lateral assembly, unscrewed each lateral and cleaned them, lots of debris caught inside them. Also, I noticed that the pivot ball portion of the lateral was worn on some of them, as if sand had rubbed small holes in some of them in that pivot ball area. I glued the standpipe to the center hole of the lateral assembly. Out of curiosity, I put a water hose in the stand pipe and watched water pour out around the pivot ball portion of the lateral. Now I'm not sure exactly how these things are SUPPOSED to act, but it was one more thing that seemed odd. I can't afford new sand and laterals right now. I just bought two freaking valves, new plumbing, etc. It was working before remember.
So I've got it on filter right now. It's keeping my chlorine circulating, water moving, skimmer skimming, but it's not cleaning the water because the filter needs back-washing, which it won't do.
My plan is to replace the laterals regardless, and to replace the sand with either sand or some alternate media. But I just can't afford it right now.
What I don't want to do though, is replace them if it's not the Dang problem!
I mean everything was working before, the filter container itself isn't damaged, the laterals don't look like they sustained any damage, they just look worn, but that's not new, and the problem IS.
I'm thinking the valve body took the brunt of the force and that filter container body is pretty stout plastic,doubt the force could have been transmitted to the lateral assembly itself, which doesn't look damaged, it looks worn, but I still am thinking about the standpipe being unglued ( when did that happen? will it affect operation?) and I'm wondering now why did he say my standpipe was short? I mean it when I put my valve on, it slid down the pipe, but how much?
So if I've got 0 psi on backwash
No water in sight glass on backwash
"Air sounds" in the valve area on backwash/waste
Algae combing out of return jets when on vac to waste
Normal PSI on filter/recirc
Normal water flow on filter/recirc
And I've replaced the valve TWICE
No leaks
All that is left it seems, whether I understand its operation or not, is the standpipe and lateral assembly.
Which seems undamaged, seemed to work just fine before a tree limb broke the valve.
And the valve has been replaced, twice.
Ugh. Help.
