How to repair waterfalls

[pbc]

So last year one of my 3 waterfall lights went out and that’s when I realized the way they were installed was quite stupid in the sense that there are no openings in the masonry wall to get to each waterfall if something goes south.

Well it went more south. My daughter asked me to turn them on an an hour later I noticed the pool water was a couple inches lower.

Sure enough, water was coming out of the back of the wall like crazy. So turned it off.

Am I right to think the best way to get to the waterfalls is to remove the mortar around a cinder block and then pull the cinder block out?

Any other ideas?

 

[ajw22]

Am I right to think the best way to get to the waterfalls is to remove the mortar around a cinder block and then pull the cinder block out?

Yup, I hope it is that easy.

 

[pbc]

Yeah. Unfortunately not so easy. I removed the wrong cinder block … but regardless I’d have to remove at least two from the top which would make it unstable given the 4x18”x2” flagstone slab on the top.

In any event … found the leak. Had a feeling the a-hole pool company my contractor used would come back to bite me in the Rear. Looks like a faulty glue job?

No idea how I can fix that given how much work there would be to get to the fitting.

 

[pbc]

Apologies for the camera moving. I had to stick my hand up there without seeing what I was video taping so moved it back and forth.

 

[Ahultin]

As much as it sucks,easiest way to get to that looks like pulling the flagstone cap. Is it seamed anywhere? If so you could add a seam (diamond blade on a grinder)
to either side of the feature so that you are taking up less of the flagstone

 

[ajw22]

While you are in there I would get rid of as much of the flex PVC as you can. You had a lazy plumber. Spend a bit of time cutting and fitting solid schedule 40 PVC into the shape you need so you will not need to get in there again to fix things.

 

[JoyfulNoise]

You might check the actual installation guide for those sheer descents. Manufacturers often specify a tee before them with a straight pipe facing down to act as gravity leg to capture debris. It only takes the tiniest bit of debris to clog those things.

You also live in a place that gets very cold … you might consider upgrading the plumbing to include an easy method for draining and winterizing those pipes. My guess is that there was some small amount of water present in or around that plumbing and the freezing temps likely caused the failure. You could actually have a cracked waterfall sheer and not necessarily a glue joint failure.

 

[pbc]

You might check the actual installation guide for those sheer descents. Manufacturers often specify a tee before them with a straight pipe facing down to act as gravity leg to capture debris. It only takes the tiniest bit of debris to clog those things.

You also live in a place that gets very cold … you might consider upgrading the plumbing to include an easy method for draining and winterizing those pipes. My guess is that there was some small amount of water present in or around that plumbing and the freezing temps likely caused the failure. You could actually have a cracked waterfall sheer and not necessarily a glue joint failure.

Watching the video a few times that’s what I’m wondering as well. The water almost looks like it comes out of the sheer at the beginning.

Either cracked in winter or possibly the grout on top and bottom of the sheer as that grout has been deteriorating and cracking over time.

 

[JoyfulNoise]

It looks like the plastic sheer is cracked and leaking but I could be wrong. I think you need to remove the stone caps and investigate further.

I would also echo @ajw22 ’s comment on getting rid of all that flex PVC. I know in Canada that flex is more common for plumbers to use with pools but straight sch40 PVC is better. The flex tends to move too much when the pump turns on and off and it wouldn’t surprise me if that also contributed to some of the failure of that sheer.

 

[pbc]

If/when I do get it done, any reccos on how to hook it up to winterize it pre winter? Assume that would imply just spraying air into it like I would my irrigation system somehow.

Or should I run some antifreeze solution through it (put some into the pump and run it when closing?). Presumably there’s no point in that as I would imagine it would be way too watered down.

 

[JoyfulNoise]

Figuring out a good way to let the lines drain out and then perhaps having an accessible port somewhere that you can hook an air blower up to. The Cyclone is a type of high volume, low pressure air blower that many professionals use to close pools with. A decent sized shop vac with air blower capabilities can work too. Not sure if there’s a cover one can attach to those sheers but you want to seal them against winter precipitation as well.