Is this okay?

[Defgufman]

My pool was installed last year and being a virgin pool owner, I really didn't know what to look for while the installation happened. I was planning on opening the sand filter to do a hose clean before the season and saw this...
It looks like they didn't use the right connections...shouldn't it be able to be unscrewed for maintenance?

 

[mrcarcrazy]

you are correct, there should be a screw on collar that attaches two premade parts together...0-ring sealed vs the silicone seal we see there. I'll try to find a pic.

there's pics of them here....more or less...mine screw onto those threads on the valve body itself. some other valve bodies don't have threads, that's when you see the mid pipe fittings.
http://www.inyopools.com/HowToPage/how_to_change_sand_in_a_sand_filter.aspx

the way they did yours may not be "wrong", but it is less than convenient.

 

[JasonLion]

That is the normal way those connections are made. However, they did not provide you with separate unions, which are required to remove the multi-port valve. Unfortunately, leaving off the unions is quite common.

By the by, those are screwed in connections, they just used the inside threads, rather than the outside threads. But that doesn't help you because the way the plumbing works plumbing prevents you from unscrewing the connections regardless of which set of threads was used.

 

[Pool Tool]

Unfortunately, that is not an unusual practice. Lots of folks have to cut the piping to be able to remove the multi-port valve. I can't see from your picture, but there is likely enough straight pipe somewhere near the valve to be able to cut it and then install a threaded union. It is relatively simple and the unions are fairly cheap and readily available at the big box stores.

Oops, Jason beat me to it. I had to add unions on mine to deep clean the sand. Adding the unions took less than a half hour and finished curing while I cleaned the sand.

 

[Defgufman]

Thanks everyone I thought it looked wrong. I bet they do it like that so owners are inclined to call them to service it when the filter needs to be cleaned.

 

[Patrick_B]

Perhaps, but who knows!? Frustrating at best. Whoever did that....

 

[jblizzle]

The use of silicone in this manner baffles me

 

[JasonLion]

The use of silicone in this manner baffles me

I've seen that before. They used the silicone as a thread sealant, presumably because they happened to have some and didn't happen to have the correct thread sealant, or didn't know any better.

 

[jblizzle]

Oh sure, I suppose it can work. But not the right tool for the job. I hate silicone since you can never ever remove it all.

 

[elwood58]

My Sand Filter Multi-Port is installed the same way. Although I can dis-assemble the Multi-Port from the Top, if an issue occurs with the valve body, I will need a hack saw

 

[f3justusc]

Mine is like that too. And basically what Elwood58 said.

I knew it was not right the minute I saw it but the guy was definitely using what he had available AND he was not really prepared to deal with an Intex filter. Fortunately, I was able to unscrew the top to lube the gasket. When I need to replace the filter, I will definitely be required to do some serious re-plumbing but it's ok because I cannot imagine needing to mess with the filter for several years. When I do re-plumb, someone on the thread will have done it and I will just use their notes

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One question. Does this approach ruin the threads on the filter? Once you cut the pipe, how do you get the coupler off the filter? Is it as simple as using a pipe wrench?

 

[jblizzle]

One question. Does this approach ruin the threads on the filter? Once you cut the pipe, how do you get the coupler off the filter? Is it as simple as using a pipe wrench?

If it was just teflon paste/tape, then you would just use a wrench to unscrew it. But, the silicone sticks to both surfaces, if it is all up between all the threads, I think it might be pretty hard to break loose ... and you will never get it all out of the threads ... and the bits and pieces left in the threads might make it difficult to reseal ... and new silicone will not stick to old silicone ...

 

[JasonLion]

I would say, very difficult, but not impossible, to remove.

 

[f3justusc]

I am compelled to add a picture to this thread. I am so excited to know that I am not alone in this. I have been too ashamed to share many photos for this reason.

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Thanks for the responses. That is exactly what I thought.

 

[Defgufman]

Haha, at least you can unscrew yours....

 

[f3justusc]

I don't think I can though. You can't see the silicone.

 

[Defgufman]

The pool was installed less than a year ago, do you think I can go after the installer to correct this? This just seems really shoddy.

 

[pooldv]

No need for plumbing shame around here!

 

[zea3]

The pool was installed less than a year ago, do you think I can go after the installer to correct this? This just seems really shoddy.

They will most likely tell you that is the correct way to connect the filter, they have always done it that way, yada, yada, yada. I'm sure they will be happy to install unions for you for a fee, all the while telling you that you don't really need them.