Looking for re-plumb advice

[texan4ever]

I am looking for advice on the best way to resolve a broken fitting.

As best as I can figure the prefab concrete slab for the pool equipment has settled (purchased house with pool 3 yrs ago. Pool is 11 yrs old). The connection for the chlorinator no longer aligns correctly (pic 1 & 4). The Chlorinator has been prone to leaking unless the fitting was extra tight. The over tightening of the nut has cracked the union (pic 2 & 3). When you disconnect the chlorinator and try to align the fittings you can see the offset (pic 4 & 5).

As you can imagine, the pool is offline. I am in Dallas and it now gets up over 100 during the day. With this heat it will not take long for the pool to go green. I really don't like working in this heat (I defer outdoor tasks to fall/winter/spring). I am hoping to do a quick fix now. Then make a better repair during the winter when I can leave the pool offline for an extended period of time and algae would not be a problem.

To fix the cracked union, I see two options: A) heat up the union with my heat gun and remove the union (I have seen youtube videos about this method, but am skeptical that it will not ruin the PVC pipe). Option B is to use a PVC reamer I purchased on Amazon to ream out the Jandy value that connects to the chlorinator. I have a replacement union and nut for the chlorinator.

Do I fix the alignment issue now, or in the fall? Will a new union and nut be leak free?

Option 1) Add shims to raise the canister and the pump, but this will most likely put stress on the pump (input connection).
Option 2) add shims to raise the canister and replumb the connection from the canister to the pump (pic 5 & 6)
Option 3) cut the pipe on the input side of the pump to see the the connection was under stress. Shim the pump if needed. Then do option 2

 

[BoHpool]

Is the input union cracked or the output?
I would remove the plumbing from the filter to the chlorinator. Make the plumbing from the filter so the chlorinator is in line with the Jandy valve.
If you move the chlorinator toward the brick wall an inch or two you should be able to add a coupling and leave the PVC in the Jandy valve alone.

 

[texan4ever]

I updated picture 1. The output union is cracked ( the side that connects to the Jandy value )

 

[BoHpool]

It would be close but you could get a coupler in there and a new union, I would do that first and then figure out the plumbing from the filter to the chlorinator. You could get a little more space by using 45s in the verticle from the filter.

 

[texan4ever]

I had removed the section of plumbing from the filter to the chlorinator. Then I dropped it by accident and the lip of the union on the input side shattered off. So it looks like I am replumbing the union on both sides of the chlorinator. Better this way.

I tested out the reamer and it worked quite well. I will use the reamer on the lower elbow on the plumbing into the chlorinator (this will allow me to raise up the plumbing on the input side, The input and output plumbing for the filter touches each other. I cannot add a coupling where I need one.