I have a small leak on my roof solar on one side of a 2 inch tee.
Open to suggestions on how to repair/replumb this.
Open to suggestions on how to repair/replumb this.
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need help with 2 inch pvc repair on rooftop solar
- Thread starter Dan-H
- Start date
here is one possible idea using an oversize Tee on the outside of the existing 2 inch tee.
Can someone tell me what size Tee has an inside diameter matching the outside of a standard 2 inch tee ?
Cut the 2 inch Tee at the red and purple lines,
Cut the rest away at the green line
Fit an oversize Tee to the left of the red line and below the purple line.
Use a reducer bushing inside the oversize tee on the right side to get it back down to 2 inch, then rebuild with new 2 inch 45s.
Can someone tell me what size Tee has an inside diameter matching the outside of a standard 2 inch tee ?
Cut the 2 inch Tee at the red and purple lines,
Cut the rest away at the green line
Fit an oversize Tee to the left of the red line and below the purple line.
Use a reducer bushing inside the oversize tee on the right side to get it back down to 2 inch, then rebuild with new 2 inch 45s.
Before you try cutting and replacing, get some Plast-Aid, mix it a bit thin, pour it at the top of the fitting and let it run to the leak. You can put some tape at the bottom of the fitting so that the "liquid" will flow under the pipe. Then, mix it a bit thicker and apply it with your finger. Yeah, it will stick to skin, but comes off relatively easy. If you use gloves, they will just tear and make a mess.
That's actually a fairly easy repair, except its on a tile roof. Don't cut the solar-sensor wire. You can cut the T flush on the left and bottom, cut to the right of the 2 45s, the further is better when trying to make it fit again. Get 2 pipe extenders for the pipe at the bottom and left, glue on a new T, the extenders will position it just as it is now. Then, just plumb the right side as it is now with a slightly longer pipe going into the T.
Be sure to remove the black paint anywhere you are going to glue to it. PVC primer, or fine sandpaper, will do it.
A trick to line up the 45s; there is a mold line on each. That is the 2 ports you want to face each other. A 2.5" long piece of PVC pipe will allow them to fit tightly as you see them. After gluing the pipe into one, apply glue to the pipe and fitting of the other, as you push them together, have that line slightly out of alignment with the other fitting then twist the 45 so that you do align the mold marks and they will be able to fit as they do now.
I think this might be better.
cut this out
add two 2" 45s on the left, new tee, new pipe and coupler on the right
short pipe and coupler going down.
I can glue it left, bottom right as I have some wiggle room on the right
cut this out
add two 2" 45s on the left, new tee, new pipe and coupler on the right
short pipe and coupler going down.
I can glue it left, bottom right as I have some wiggle room on the right
Thanks. I'll look into this and see if I can find some local. amazon delivery is a week out.
That works. But, if you don't use a pipe extender the pipe going "down" out of the T will move the new T down about 1.5" and it won't line up with the rest of the plumbing. That's one of the reasons those extenders were made, so that a repair could line up with the rest of the plumbing.
Yes, a coupler and new, short piece of pipe on the left, will work and be less expensive. I generally have extenders on the brain and then when I get to a job I see how it could be done differently.
You really should, for ease of repair, cut the pipe flush at the bottom of the T and use an extender. You don't have the room to the right for the T to be placed lower and not have that pipe interfere with the one below it. It would, basically, line up with the lower pipe and leave no room for a fitting (45).
I don't like moving pipe that has been in the Sun, especially on a roof, too much as that can cause other leaks.
I'm going to try this tomorrow.
Cut's here:
below is a bad copy-paste in ms paint to try and explain it.
starting on the left:
existing pipe - 45 - nip - 45 - nip - Tee - approx 8 inch nip - coupler - existing pipe
then ( down from the Tee )
Tee - approx 4 inch nipple - coupler - existing pipe
lowes has everything in stock so I can collect it tonight.
wish me luck
Cut's here:
below is a bad copy-paste in ms paint to try and explain it.
starting on the left:
existing pipe - 45 - nip - 45 - nip - Tee - approx 8 inch nip - coupler - existing pipe
then ( down from the Tee )
Tee - approx 4 inch nipple - coupler - existing pipe
lowes has everything in stock so I can collect it tonight.
wish me luck
- Jul 21, 2013
- 66,235
- Pool Size
- 35000
- Surface
- Plaster
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Pentair Intellichlor IC-60
Make sure everything is Schedule 40 PVC fittings and not DWV.
PVC Repair - Further Reading
www.troublefreepool.com
@1poolman1 thank you for the suggestion to use Plast-Aid. I got back on the roof and assessed the plumbing and decided to give this a go. Weather has been cool so I decided a week without solar is OK. Plast-Aid arrived Friday and was able to make the repairs today. I drained the solar, and cleaned the paint away and prepped the area to be glued using a hack saw blade in the joint. You are spot on that it is messy but it seems to be doing the job. Solar is back on and its not leaking.
I suspect the cause of the leak was a roofing company made some repairs last fall and they had to move some panels nearby. This combined with a slightly off-angle connection seemed to make this the week point.
Here is a picture showing my "beautiful work" LOL. After an hour or so curing in the sun I gave it a coat of paint.
Thanks again for the suggestion on the "Plast-Aid"
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I'm not sure if posting youtube vids is OK, but watching this one was helpful as a first time user of Plast-aid. Moderators, please remove this if its not OK.
