When I put my pool in I foolishly used box shop ball valves. I also foolishly cemented them fairly flush on the pool pad. One of them has failed on me and I need to replace it. I am wondering if anyone has any suggestions on how to remove a valve without damaging the PVC pipe underneath. I am hesitant to twist them with any significant force as I would not want to risk one of joints down below the cement popping and creating a leak that would require a lot of work to resolve. I am thinking that I might zaw zaw cut across the ball valve about where the top of joint that it is glued to is located and then use a plunge cutter to cut some vertical grooves in it and then trying to pry it off. Any thoughts on this or has anyone had to do this before? I am purchasing new valves that can be disassembled to replace these with.
Removing ball valves that are flush with cement.
- Thread starter keithw
- Start date
One idea is to just keep the ball valve in open position and put the new valve above it. This assumes the stem is not leaking and that its the ball seal internally that is not holding when closed. This avoids messing with any pipe close to or in the cement pad and the valve just becomes a piece of straight pipe. You could even saw off the handle wings so no one turns it.
Unfortunately the problem one is leaking from the joint. I had to turn it the other day and I used a pipe wrench to turn it. It was really tight and when I had turned it back I had created a small leak in the joint. I could probably epoxy it sealed again but since I really need to replace the valves anyway I figured that I would just replace it. Hopefully the fact that some of the seal has popped will make it easier to get off. Oh and I cannot just put valves above them because I had attached elbows and bends directly above these valves. so there is no excess pipe to use. 
- Apr 10, 2018
- 6,316
- Pool Size
- 18375
- Surface
- Plaster
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- CircuPool RJ-45 Plus
Another option or Plan B (depending on whether Plan A works) is cutting the pipe flush at under the valve and using an "inside slip connector." These are designed to slip inside of PVC pipe. They're available in 1.5" or 2".
"The MagicMend insider connector will join two pieces of PVC schedule 40 pipe together. Should a pipe be cut off flush with concrete or buried underground, a MagicMend will easily solve the problem."
www.acehardware.com
Best of luck!
"The MagicMend insider connector will join two pieces of PVC schedule 40 pipe together. Should a pipe be cut off flush with concrete or buried underground, a MagicMend will easily solve the problem."
Magic Plastics MagicMend Schedule 40 2 in. IPS in. X 2 in. D IPS PVC Insider Connector 1 pk - Ace Hardware
Why use an additional fitting when you can use a MagicMend Insider Connector? The MagicMend Insider Connector will join two pieces of PVC Schedule 40 pipe together. Should a pipe be cut off flush with concrete or buried underground, a MagicMend will easily solve the problem.Find the INSIDER...
www.acehardware.com
Best of luck!
maybe post a picture so it is easier for us to see the issue and possibly come up with a solution.Unfortunately the problem one is leaking from the joint. I had to turn it the other day and I used a pipe wrench to turn it. It was really tight and when I had turned it back I had created a small leak in the joint. I could probably epoxy it sealed again but since I really need to replace the valves anyway I figured that I would just replace it. Hopefully the fact that some of the seal has popped will make it easier to get off. Oh and I cannot just put valves above them because I had attached elbows and bends directly above these valves. so there is no excess pipe to use.
I like the idea by @Rancho Cost-a-Lotta assuming the inside diameter of the remaining pipe is true sch 40.
Here is what I am referring to. The back valve is the one that is leaking and needs to be replaced. What I have is 2" pipe coming up through the cement, reduced to 1.5" and the valves are glued onto that. As you can see I don't really have any space above the valves to just add another above it.
Aren’t you going to have to replace everything above the cement anyway? Just cut the valve flush with the cement and ream out the 1.5” pipe so you’re left with the 2”. Then glue in another 2”-1.5” reducer and build back up from there.
I think I have a new plan of attack. I am going to cut off both valves right where the inner pipe ends inside if them. I want to make sure that I am correct that it is just a small section of 1.5" pipe that has been reduced down. I have an aluminum flashlight that is almost perfectly the inside diameter of a 1.5" pipe. Once I confirm that I am just dealing with a small section of 1.5" pipe below each valve I am going to heat the flashlight tube up with a propane blowtorch and slide it down into each tube for about a minute. From what I have seen on the web I can then push a screwdriver between the pipes and then needlenose pliers and then twist the 1/5" pipe right out. That is my new plan. It appears to have less of a downside then trying to cut grooves in the valves without damaging the pipe underneath.
- May 20, 2020
- 1,001
- Pool Size
- 13600
- Surface
- Vinyl
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Solaxx (Saltron) Reliant / Purechlor R5
You need a version of one of these:
Then you can cut the pipe coming out of the cement flush like @Bperry suggested and use the bit to ream out the existing pipe that’s glued in. Then, all you have to do is glue in a new pipe.
Reed Tool CRP200 Clean Ream Plus with 3/8-Inch Hex Shaft, 2-Inch Head - - Amazon.com
Reed Tool CRP200 Clean Ream Plus with 3/8-Inch Hex Shaft, 2-Inch Head - - Amazon.com
www.amazon.com
Then you can cut the pipe coming out of the cement flush like @Bperry suggested and use the bit to ream out the existing pipe that’s glued in. Then, all you have to do is glue in a new pipe.
Well I was able to get my valves replaced finally. As I posted in another thread where the valves meet the concrete in the pump room is actually below the water level. I did not realize this until I cut both valves off and water started gushing out of both pipes! I had to stuff garbage bags into each pipe and then drain the pool down a few inches. Once I got that done I was able to get to the work of removing the 1.5" pipe that remained in the 2" reducers. The heat method works pretty well. I do not have any video of how it went but there are videos of the process on Youtube. I used a blowtorch heat up the flashlight tube. Then you just let the heated pipe sit flush inside of the PVC section for about 5 minutes. After removing you shove a screwdriver down one side to pry it loose. Then you slide one side of needle-nose pliers down the outside of the pipe and start twisting and it rolls around the pliers and comes off.
Just watched a couple of those videos and that’s a pretty handy trick if you really need it.