Replace flex PVC pipe...keep liner?

[tikoh]

Hello all,

As part of my multi-year rehab of the old pool that came with my house, I’m having the concrete deck repaired. With most of the demo complete I’ve discovered that all of the plumbing is flexible PVC. I’m hoping to replace it while the deck is open, but the first person I spoke with suggested that they couldn’t it without doing the liner because they wouldn’t be able to remove and replace the fittings. Is this true? The liner is new last year.

 

[duckcmmndr]

I guess that depends on the type of return fittings you have. If you have hayward returns, you should be able to, but I don't know that I would recommend it.

I put in my pool last summer and it has Hayward returns. They look like this:


The large nut on the back goes on the outside of your pool walls and is what holds the fitting in the wall, the liner goes between the face plate and rubber gasket. The back of this fitting looks similar to this:



You have to screw a standard hardware store 1.5" PVC fitting into the back of it so you can glue the rigid or flexible PVC to. These hardware store PVC fittings look like this:


So, if these are the types of returns you have...and if you are very careful unscrewing the PVC threaded adapter out of the back of the return...then yes you could. It would be risky because if you happen to twist the return while taking out old or installing the new threaded PVC fitting...it would rotate inside the pool with the liner attached via 4 screws and could damage your liner.

 

[tikoh]

I guess that depends on the type of return fittings you have. If you have hayward returns, you should be able to, but I don't know that I would recommend it.

I put in my pool last summer and it has Hayward returns. They look like this:
View attachment 314449

The large nut on the back goes on the outside of your pool walls and is what holds the fitting in the wall, the liner goes between the face plate and rubber gasket. The back of this fitting looks similar to this:
View attachment 314450


You have to screw a standard hardware store 1.5" PVC fitting into the back of it so you can glue the rigid or flexible PVC to. These hardware store PVC fittings look like this:
View attachment 314451

So, if these are the types of returns you have...and if you are very careful unscrewing the PVC threaded adapter out of the back of the return...then yes you could. It would be risky because if you happen to twist the return while taking out old or installing the new threaded PVC fitting...it would rotate inside the pool with the liner attached via 4 screws and could damage your liner.

So in your opinion then, would it make more sense to just leave a leg of flex pvc and transition to rigid?

Am I correct that it is not desirable to have flex pvc underground?

 

[duckcmmndr]

So in your opinion then, would it make more sense to just leave a leg of flex pvc and transition to rigid?

Am I correct that it is not desirable to have flex pvc underground?

Flex PVC is not the best underground. It is susceptible to termites. That said, there are lots of pools that have it and have for many years with no troubles. As you suggested, you could cut the flexible PVC close to the return fitting and then glue on a PVC coupler and transition to rigid PVC. That would only leave you a short piece of flex PVC at each return fitting. I am one of those types of people that wants to do something the right way...so I can understand you wanting to get rid of the flexible PVC.

I have strictly been talking about the returns, but your skimmers should also have a PVC fitting screwed into the bottom of them, I would be far less concerned unscrewing that one and screwing in a new one to glue rigid PVC to.