Rock in skimmer line

[Dirk]

does 15k sound like a fair price for re plaster and tile?

Oh, geez, I'm the worst one to ask. I try to double what I think construction work should cost, and I'm still usually off by 100%! I paid $6K for a pebble resurface 4-1/2 years ago, with only minor tile work (in the pool steps). So much has changed since then: way more demand plus supply chain issues and now inflation. $15K sounds way high, but I think they can get whatever they want right now. I might suggest that you wait a year or two if you can, for things to normalize, but who knows, that could be bad advice. Maybe it'll be even worse.

We have some pool contractors here, maybe one of them will chime in.

Or, you might ask about that in a new thread. You're kind of highjacking your own thread, and a new thread might catch the eye of one of our builders. Right now your cost question is kind'a buried.

 

[Dirk]

Back to the rock... are you willing to drain the water down below skimmer level, or do you have any way to plug the inlet? Gripping the rock and just working in there in general would be much easier if it were dry. You could also try to hit it with some lubricant in that case, like a silicon spray, but I have no idea what that would do to your filter or water chemistry afterwards.

I can't tell from the picture but is it wedged in the center of the pipe, with room on both sides? Here's an idea: take a length of cord and tie or glue a small magnet to each end. Snake one end down on each side of the rock and let the magnets grab below. Now rotate it slowly until the magnet-joined part is at the top, and the solid cord is under the rock. (Like spinning a necklace until the clasp is at the back.) Then you can pull on the cord, or work it along one side like dental floss to try and create a gap.

You could also potentially do that with a length of stiff wire. Take a long straight piece of wire and fold it back against itself with a small gap at the top, like a very tall & narrow V shape. Slide it down on one side of the rock and try to hook the V underneath so it comes back up with one part of the wire on each side. I've successfully used this technique to pull stuff out of the bathtub drain that my kids shoved down there.

Last idea if you get it dry: fire and ice! Dump some ice on/around the rock to cool it down. Wait a bit and then use a heat gun or hair dryer to warm the pipe (just don't get too close or you'll scorch it). In my experience, alternating cycles of hot and cold can dislodge just about anything stuck inside of anything else.

I was with ya until the last idea. They use heat like that to weaken PVC glue to take joints apart. You don't want the skimmer to become unglued from the pipes and/or elbows that it's connected to. But I liked the other ideas!

I think we should start a pool (a pool pool?) and the suggestion that ultimately works gets the cash!!

 

[markayash]

I had a piece of plaster stuck in my spa return, didn’t know it at the time just knew it wasn’t moving a lot of water. What I did was plumb the pump to blow water back into the return. Was nervous at first but after a few seconds the piece came out.
Took some creative plumbing but worked. I had hired a pool company who couldn’t get it open.

 

[mrjetson707]

Back to the rock... are you willing to drain the water down below skimmer level, or do you have any way to plug the inlet? Gripping the rock and just working in there in general would be much easier if it were dry. You could also try to hit it with some lubricant in that case, like a silicon spray, but I have no idea what that would do to your filter or water chemistry afterwards.

I can't tell from the picture but is it wedged in the center of the pipe, with room on both sides? Here's an idea: take a length of cord and tie or glue a small magnet to each end. Snake one end down on each side of the rock and let the magnets grab below. Now rotate it slowly until the magnet-joined part is at the top, and the solid cord is under the rock. (Like spinning a necklace until the clasp is at the back.) Then you can pull on the cord, or work it along one side like dental floss to try and create a gap.

You could also potentially do that with a length of stiff wire. Take a long straight piece of wire and fold it back against itself with a small gap at the top, like a very tall & narrow V shape. Slide it down on one side of the rock and try to hook the V underneath so it comes back up with one part of the wire on each side. I've successfully used this technique to pull stuff out of the bathtub drain that my kids shoved down there.

Last idea if you get it dry: fire and ice! Dump some ice on/around the rock to cool it down. Wait a bit and then use a heat gun or hair dryer to warm the pipe (just don't get too close or you'll scorch it). In my experience, alternating cycles of hot and cold can dislodge just about anything stuck inside of anything else.

I think the problem is, it's stuck in the 90. can't really get around it

 

[mrjetson707]

I had a piece of plaster stuck in my spa return, didn’t know it at the time just knew it wasn’t moving a lot of water. What I did was plumb the pump to blow water back into the return. Was nervous at first but after a few seconds the piece came out.
Took some creative plumbing but worked. I had hired a pool company who couldn’t get it open.

when you plumb it backwards, do you still go thru the filter?

 

[mrjetson707]

One more idea, take wire hanger, cut off at both sides of the neck where it splits going opposite directions, straighten out, at one end bend a 90 degree angle a bit more than an inch long then bend half of that 90 sideways onto itself leaving a "V" formation acting as a foot. Carefully put a blob of marine epoxy on the top of the rock while protecting all pvc, then put this "foot" end of the wire into the epoxy and let cure. The epoxy doesn't run. 24 hours later you may be able to manipulate the rock out with the attached wire.

I like this but I'm not sure how I can get the marine epoxy (also I've never heard of that) on the rock and not on the pvc

 

[Dirk]

Sorry, I can't help myself. I'm fascinated by this thread! This is how I would proceed. Dedicate a day or two when you have nothing else going on, after collecting some of the tools and materials others here have suggested. Have them all at the ready. Drain the pool below the skimmer throat and blowout the skimmer and suction pipe (kind of like winterizing a pool). There's info here on the forum on how to do that. Now you can see what you are doing. Start with the least destructive ideas first. Like the long-neck tools. Save things like epoxy and jamming wires into the pipes past the rock, for later, if nothing else works.

I really think it's a matter of manipulating the rock into the same orientation it had when it first went in. Wrapping the rock with wires or rope, or gluing something to it, so that you can pull it out, seems less likely to succeed, because you'll be trying to pull it out in its current orientation, which is the orientation that has it jammed in there. You have to turn/twist/flip the rock into the direction that allowed it in there in the first place. I don't think any amount of force is going to work. You have to finesse it out.

I realize this isn't even back-seat driving. This is like telling someone how to drive over the phone! But that's never stopped me before!!

 

[Newdude]

. I don't think any amount of force is going to work. You have to finesse it out.

+1. It may need to be rotated on several axis before it just pops out. Try and find the longest part of it side to side or corner to corner and make that parallel to the pipe.

 

[Dirk]

+1. It may need to be rotated on several axis before it just pops out. Try and find the longest part of it side to side or corner to corner and make that parallel to the pipe.

Exactly that.

 

[Dirk]

Though now I'm rethinking a little. I originally didn't like the idea of the epoxy, but here's something to consider. The worst scenario would be rotating it enough to loosen it, and then dropping it, losing it further down the pipe. Maybe I would epoxy a line onto it. But not to pull it out. More like a safety line. That way, if I lost it while trying to twist it into a better position, I could gently pull on the "safety line" to bring it back into view. Then grab it again and try again.

Another reason to drain the skimmer dry for a day or two so you have the time to work through all the steps.

If it gets out of sight, and gets pumped further down the pipe, and then gets jammed into some other elbow, perhaps one that is under the deck and 2 or 3 feet underground, now you've got a multi-thousand-dollar problem.

 

[markayash]

when you plumb it backwards, do you still go thru the filter?

No basically in one return and out the other. The first time I was nervous and got trash out. The 2nd time I let it run 30 to 45 seconds and the Rock came out. Just be careful around the skimmer, probably blow the lid off and hopefully a rock
Maybe put a big trash can over it upside down.

 

[Dirk]

No basically in one return and out the other. The first time I was nervous and got trash out. The 2nd time I let it run 30 to 45 seconds and the Rock came out. Just be careful around the skimmer, probably blow the lid off and hopefully a rock
Maybe put a big trash can over it upside down.

Hmmm, maybe a combo of ideas. Pump water at a low flow rate back up into the skimmer, just enough flow to keep the rock from getting lost in the line, then manipulate it with some long tweezers. Once the rock gets in the right orientation, it'll get pushed right out by the flow. This assuming you could see well enough to work on the rock while water is flowing up through the skimmer.

 

[Newdude]

Before you go replumbing the pump, try the shop vac. Take the hose and smack it right on the hole making the best seal you can. It will suck water past the rock and if the rock isnt welded in place it will bounce around a little, hopefully finding its way out. If you fill the shop vac, dump it and try again. I'd give it many tries the easy way.

 

[Mdragger88]

These also look like a good contender

Also if you can get one of these knots around it using some string you may be able to finagle it out (as well as have a safety line)- since the knot gets tighter as u pull

 

[Newdude]

^^^^^^^^^^^ this is *exactly* a project for Harbor Freight. Need a tool that you'll only use twice ever ? They got a 3 pack for $15.

 

[markayash]

Hmmm, maybe a combo of ideas. Pump water at a low flow rate back up into the skimmer, just enough flow to keep the rock from getting lost in the line, then manipulate it with some long tweezers. Once the rock gets in the right orientation, it'll get pushed right out by the flow. This assuming you could see well enough to work on the rock while water is flowing up through the skimmer.

The hard part for me was it wasn't 100% clogged so all the bladders type tools didn't work..Took a lot of volume and water to push it out

 

[markayash]

Before you go replumbing the pump, try the shop vac. Take the hose and smack it right on the hole making the best seal you can. It will suck water past the rock and if the rock isnt welded in place it will bounce around a little, hopefully finding its way out. If you fill the shop vac, dump it and try again. I'd give it many tries the easy way.

I agree, that might work..Then go find the person who did it and Give them a smack down

 

[Rocket J Squirrel]

I think everyone needs a hand jackhammer once in a while. Just go gently.

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[Dirk]

I think everyone needs a hand jackhammer once in a while. Just go gently.

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Can't tell if Rocket is joking or not. In case he's not, that's worse than the torch idea, IMO. Applying hot and cold and/or a jackhammer (or any other excessive force) to the pipe under your skimmer just might get you a new skimmer (and the nightmare of installing it), if that's the ultimate goal.

I'm liking the shop vac idea the best, so far. I'd caution: if the shop vac maneuver loosens the rock but doesn't suck it out, you can't turn your main pump on until you somehow get the rock to come out through the skimmer. Turning the main pump on while the rock is still loose in the pipe could end up jamming it into the next elbow joint down the line. That'sa no good.

Actually, the best idea is the smackdown, but that won't help with the rock, unfortunately...

 

[riny]

Also if you can get one of these knots around it

My neighbor growing up was a sailor and he taught me how to make a bowline when I was maybe 6 or 7 years old, although he pronounced it with a short i (rhymes with rollin') unlike the video you linked. 40 years later and I still remember: the rabbit comes up through the hole, goes around the tree, and back down into the hole...

And I guess you're right about the heat & cold approach, which may be a little too effective. I used to have solar heater panels, connected by flex with barb fittings, and the hot/cold method was the only way I could get the flex on/off the barbs. I didn't realize you could separate glued joints this way!