Advice on fixing a broken suction line

[BobF13]

I just had my privacy fence replaced, including a short section that screened my pool pump equipment. Of course, in the process of replacing a fence post, the fence installer managed to bust one of the underground PVC pipes. The pump was turned off at the time as I had added floc the previous evening. When I started the pump, I immediately saw brown water flowing into the pump and the pump lost prime and began cavatating. I shut off one of the skimmers and the pump primed and seemed to run normally. So I presumed there was a break in the suction line from that skimmer, and shut the pump off.

I got the fence guy to pull the post out and dig out the concrete. At that point, I could reach into the hole full of muddy water and feel the break in the suction line. I thought that I could just use a submersible pump to pump the water out of the hole and repair the line. But pool water keeps flowing out of the broken pipe and filling the hole. So I plugged the 2 skimmers and the wall drain (don't have a floor drain), and ran the submersible pump but the water still keeps flowing out of the broken line! I don't understand how this can be unless the suction lines are somehow connected to the return lines?? Next I'm going to try plugging the returns in the pool. As a last resort, I will pump the pool down below the skimmers, wall drain, and returns. Surely this will stop the flow thru the broken suction line, right?

Would appreciate any advice or explanation on how to stop the flow of water thru the broken suction line.

[PoolDoc]

Unfortunately, repair problems like you are describing are best solved with eyeballs-on-the-job.

Obviously, you realize you've got to stop the water flow in order to properly repair the pipes.

But . . . What are the elevations of the pump / filter / piping relative to the water level in the pool?
What sort of valving do you have around the pump / filter?
Did you close your multiport, to assure that siphoning wouldn't happen?
Did you get a good seal on the plugged lines? (People often don't)

The only quick and easy tip I can offer is that siphoning can occur, but closing your multiport and opening your pump lid will assure it's not happening.

Good luck!

[PoolDoc]

[ Upgraded membership; moved thread to IG pools section <= you may need to log out and back in, for everything to work properly. ]

[BobF13]

Yes, I've put the multiport valve in an in-between position, opened the pump lid, and closed the valves on the suction lines. I'm confident water is not flowing thru the pump to the broken suction line.

I plugged the skimmers and wall drain with 1.5" threaded PVC plugs. The plugs fit tight, even if they are not a perfect seal, I can't imagine any leakage would be more than a trickle. But the water coming out of the broken line is a gush.

I have a vinyl liner, if I drain the pool level down below the skimmers, wall drain, and return jets that would have to stop the water flow to the broken suction line, right??

[PoolDoc]

. . . IF the break in the pipe is above the water level in the pool,

AND the pool is ONLY source for water in that line,
AND there is no backflow or siphon from another location,
THEN the water flow will stop.

But I haven't seen your piping, the hole, or your pool . . . so I don't know any of that. And I've learned that customers and pool owners frequently omit critical information because they don't recognize it as critical, or sometimes for other reasons.

That's why I mentioned detailed photographs.