Fanta sea pool-help with leaking hoses on bottom of solar panels

[golflady57]

I recently did a search before joining and saw a discussion about fantasea pools from Carl. I cannot get the hoses to stop leaking that are hooked under the solar panels that join them together. Any ideas would be greatly appreciated. There is alot of water loss when this occurs-I just replaced a panel and can't get the hoses tight so I can't run the pool until corrected. We are using the metal screw bands-not the plastic ones.

Thank you
Tina

[Watermom]

I am going to ask Carl to have a look at your question and see if he has any ideas that can help you.

Welcome to the Pool Forum!

[PoolDoc]

I'm not familiar with those panels, but if they connected with flexible tubing, they may be difficult to reconnect if the tubing has hardened. I'd recommend a couple of things:

1. Measure (ideally with calipers) the connection stub on both an old panel, and the new one, to make sure they are EXACTLY the same size.

2. Then go get radiator hoses and clamps to mate them up. There's a good chance your auto-parts store can help find something that will work, in a straight but flexible hose. Just make sure to go when the store is NOT busy; a clerk with a line of people who know what they want is not going to be eager to spend time helping you find something oddball.

[CarlD]

Sorry it took so long for me to see this!

But, yes, I am familiar with it. And there are at least 2 solutions that work.
1) If you are using the FantaSea hoses that came with the system, standard hose clamps MAY work but it's tough to get in to tighten them AND keep them pushed snug against the underside of the panel. DeWalt makes a flexible nut-driver like this:

http://www.homedepot.com/p/DEWALT-4-...RV-G/202279618

But I don't think that will work with the Fantasea hoses except where they connect to the return to the pool.

What will work with the FantaSea hoses is the following: you need two plastic clips per hose.

http://www.poolsupplies.com/product/...fanta-sea-pool

First, put a layer of Plumber's Dope, aka pipe joint compound either around the nipple on the panel or in the hose. Force the hose tight to the panel and put one the first clip, tight to the panel. You'll need a water pump pliers to squeeze it tight enough. Then put a second clip right against it, but with the clip going the opposite direction. This usually works.

2) You can replace the hoses with something like this, with the thick rubbery end, usually 3' length:
http://www.poolproducts.com/SPP/prod...family_id=2558
Then use a hose clamp and the pipe joint compound as described above. Use this kind of hose clamp:
http://www.homedepot.com/p/Ideal-1-3...0595/202309386

I prefer the double clip solution for FantaSea hoses as it's inexpensive and works. In fact, if you complain loudly enough to PoolSupplies.com, who owns FantaSea, they may well send you the extra clips, all you need, for the good relations. That's what they did for me.

I only go to the second solution when a hose fails and I need a replacement NOW--and my local pool store has the hoses. I have a couple of those in my system and they are a permanent fix. The vast majority of my FantaSea hoses are still going strong as I disconnect key ones in the fall and blow them out with a shop vac. But EVERY FantaSea hose is double-clipped, with the joint compound. I get more leaks from the panels getting too much pressure. They are a high maintenance item.