Piping problem after Jandy salt system replacement

[Branjita]

I just noticed I have two of the same pic in my first post.

"My second idea" should have this pic associated with it.

[PoolDoc]

I'll look at this, this evening. There aren't too many here who can help with your problem, besides me. (Among other things, I'm a "master plumber" -- that was my job when I got into the pool biz 25 years ago.)

But, quick fix: go buy 5 or 6 all stainless hose clamps that will fit the Fernco fitting. Open them fully, put them around the fitting and reconnect them. Space them evenly, with each clamp rotated 180 degrees from its neighbors, then snug them up.

While you're buying those see if you can get any Fernco Permalink clamps AND some 5/16 or larger *braided* solid nylon rope. If the Proflex will fit, they will not blow out from pressure, but you'll still need need the rope to create a 'hold-together' load. You can see what I'm talking about on this A-store page: http://astore.amazon.com/poolbooks?node=67

Unfortunately, to use the rope, you'll need to learn the bowline knot, the butterfly knot, and a modified Prussik knot to tension the rope properly. I can find YouTubes for that, but it will still require learning the knots. You can try and see if you can accomplish the same thing with some 6 - 9 foot 1" wide load binders or straps.

But you will have to bind the ends of the line there: no neoprene clamp will reliably hold against the blow-apart pressure that is tending to slide the pipes out of the clamp.

[PoolDoc]

Just got back, and had a bit of time to go through your pictures more carefully -- just using the load binder or rope may solve your immediate problem. Long term, unsupported Fernco couplings tend to bulge and eventually fail, so you still need a better coupling or reinforcement, there.

Pics archived.

[Branjita]

Thanks for the reply Pooldoc, I coincidentally had a pool plumber come and fix it the other day for $94, which was a lot lower than I thought it would be. I watched him do it. He used a special PVC piece that fit over some of the other PVC, which he said was a piece that the average consumer wouldn't be able to get because it was a size that isn't sold at Lowe's or Home Depot. Other than that, everything else was pretty standard and do-able. I was impressed that he was fearless in doing it, and that obviously came from experience. He had to redo things a bit from cutting a bit too much off and a bit too little off a couple times, but that's what comes with fearlessness and diving right in. He said next time a repair has to be made, if one has to be made, it's likely all the stuff that goes into the ground will have to be redone along with the Jandy valve (because it has already been plumbed one time on the inside and currently plumbed on the outside), but at least that hopefully won't be for awhile or ever. As long as Zodiac keeps making Aquapures the same size and DOESN'T change the size or way the couplings attach, then I might never have any issues installing a replacement in the next ~5 years.

I'll take a pic in awhile of the finished work and add it tomorrow when I'm on the computer again.

[PoolDoc]

He said next time a repair has to be made, if one has to be made, it's likely all the stuff that goes into the ground will have to be redone along with the Jandy valve.

Yeah. It's been my practice, for some years, for my first connection out of the ground to be a male/female pair, and then to use unions and threaded fittings where possible. Doing so makes repairs and updates much, much easier, but it's a concept 99% of the builders out there are not interested in.

Glad you got your problem solved. $94 sounds very reasonable, for a fairly tricky repair.

[BigDave]

If you have a chance, would you send a picture of what your plumber did?

[Branjita]

Here are the finished pictures. I've only briefly tested it in spa mode while the plumber was still here, but it did not leak. It's run for several days now in pool mode without leaking. I'll test it again in spa mode (and longer) when we have warmer temperatures later this week. Right now we're expecting a cold front tonight and I don't want it potentially busting when it'll be in the 20s tonight.