Leaking chlorinator in a new pool, suggestions?

[Mom2Czars]

Our pool (24' round 52" wall) was built back in April. Due to lots of fun times with electricians and builders, our electrical was finished only just yesterday. So we excitedly hooked up the pump...and then had to figure out how to work the breakers on the electic panel. OK, try number two, the pump works like a champ, but there's water pouring out all along the assembly.

The tubing goes from the skimmer basket (ball valve)-->chlorinator --> Nature2 --> DE filter-->pump -->back to pool. The water is practically gushing out the cap of the chlorinator and the Nature2. Tightening the cap on the Nature2 helped but we haven't been able to figure out how to tighten the chlorinator sufficiently.

Anyhow..having read the forum here for a few weeks, I'm definitely going BBB and I'd just as soon have the chlorinator and the Nature2 off the system. Is there a fitting that would allow us to just detach them and connect the two hoses? I'm not sure the hose that comes from the skimmer will reach.

This morning I sealed the chlorinator cap with silicon so I could at least run the pump on low.

[matt4x4]

Chlorinator caps are a real PIA, my recommendation - remove it, and while you're at it teh N2 system as well, keep it simple, the N2 is designed to remove 100 dollars a year form your wallet, it certainly does not return that in chlorine savings or anything else for that matter - speaking from experience here.
Anybody want a N2 system - got one real cheap for sale.
As for the chlorinator, handy for when you go on vacation, however, a PIA the rest of the year, and it'll make you late for vacation trying to open it up to stock it with pucks.
Get a chlorine puck floatie to cover the vacation weeks and you'll be all set.

[denanbob]

I am definitely new to pools, but is your pump supposed to be the last thing before your return??? My setup goes 1.) skimmer 2). pump 3.) filter 4.) automatic chlorinator 5). return to pool. I thought the water went through the pump before hitting the filter. Maybe someone can help clarify this for us. As for your original question, we had water leaking out the top of our chlorinator too, but DH just super tightened the cap and it seems to be better. I don't even know what a Nature 2 is so I can't help ya there! Good luck!

[matt4x4]

yes, your chlorinator is supposed to be last, otherwise higher concentrations of chlorine are needlessly wreaking havoc on your equipment.

[Mom2Czars]

So what about people who put pucks into the skimmer basket? The chlorine would still be going all through the system.

Sure enough, I had typed the order backwards. It is: Pump>Filter>Nature2>Chlorinator>Return. I definitely want to get the chlorinator and the Nature2 out of there (I never even put the cartridge into it), but how can I hook up the two hoses? Is there an adapter for that I can buy?

[matt4x4]

there is a male to male straight through connector, but for what it's worth, go buy the right length of tigerflex to replace the entire run between filter and return - less likelyhood of leaks etc. with less connections along the way.

And those who put pucks in the skimmer, it's ok on most vinyl lined AG pools since they do not have many metal parts exposed in the plumbing, with other pool types you can cause real damage.
i STILL WOULDN'T DO IT TOO OFTERN SINCE THE CHLORINE WILL BREAK DOWN THE SKIMMER PLASTIC, LINER (sorry - caps lock) and other parts prematurely as well, it just takes longer to kill plastic and vinyl with chlorine than metal.

[gpshemi]

My family's two pools (one AG, one IG) have always just put the 3" tablets in the skimmer. They've done it for years with appearently no ill effects. How much is a new skimmer basket anyway? Or a whole new skimmer for that matter? $50 for the whole thing maybe? They've never lost a pump or filter from it. Those pools were up for 10-15 years I bet.

Isn't this just a bunch of horse hockey so they can sell inline chlorinators?

gpshemi

[matt4x4]

Well, a chlorinator does allow you to control the speed at which you are introducing the chlorine, the skimmer isn't controllable.
We don't use tabs, we do BBB, so I cannot tell you from experience what can happen, but I've heard from others with pools that chlorine does in fact make the skimmer and basket brittle, a brittle part can still work, it all depends on how well you take care of stuff and how much abuse it sees, another problem with the puck in the skimmer is once the system is shut off, the puck keeps melting and you end up with a high concentration of Chlorine in that spot, so your liner is also affected in that area, it will become brittle early and could become a potential problem spot.
I'm not saying you can't do it, i'm recommending on using a 10 dollar floatie to save your 50 dollar skimmer, maybe the skimmer will last 15 years, maybe 25, but maybe it COULD have lasted 50 - i'll get back to you on how my pools doing in 30 or so years through taking care of it.
And i still advise against chlorinators or even the use of pucks unless it's needed.

[Mom2Czars]

there is a male to male straight through connector, but for what it's worth, go buy the right length of tigerflex to replace the entire run between filter and return - less likelyhood of leaks etc. with less connections along the way.

I guess I'm off to the pool store later. I'll certainly look into just swapping the hose out for the proper size, but probably not til the fall now, since we only just got the water level up, etc. If I can get those two useless attachments off for now I'll be happy.

[gpshemi]

I have a floaty currently. However, my problem is the tablets are soooo hard they don't disolve fast enough to keep the chlorine up in the pool. So I'll end up shocking it more then I need to. You need more of a flow over them is all. Maybe the little 1" tablets in it would work better then the 3" tablets. Not sure.

gpshemi