Cutting main drain line to relocate equipment

[JohnT]

I love challenges like this. I have often had to replace leaking ball valves below the water line at the equipment pad. I have everything at the ready. I use quick setting PVC solvent called Pool Tite. It hasnt failed me yet.

I'd like them better if I was in Florida. The water will probably be below 60 degrees when I do it. I just hope it's not so deep I have to put my head underwater when I connect it.

[hinejs]

Pool water temps here are 55F. How about by you? What part of Indiana?

If your hole in the groujd is a shovel deeper than the pipe and if youre materials are at the ready, take a couple of practice "dry" runs, you wont lose a whole lot of water. Certainly not enough to fill your hole in the ground. Oh you will get plenty wet in the face and spattering mud, but its not as bad as you'd think. To me, its almost a lot like caving. Cold muddy water, cramped space. Its all good.

[JohnT]

Pool water temps here are 55F. How about by you? What part of Indiana?

I'd expect in the 40's at the warmest, since we've been having ice in the puddles for the last week or so. I'm about a half-hour south of Bloomington, so I'm not in the coldest part. I cut and capped the pipe above the water level a while back, and I don't have to finish until it's time to open the pool in the spring, so the water will be warmer.

I figure a lot will be happening at once, so I want to have it thought out. I have to make two cuts to make room for a new fitting, so it's going to take a little while before I can start with the connection.

[JohnT]

Updated: I got it done. Pictures linked for clarity.

I removed the screws holding the brush bristles on my pool brush, and connected a flexible rubber feed pan (picture in post above) to the metal frame with about 6 inches of wire in two places so small movements of the pole wouldn't lift the pan off the bottom. I placed the feed pan over the main drain. I cut the drain line and put a test plug

in the end. I used a PVC Compression Repair Coupling like this



to do the actual connection. The repair coupling slid over the test plug, so I was able to connect the pool side of the repair coupling before I removed the test plug, as well as slide the rubber seal and coupler nut onto the new pump line. With the coupling in place, I unscrewed the wing nut on the test plug with needle nose pliers, and the water in the line pushed it out of the fitting. I slid the new line to the pump into the coupler, and tightened the pump side nut. I didn't even drain a gallon of water into the pit while doing it.

I didn't make the final PVC joints above ground until after the connection to let me have maximum flexibility to move the pipe around, so I didn't turn the drain valve on until this morning. All good.

I learned that the water/antifreeze mix in that drain line stinks. All the more reason to start the pump with the filter set to waste when you open.