Help with Flexi PVC to solid PVC leaks

megabyte29 · Postby **megabyte29** » Sun 24 May, 2009 15:28

Hey you pool installers using flexi PVC. How do you attach it (glue it) to solid PVC pipe I mean doesnt it make a poor connection due to its flexible outer shell? I ask because where my flexi PVC connects to my solid PVC I get leaks im assuming that the union isnt tight and thats the cause is there known ways to seal the to pipes together or do you just use a ton of glue? How do you seal a leak once its started on this type of setup?

Guest · Postby **Guest** » Sun 24 May, 2009 15:44

You need to roughen up the pipe before gluing and there should be no problem. Use a coarser sandpaper than you use for regular PVC-U pipes as that helps give a better bond.

If you have some older glue that has thickened somewhat the bond tends to be better. New runny glue can sometimes leave a pinhole if the pipes shift soon after gluing.

If it leaks we cut out the section and redo it. We haven't found a suitable long-term solution we can trust for badly glued joints.

megabyte29 · Postby **megabyte29** » Tue 26 May, 2009 07:06

Pool User wrote:You need to roughen up the pipe before gluing and there should be no problem. Use a coarser sandpaper than you use for regular PVC-U pipes as that helps give a better bond.

If you have some older glue that has thickened somewhat the bond tends to be better. New runny glue can sometimes leave a pinhole if the pipes shift soon after gluing.

If it leaks we cut out the section and redo it. We haven't found a suitable long-term solution we can trust for badly glued joints.

Yeah my only solution has been to cut out the plumbing and redo it as I dont have any parts that are not already glued only from the pump and the filter do I have screw in peices that I can end my replacement. Its not alot but I do have to step down the size from the filter to the plumbing to the pump and the return to the pool.

Postby **ChuckGeo** » Mon 01 Jun, 2009 15:54

We use standard PVC cement - Blue Glue - on flex to Sch. 40 joints. Always clean the pipe and socket with pipe cleaner (MEK) just prior to gluing, be sure your pipe is cut square, apply glue to the pipe and socket then bottom the pipe in the socket, with a slight twist to distribute the glue, and hold the pipe in the fitting for several minutes to give the joint time to set up a little. If it's a suction line you can use it immediately, if a return (pressure) line wait a couple of hours before you turn on the pump.
We make this type of joint routinely and don't have problems with leaky joints at all.

Jan0614 · Postby **Jan0614** » Mon 01 Jun, 2009 21:45

I have an above ground pool with flexible hoses and hard pvc (I think) connector fittings. The place where I purchased the pool does not sell any kind of glue; instead, I was told to use silicone, allow it to set for a few minutes and then connect the flexible hoses to the connector fittings and allow it to set 24 hours before running the pump; however, it seems as if the water always a pinhole area where the silicone wasn't perfectly applied, and continues to drip. Also, once you have applied silicon the previous year,removing it all without leaving some residue is extremely difficult and a perfect seal is next to impossible. As a result, I haven't been had much success with this solution.
Can glue be used on the flexible hoses and connections for an above ground pool? Do the connector fittings have to be sanded or primed? If so, what kind of primer and glue is best? I live in New England, so at the end of the season, I have to bring all of the equipment indoors. Can the hoses be removed and reused the following year or do they have to be cut off the fittings?
Any help you can give would be much appreciated.