Repairing Poly Pipe Under Concrete

BobF

<span style="color:#ff0000">Can one repair a poly pipe connection without breaking concrete? </span><span style="color:#ff0000">Is there a "stent" that can seal a leaking fitting/pipe connection?</span><strong></strong><span style="color:#0000ff">About 35 years ago a new house was built with an <span style="text-decoration:underline;">indoor</span> pool.  I have little direct knowledge of the process and pieces of the initial construction but most pools in this area used 1 1/2" coil poly pipe for both intake and return lines with plastic insert fittings to make the connections. Schedule 40 PVC was used for risers and pump/filter piping with under slab connections to the insert fittings.</span><span style="color:#0000ff">Fast forward to today and the pool is leaking 1 1/2"+ of water per day. Doing the math for about 650 sq, ft, of surface area this works out to around 600 gallons/day or 2 gallons/minute!  Leaks have been isolated primarily to the main drain (8' underwater, connects to a straight fitting), skimmer (down about 18" connects to an ell) and the inlets (down 24" connects to an ell and a tee).</span><strong><span style="color:#0000ff">Given soil movement, cold flow of the plastic and the probablity that only a single clamp was used initially leaks at the fittings are more likely than from the piping.</span><span style="color:#0000ff">Is there a "stent" or insert that can be inserted from the front to cut the leakage.  Any other alternatives to breaking up some nice decorative concrete indoors?  </span></strong>

meplumber

Not that I have ever seen.

I have been at this for a while, and I have never seen anything like you describe.  I wish they did, because I have jackhammered up more than one slab to repair burst poly water lines that frozen.

SWEI

as usual, it depends

If you have a nearly straight shot (one or two 45s should be OK, but that's about the limit) and you can get to both sides of the run, a bursting head may be able to get through.

BobF

Need to Pinpoint the Leak

Before breaking the concrete I'm going to try plugging the line, injecting pressurized air and using a hydrophone to try to find exactly where the leaks are located. 

Camera can't make the turns and even a 1/4" diameter borescope with a 3' fiber optic probe didn't work.

Fixing it will probably still start with the jack hammer, but maybe with less cutting.

Anyone have a better idea?

Tim Potter

Pool Guys

One of our customers at my auto repair shop has a business that repairs leaks in pool lines & pipes, its all he does. He is real busy, but i'm sure one of those guys is who to call.



HTH



Tim

Mark Eatherton

A better idea..

Plug all ends except one, and pump hot water into the leak. Use an infrared camera to locate the leak. Works better than hydrophones, but you can use hydrophones to confirm your IR findings. Just about any home energy auditor should have their own IR imaging camera.



ME

icesailor

Pool Leaks:

Pool piping underground is usually the cheapest stuff that can be bought. 80# Poly Pipe with nylon fittings. The leak will be at the nylon fitting where it goes into the main drain at the bottom of the pool. If any tension is on the nylon adapter fitting going into the main drain, it will sooner or later, develop a tiny stress crack through the end of the threads. Over time, the crack will get bigger and the leak will be greater.

Back in the 60's, all that you had for Poly Water services connections were nylon adapters. Unless you very carefully supported the pipe and adapter fitting with a board or block underground, and that included supporting the pipe as it went into the adapter with the space under, it would sooner or later, crack. Usually in the winter when there was 2' of frost and you need a jack hammer.

I had a customer with an in-ground pool and the same thing happened to him that has happened to you. Somehow, a pool company fixed it. It was a lot of serious deep digging.

I'm glad it wasn't me.

SWEI

fittings indeed

I'm surprised that welded poly is not in widespread use for pools and spas at this point. 



As long as it's not radically overheated it's pretty much bomb-proof.

BobF

Pipie Repair Specialist?

There is such a company?

Where and who?  I would love to speak with them.